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Exoskeletons? Cybernetics? We explore the Black Ops 3 possibilities

In case you missed the news this past week, Activision viral teased the next Call of Duty from Treyarch before officially announcing Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 via a teaser trailer. The trailer provided us with plenty of information to uncover and we’ve provided our analysis of the trailer and other information released here.

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We know that Black Ops 3 will officially be revealed in two weeks, but before then, Activision and Treyarch have gave us enough hints to speculate on what we can expect the game to resolve around. As of yet there are no definitive answers, but the movement and setting are a few of the key features heavily discussed by the community.

Last year, Sledgehammer Games made their first involvement as lead developer with Advanced Warfare. Over the years, a lot of criticism about the franchise has been that it’s ‘the same every year’, but that’s simply not true. If you compare each iteration of Call of Duty, you’ll see plenty of substantial differences, some more than others. However, there’s one aspect that’s remained relatively the same all the way through: the movement. That’s to be expected. For a military game that’s always focussed on human warfare, there’s only so much you can do with movement; walking, running, jumping, crouching, prone. However, rather than stick to a tried and tested formula for their first title as lead developer, Sledgehammer decided to introduce one of the biggest shake-ups that the series has seen.  New weapons, locations and features are always a given, but Exo Suits completely changed how players played Call of Duty.  The Boost Jump, in particular, added a new layer of verticality to the game and shaped how players engaged in gunfights and navigated around the map.

The introduction of exoskeletons was a hot topic in the community. Some loved the new fast-paced gameplay they brought, while others felt that they ruined how Call of Duty should be played. With this in mind, the developer behind the next game had a tough decision to make: Stick with this new style of play? Or revert to classic Call of Duty? That said, with the three-year development cycle, Treyarch’s 2015 title would have been in development well before Advanced Warfare was even announced, meaning that the decision would have been made long before last year’s title could be used as a test run.

The game’s official description, which was found hidden on the Call of Duty website, gives us a good idea of what we can expect.

“Call of Duty®: Black Ops 3 is the first title for next-gen hardware in the critically acclaimed Black Ops series. Developed by Treyarch, the award-winning creator of the two most played games in Call of Duty® history. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 deploys players into a dark, twisted future where a new breed of Black Ops soldiers emerges and the lines are blurred between our own humanity and the technology we created to stay ahead, in a world where cutting-edge military robotics define warfare. With three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies, it providing fans with the deepest and most ambitious Call of Duty ever.”

Future? Check. Robotics? Check. From this, we can deduce that like Advanced Warfare, Black Ops 3 will introduce a somewhat futuristic and technology-focussed take on Call of Duty. From this description, and the viral teasers, there are two possible character-types we imagine the game could be based on: Exoskeletons or Cybernetics. It could also be something completely else, but these two are the most likely options based on the information we know. Interestingly enough the actual teaser trailer so far mostly refers to locations and doesn’t hint at the era and character-types, but that might change the more people analyse the trailer.

Exoskeletons

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The idea of Black Ops 3 incorporating some form of exoskeleton has been rumoured for some time now. Immediately following the appearance of the game’s description and cover art, social media lit up with talk of ‘Exo Suits in Black Ops 3?!’ as if it was officially confirmed. On top of that, a lot of the discussion about this news was greeted with disappointment. The introduction of Exo Suits in Advanced Warfare was met with a very mixed response. Some people loved it while others hated it, which can be said for plenty of elements in Call of Duty titles. However, unlike the smaller features and game mechanics, Exo Suits completely changed how Call of Duty was played, meaning that someone’s love or hate for the feature will also apply to whether they like the overall game or not. In fact, following the news that Black Ops 3 would be set in the future, many of those who expressed disappointment in the possible return of Exo Suits declared that their interest in the game had diminished and that they wouldn’t be purchasing it, before the game has even been revealed. While Advanced Warfare did include a ‘classic’ playlist, the game was still essentially built around Exo Suits and the maps in particular were designed to support the new movement styles.

To quell the hysteria, Exo Suits in Black Ops 3 wouldn’t need to function as they do in Advanced Warfare. Exo Suits in Advanced Warfare are based on the real-life technology of powered exoskeletons. These exoskeletons are defined as machines designed to be worn as an outer layer by its users. While they currently exist in the real world, they are mainly still in the prototype stages but it’s hoped that they will eventually be a useful addition in various fields, such as military, medical and emergency services. Exoskeletons function in a way where they are to boost the endurance and strength of its wearer, but the make, model and purpose will define that particular exoskeleton’s functionality and appearance. With this in mind, game developer’s are obviously able to develop their own in-game exoskeletons however they want. The only thing needed to still make it an exoskeleton is that it’s worn as an outer layer and its functionality is used to enhance the limbs of its wearer.

