All of the legacy maps for the latest Modern Warfare are full of tweaks in this vein.
One of the most noticeable tweaks is Crash's famous rooftop sniping position - in the original game you could run around the stairwell but for whatever reason it's closed off in the reboot. There are even new buildings in Vacant that you can explore, with entire areas rearranged for balance. Modern Warfare 2019 updates map layouts: new areas are opened up in Crash, like the landing zone - a chunk of the map now accessible right away.
Infinity Ward's engine revamp extends beyond technology and into the core gameplay too. Some might say that this is an example of remake vs remaster. Add in the vast increase to physics-driven objects within the environment (particularly interiors) and it's a much richer experience up against the literal translation delivered Modern Warfare Remastered.
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The reboot takes its own path by comparison, introducing fully dynamic body shadows from the player relative to the sun's position - plus an increase in lights deployed in any given scene. The enhancements shine on a map like Crash, though many legacy trappings remain in place: even shadow positions are identical between the 20 remaster. This largely used the same geometric framework as the 2007 original, but added higher-res textures with physically-based properties, plus a form of volumetric dust clouds. Overlooking the huge gulf in image quality, the new Modern Warfare goes a long way past the achievements of the 2016 remaster too, as produced by Raven Games. It's a massive game of spot the difference. Geometric detail is also drastically overhauled: debris, plant life, housing supports - everything is remodelled.
What we have in the rebooted Modern Warfare though, gives us a radical upheaval in so many ways: textures are of a higher resolution, motion blur is added, while light shafts flicker through gaps in windows. Obviously, the original map was built for less powerful hardware and, as such, perhaps not everything that appeared on the concept sheet would have made it to the final map. The new version is layered with a swathe of small points of interest, from the dramatic new opening helicopter descent to the addition of shop signs across a market street. The reimagining of the Crash map is an especial highlight for me, showing many of the key improvements delivered in the revamped COD engine. It truly speaks to the way Infinity Ward gunned for materials that blended effectively into the scene in 2007: the properties of each concrete slab, brick and wood support were baked in, but they were nonetheless convincing for the day - especially at the low output resolution on last-gen machines. Given its release date, it's surprising how well it hold ups, even without today's advances in lighting and post effects. Credit where it's due the original designs still look authentic and rich with detail. So, how do they stack up? Well, the layouts are clearly based on the same blueprint though the reboot's use of more accurate physically-based materials and lighting mark a big change. Comparing the new versions against the 2007 originals - and indeed the Modern Warfare Remastered equivalents - shows up some fascinating results. Infinity Ward redefined the console shooter with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but just how much has the core game technology evolved since it launched way back in 2007? While it's safe to say that the scale and scope of both the campaign and multiplayer experience have increased enormously across the current console generation, Infinity Ward recently updated Modern Warfare 2019 with remakes of legacy COD4 maps - Crash, Vacant and Shipment.