With the release of Call of Duty: World at War just weeks away, suspense and anticipation are already thriving among the Call of Duty community. Those who were not able to partake in the public beta test aren't really sure what to expect as far as new features and maps go, and several questions are being asked: "What are the guns like? How are the maps? Are dogs really in the game?" To help answer some of these questions and provide a little insight on the game, we sat down with Xbox 360 player and Call of Duty guru, Hastro.

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GameBattles: First and foremost, let's get a few things out of the way. You're pretty well-known in the Call of Duty community, and have been a contributing member of one of the best teams in competition. Tell us a little about your history with competitive gaming, and more specifically, Call of Duty competition.

Hastro: Well, like most competitive gamers, I was introduced to video games at an early age. Alongside schoolwork and sports, gaming was just as big of a priority for me, even in my younger years because it was simply my favorite thing to do when I had spare time. I really did not begin gaming competitively until I found Unreal Tournament on the PC. However, before I could really pursue official competition in Unreal Tournament, the XBOX 360 released and of course the #1 title and most played game on Xbox Live at the time was Call of Duty 2. I fell in love with the game from day one. It was not until Call of Duty 3 released that I went full force into the competitive gaming scene. I had heard of GameBattles as a premier online venue for competitive gaming, and when I saw that Call of Duty 3 ladders were being held, I immediately began contacting teams. My first COD3 team was Global Threat, which had a great core group of dedicated players. When summer rolled around, I had quite a bit of attention from other teams and made the tough decision to leave Global Threat for Public Enemy, who was widely considered as a major competitor to Team L2K for the best all-around clan. We managed to give L2K a lot of trouble, but could not seem to take them down. When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was announced, I really wanted to ensure that whatever team I was on when the new game released would be the absolute, unquestionable, best team around. So of course I went after the core L2K players - Assass1n, Mayhem, and Lap526. When they agreed to come on board with me, we polished our team off with experienced players who had made a great competitive name for themselves in the Call of Duty franchise. The team became known as unreal TaLenT (uT) and we did not disappoint ourselves in the first Fall season of COD4. We won 104 straight games before losing a match, and at the time, that was the most epic achievement in the history of GameBattles. I feel like that one accomplishment alone really launched my gaming career into what it is today.

GB: Rumor has it that you've announced that you will be playing for Team FeaR when World at War releases. What contributed to your decision to jump on board, and how do you think Team FeaR will stack up to the competition?

Hastro: There is no doubt that Team FeaR was the most accomplished competitive COD4 team. There are literally thousands upon thousands of players who would love to be a part of that team. It was an easy decision to offer them everything I have worked for, including my dedication and hard work to help add upon their success during the transition to COD: World at War. I think each member of the team across all of their gaming divisions has a strong will to win and that is what really drew me to them. Winning events and tournaments is what this team does best, and that is something I am always interested in being a part of. Skill wise, you couldn't ask for a more talented roster going into the Fall season for World at War on GameBattles. Since this is such a huge move on both of our parts, I feel like I have a lot to prove to them as a teammate and member of their overall organization.

GB: Okay, onto the game itself. The big picture -- expectations of gameplay, performance, graphics, etc. -- all changed when it was announced that Treyarch (instead of Infinity Ward) was developing Call of Duty: World at War. Before playing the beta, what were your expectations of the new release? After playing the beta, how accurate do you feel your expectations were?

Hastro: I was somewhat disappointed in the way the community began to write off World at War even before multiplayer gameplay was seen. Of course, I had my reservations and expectations, but I really did take the time to learn about the development process for all of the past Call of Duty titles. Through my relationship with some of the Infinity Ward staff, I had the pleasure of learning early on that the COD4 game engine would power World at War. Since then, I was extremely confident that the game would be able to measure up to the enjoyment that we experienced in Modern Warfare. Prior to the beta being released, I expected a lot of what I got. The lobby systems, Create-A-Class, and overall layout of the menus did not surprise me at all, and I really appreciate the similarities, as it makes for an easier transition. In terms of in-game multiplayer: I expected the weapons to react more like they did in COD3. I also expected the maps to be a little slower at first and potentially littered with glitches. However, the weapons draw and fire like the guns in Modern Warfare with a bit less of the erratic spray, and the three maps we have access to are all polished except for a few minor glitches, which are already confirmed to be patched. Personally, I feel like my expectations were almost dead on, and I am very satisfied with the game so far.

