For the most part, what was on the show floor was the same demo we'd seen at this summer's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Missed it? Check out our Earlier Preview or Extensive Hands-On Time. But there were a couple changes in this build that hint at the direction Criterion is taking their gun-lovin' poem of destruction.
Pull the trigger and watch some fireworks...
For one thing, the atmospheric effects were cranked up a notch. Characters shouted at each other over the noise and explosions. I might be mistaken, but it also looked like the masked mooks I was fighting were using more cover and reacting more to the situation.
More importantly, bonuses kept appearing on the screen. In much the same way that Burnout rewards you for reckless driving and ridiculous stunts, Black now scores you for incredible kills. You could score "Black Ops Points" for headshots, for point-blank kills, for distance kills, or for any number of spectacular moves.
Although our other previews have noted it, I have to take a moment to talk about sound. This is one area where the game excels. Every time EA has shown the title, they do so in a dark room with the sound absolutely cranked: it's as if you can feel these massive guns shaking your body, or the deep stomach-lurching rumble of whole floors of buildings collapsing into cement, twisted iron, and ash. When this game hits in 2006, don't skimp on your sound system! A lot of the appeal here comes from how great the guns look and feel.
Stick around GameSpy for more coverage as the game nears release!