In Advanced Warfare, the Exo Suit’s general movement functionality is as followed: Boost Jump, Boost Slide, Boost Dodge and Boost Dash. All of these features are included in the Exo Suit no matter what and enhances how a character moves when the suit is equipped. On top of that, the Exo Suit is used to enhance combat, with the Boost Melee and Boost Slam options an example of the character’s increased strength. In the Campaign and Multiplayer modes, there is also the possibility to equip various Exo Abilities such as activating a health boost for a short period of time. In Exo Zombies, the Exo Suit can be upgraded with Exo Upgrades such as the ability to revive fallen teammates quicker.

Therefore, if Treyarch did decide to implement a type of exoskeleton in Black Ops 3, it’s clear that they would have plenty of room to make it different than Advanced Warfare’s functionality. There would be some functionality that would be a given. For example, appearance-wise, the character would still be stepping into some mechanical costume that fits around their body. Gameplay-wise, characters would still likely be stronger and faster with an Exo Suit suit equipped than without one. However, one of the biggest and most controversial aspects of Advanced Warfare’s Exo Suit functionality is the Boost Jump. It is arguably the Boost Jump which completely changes how players play the game as it allows players to jump high into the air which would enable them to evade incoming fire, reach high vantage points such as rooftops, and navigate around the map much quicker. If Treyarch were to include Exo Suits, replacing the Boost Jump might go some way to easing the concerns people have. The Exo Suit would still be able to provide the game with a futuristic and strong tech-based aspects, such as increased strength and endurance, but the cons of jumping over 20 feet in the air would be avoided. If Treyarch replaced the Boost Jump with something else, what would it be? Wall Running is a rumour that has recently been suggested. Incorporating some form of Wall Running would no doubt provide a change for the series, but those who disliked the Boost Jump would likely not find it as discouraging. Would Dash, Side, and Dodge remain? Would any other additions to the movement be introduced? And would the optional customization such as Exo Abilities return with additional choices available?

As always, all of this is simply speculation. Having experienced an exoskeleton-based style of play for five months, it’s simple to understand how Exo Suits work and their pros and cons. If Treyarch did go down this route, however, it’s clear that they would have plenty of ways of making it their own unique feature for Black Ops 3, providing us with a new experience. All that said, I personally don’t feel that there is enough evidence or rumours to suggest that Black Ops 3 will be based on exoskeletons. A lot of the strong speculation about Exo Suits comes from the leak of the game’s description and cover art, as well as simply the fact that it featured in the previous game. We know that the game will be set in the future, but that doesn’t guarantee that Exo Suits will be returning. As for the cover art, it’s clear that the soldier is sporting some serious enhancements, but to me it looks more like the enhancements have been added to him rather than he is wearing an exoskeleton. Again, we must remember that an exoskeleton is defined as a outer layer which enhances the limbs of the user for increased strength and endurances. Last of all, would Treyarch want to follow in a very similar route as the previous title? There are ways to capture the futuristic and ‘supersoldier’ style they appear to be going for, and to do so with their own twist, which brings us onto the next theory…

Cybernetics

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Before the teaser trailer was even released, I had a feeling that Black Ops 3 could potentially focus on cybernetic/bionic soldiers. In the run up to Thursday’s announcement, Activision and Treyarch began teasing the game via Black Ops 2 and Snapchat. From these viral teasers, we were able to put together a few ideas about what tidbits they were trying to offer us.

Before going further, let’s have a look at what cybernetics are. Cybernetics is the study of how people, animals and machines are able to communicate. The first thing that comes to mind when discussing how machines communicate is artificial intelligence, which is defined as giving machines the ability to seem like they have human intelligence. Without getting too technical or accurate for this purpose, we’ll be using cybernetics here as a way to describe a machine carrying out a human behaviour. What if in Black Ops 3 humans are equipped with robotic features? This is something we’ll look at, but first lets recap the viral teasers…

In each of the teasers, the premise was always the same; a doctor, who we understand is Dr. Salim, was having a session with a patient and as the viewers, we were watching what was going on through the eyes (or ‘mind’) of the patient. In the teasers, Dr. Salim instructs the patient to only listen to his voice followed by helping him to visit a calm and happy place in his mind. Some of the footage is clear while other bits are more grainy, but it appears that we’re looking into what the patient is thinking in his mind. A lot of the footage we see throughout is a forest and wildlife, which would be an ideal location for a calm lifestyle and a way of reducing stress. However, some of the footage mixed in appears to show soldiers and explosions, which perhaps suggest he is an ex (or current?) soldier and is having trouble dreaming of a happy place without thinking of his time in war. The purpose of this session with the doctor could be seen in multiple ways. Is Dr. Salim trying to help the patient cope with a post-traumatic stress disorder? Or is there a more nefarious act in play, such as a brainwash scheme? Methods of interrogation and brainwash have played a key part in the Black Ops series and with flashback dialogue a key part of the teaser trailer, we wonder whether something similar will play a part in Black Ops 3.

