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Call Of Duty: Black Ops III Multiplayer Hands-On Preview [E3 2015]

During their blitz on E3, Treyarch Studios gave fans a small taste of what to expect from Call of Duty: Black Ops III's revamped multiplayer. The studio gave a detailed presentation on the various changes and improvements made to their latest effort in the popular shooter, and whether you're a fan or not, many of these changes mark a positive direction for the series.

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Another thing that was talked about was swimming, which is new to the series. There was no mention of artificial fish, which move when you get close to them, just water and how one is able to battle within it. That’s right, you can now jump into a small body of water and take people out while you swim through it. You’ll have full use of your weapons and can even use it as an advantage from which to take out unsuspecting foes who may be standing nearby.

Swimming incorporates the thrust jump maneuver, which can be used to burst out of the water for a surprise attack but also allows you to hop across the map in short or large bursts. Unlike the double jump allowed in Advanced Warfare, the thrust jump is gauged by a meter, meaning you can take either one large jump or space it out into tiny hops to get further. It’s a useful ability that can also make you a huge target, so use it carefully.

On top of the above, Treyarch also introduced us to its improved Gunsmithing mechanic, which allows players to get in there and thoroughly customize their weapons. This doesn’t mean adding a simple graphic or changing the colour of your whole weapon, but actually getting in there and really customizing your arsenal. As such, you can look forward to being able to individually paint three sides of your weapons, with the use of many different layers at your disposal. Then, once you’re done, you’ll likely be able to share your work with others, via the mode’s hinted at social features.

That’s not, all though. In fact, we’ve saved one of the best new additions for last, that being the Call of Duty: Black Ops III‘s Specialists.

During our hands-on time as some of the first folks to play the game’s multiplayer mode, we were able to choose from several Specialists, two of which were introduced for the first time. We’re talking about Prophet, a badass who can glitch away from death or use an epic lightning gun that chains from one enemy to another and so forth, as well as Nomad, whose Hive weapon allows him to drop nanotraps on unsuspecting foes. He can also save himself from an unwanted demise.

Take note that you’ll have to lock yourself in prior to each match, by selecting a Specialist and one of his or her abilities. Yes, just one will be available to you per match, which is a key thing to remember. You’ll have to earn the ability to use said ability, too, by earning points, and can choose when to unleash it. Waiting can be beneficial as well, but you won’t be able to build towards a second power-up while holding one in. Death also doesn’t take away your power-ups, meaning if you’re a hoarder you won’t be punished for waiting until the time is right.

Treyarch has created this new system with fluid movement and fast-paced combat in mind and it’s already clear to see in the pre-alpha build that they’ve struck gold with this new direction. After our hands-on time with the game, we’re feeling pretty confident in it and can’t wait to see what else the developers have in store.

Be sure to keep checking back here over the coming days for more E3 news as well as more Call of Duty: Black Ops III announcements as they arise.