GB: Obviously, with a complete rewind in time and setting, there's bound to be some pretty substantial changes. One of the biggest changes has got to be the weapons. What's your take on the "new", less-modern weaponry?

Hastro: Most of my time spent playing the franchise has been with World War II weaponry, so I have been welcoming the chance to go back to the old guns and gear that I was used to in Call of Duty 2 and 3. However, if there was one thing I have been disappointed in at all, it would have to be the imbalance on some of the weapon choices. Treyarch has already responded to the community's outcry for tweaks on some of the bolt-action rifles. After unlocking a lot of the guns, I have found that there probably should be some minor changes to guns in almost every weapon class. Whether or not Treyarch plans to fully overhaul the weapon balance is beside me, but I do appreciate their quick response to the community and foresee their ongoing support from here on out. There is no doubt in my mind that they will make the game as smooth and fair as possible, whether it’s before the game releases or through patches.

GB: Another change would be the array of game modes to choose from. In almost every game, there are some game modes that are a blast, and others that are tedious and not quite as fun. First, what is your personal favorite game mode, and why? Secondly, which game modes do you think would be best suited for competition on MLG/GameBattles?

Hastro: One of the greatest surprises that beta testers had the pleasure of receiving when they checked the leaderboards for the first time was the inclusion of every gametype from all of the Call of Duty titles bundled into one game. Even though we do not have access to all of the gametypes in the beta, we do know that they will be incorporated into the full retail version. I am really torn when you ask for a favorite gametype so I will just give you my three favorites, in no particular order: War, Capture the Flag, and Domination. On the other hand, I can tell you what my least favorite gametype is with no problem: Hardcore anything. I find that the casual players can transition easily to Hardcore game modes and be very successful, whereas the casual players have a much tougher time coming over to the MLG standard game types. This just seems to tell me that the MLG gametypes are more challenging and take longer to master.

When the time comes to consider MLG gametypes, I think MLG should really take a look at some of the newly incorporated objective game types to replace Search and Destroy. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy playing SnD. However, if you take notice of the MLG game types for Halo 3, everything is fast paced and none of their game types feature a single death elimination from the round. I really believe that any game is much more fun to play and much more exciting to watch when players are forced to win multiple, consecutive gun fights to improve their team’s status in a round. I think MLG would hit the nail on the head if they were to incorporate a game type set similar to this for World at War: CTF, Domination, Sabotage, and War.

GB: What new features, if any, do you think will affect the way the game is played entirely?

Hastro: I welcome all of the new features that are implemented in World at War simply because they are new. From a competition standpoint, the kill streak rewards are very comparable to those in Call of Duty 4. However, the main gripes seem to be that the airstrikes last just a little too long and that the dogs are a bit too vicious. Either way, there will be options to turn those rewards off in custom games for competitive play. In regard to the new perks, there are a couple of new ones that seem to lack creativity and usability. I feel like if I had been commissioned to create the new perks, I could have delivered some pretty useful and creative additions to the Create-A-Class system and I think a lot of other experienced players could have done so as well.

GB: If you could change one thing about the beta before the real game releases, what would it be?

Hastro: The spawn system is a little erratic at times. Every now and then, you are killing enemies in one direction and then, before you can turn, your victims are shooting you point blank in the back. Again, this is something that Treyarch is aware of and has promised to look into.

GB: Based on your experience playing both Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and the Call of Duty: World at War beta, which would you rather play?

Hastro: That is a tough question and one that could generate a deceiving answer. If I had to choose from how you worded that question, I would say Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare just because the game is in its full version. At this point, I have a feeling there is a lot that World at War has to offer which we have absolutely no idea about, so when the game releases, you can get back to me and I will give you my true opinion.

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A very special thank you goes out to Hastro for allowing us the opportunity to discuss the game with him. By the sound of things, Call of Duty: World at War will be another spectacular addition to the already infamous series. The waiting is just about over. Be sure to keep an eye out for the opening of our Call of Duty: World at War ladders on both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3.



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