The above, however, is just a recap of a few theories about the viral teaser clips and there’s a particular part of the teasers that I feel might be quite relevant to cybernetics. In different clips, we’re gifted images of body organs. Certainly at one point a CAT scan of a brain can be seen, which again demonstrates that brains (or mind in general, perhaps) is a clue about what we can expect to see in the game. How does this CAT scan relate to the teasers? If we’re viewing the teasers through the eyes of the patient, then is it likely that he is the one who’s had the CAT scan and is on to the next phrase of his ‘treatment’? I use treatment lightly as we’re still unsure of the reasons for the session with this doctor and whether it’s intentional or forced. However, talking to a psychiatrist and having a CAT scan would certainly indicate that there is some sort of mental/mind issue with the patient.

However, where does all of this fit in with cybernetics? Here’s a possible theory: the patient is part of an exercise to turn soldiers into robots (that sounded less crazy in my head, but this is future Call of Duty we’re talking about!). How are soldiers picked? Maybe they sign up, are forced, or soldiers that are dead or seriously injured are used? What type of transformation would be featured? A complete transformation, or just a body part (such as an arm) where the soldier is able to retain their mental and living state?  Perhaps in the viral teaser example, the soldier is either undergoing some sort of transformation or has completed it, and Dr. Salim is now testing how much the ‘robot’ listens and thinks? This might be completely wrong (and maybe bizarre), but regardless, I do believe that there is indication for the game to feature some sort of human robotic transformation. Of course there may not be any robotic transformation at all, but maybe some sort of transplant (brain?) is featured? There’s so many possibilities, some which may sound crazy and some more realistic, but that’s the whole point of this speculation stage!

The part that got me thinking more robotic than human transplants, however, is the Black Ops 3 cover art. The character shown is clearly not wearing any old armour, nor do I feel it’s an Exo Suit. But the question is, is he wearing wearable armour that can be taken off? Or is his body the armour, and he’s undergone some sort of robotic transformation? If so, then it begs the question whether he is a human with a proper living and mental state but has simply replaced parts of his body, or if he’s a completely robotic character with functional A.I. We can’t help but liken this to RoboCop. Someone brought back to life in the form of a cyborg to carry out a duty in the fight against enemies? Hmm.

Working on the assumption that Black Ops 3 will feature robotic characters, how does that change the gameplay? Like Advanced Warfare’s Exo Suits, you imagine that this would have a big effect on the game’s movement more than anything else. Exo Suits would provide characters with the ability to move at a faster speed and ways to quick dodge enemy fire, and you can imagine a robot suit would too. But what about jumping in the air? If we compare the recent RoboCop, as a cyborg, he can jump higher, run faster, has quicker reflexes, is stronger, can withstand bullets more, and is able to access a database for information and surveillance on the go. If we look at the Black Ops 3 cover art more, his whole body is armored except for the lower part of his face. This armour will surely require a new kind of weaponry and equipment to cause any kind of damage. The armour also looks very mechanical and further gives off a robotic vibe. Equipment and technology has always been a big part in Call of Duty and we expect this to go further than ever before; hi-tech grenades, grapple, wall climbing, wall running etc. could all feature. It’s interesting that like RoboCop and other robotic creations, his eyes are covered with a visor/goggles that appear to be part of his helmet (is that a helmet or a part of him?). Like in Advanced Warfare, we imagine that this visor will likely display visual information on the screen such as broadcasts and communications.

Before the viral teasers had begun, Treyarch shared some interesting articles on their Facebook page at the beginning of the month: US Navy Laser, Night Vision Goggles injected into eyeballs, Microchip Implants, Embeddable Implants. There could be no correlation, but the last three definitely sound very related to future technology being used to transform humans through implants and what not. The fact that Treyarch posted these articles a day after each other and right before they started teasing Black Ops 3 certainly sounds like they are part of the tease.

Last of all, if we look back at the game’s official description, there’s a lot of key phrases that stand out for us to make us further believe there is some sort of robotic transformation going on. ‘New breed of Black Ops soldiers’? Certainly sounds like robots would fit that ‘breed’. ‘Own humanity and the technology we created’? A squad consisting of humans and human-created robots certainly sounds plausible. ‘Military robotics’? There’s the robotics word directly mentioned, and we assume it won’t just mean some interesting new vehicles to play with.

Wrap-up

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Exoskeletons or Cybernetics? There’s certainly compelling evidence for both. Both would provide us with some new and interesting experiences, but we certainly feel that cybernetics are the more likely to show up in Black Ops 3. Regarding of what is true and what’s not, we’re certainly excited to find out the full details in two weeks time.

While this speculation will cover the general game, Zombies and Multiplayer likely won’t be revealed until later in the year and will have their own custom-tailored design. If you look at Black Ops 2, for example, while it was set in the near future, that didn’t stop Zombies from being set in the past. Keep in mind that everything in here is just speculation and theories; some might be right, others will be wide off the mark. That’s all there is to go on for now, but knowing Treyarch’s love for mystery, there will still be plenty to analyse before the reveal trailer.

Stay tuned to April 26th when the official Black Ops 3 reveal will take place. No doubt these questions and more (such as platforms and release dates) will be answered when the worldwide reveal takes place in just two weeks.

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