Call of Duty 4 is a breath of fresh air for the Call of Duty series, finally steering away from WWII into the present era. Ever since Call of Duty 4’s trailer debut over a month ago, little has been announced regarding the title. Finally, new information has emerged.
The game will feature a "hardpoint" system in both single and multiplayer, in which certain locations on the terrain provide a direct advantage over your opponent when within their boundaries. The hardpoint is neutral until you’ve fought for it and claimed it as your own, then becomes neutral once again when you exit the radius of its boundaries. This is actually fairly realistic as terrain can be a decisive factor, for better or for worse, when fighting on the battlefield.
Players will receive experience points when playing multiplayer modes. An assist will net a single point, a regular kill will earn two, and a headshot will rake in a total of three points. These will unlock new ranks and skins for your character, similar to Resistance: Fall of Man’s current system. The title will provide downloads and patches after release as well. There is one bad piece of news in that vehicles are limited to the offline campaign.
Finally, a new mode that should satisfy that most hardcore of players was revealed: Realism Mode. A single well-placed shot is able to kill a man in this mode, so caution is key. Even worse, while a shot to the legs may not kill you – it could paralyze you – leaving you stranded waiting for help. We don’t recommend this mode if you aren’t patient, as you might find yourself developing serious anger issues.