Hi all,
I've been playing the COD beta for approximately a week and a half. This is only an online multiplayer beta, so I can't say anything about the single player game.
First the Positives:
Overall, I've found it to be a very enjoyable game. The graphics and textures are very good. I find the lighting effects to be some of the best I've seen on a FPS. For example, going from a dark room into the sunlight takes your eyes a second or two to adjust. In the same way, it's very difficult to see into a dark room before you go in (ambush, anyone?). The Sound is also very realistic. Each weapon has it's own sound, when someone is behind you with an AK47, you know it (right before you die!)
Gameplay is mostly very enjoyable. Action is intense and happens quickly. When I went back to Halo 2, it seemed extremely slow at first. You decide much of your role in the conflict based on the kit (read: weapon) you choose. There are challenges associated with each weapon such as kills and headshots, which allow you to upgrade certain parts of the weapon (and get different camo) by completing them. I find this to be a great part of the game, and it forces you to try to use different weapons as much as possible. Weapons feel powerful (as they should), and each weapon has it's benefits in different situations.
Now on to the negatives:
Weapons in this game can shoot through walls, which leads to some interesting physics problems. For example, why can someone shoot me though a concrete wall, but I can't get them through a 2x4 of wood????
The one major problem I have with the game is lag. When a game starts to lag I've found two things: only certain people lag, which is frustrating because those not lagging run around like normal killing everyone, and the lag never seems to go away. It completely ruins the game experience.
Spawn points are to put it bluntly, awful! If you think you get screwed spawning in Halo, just wait....You'll spawn with people right behind you, in front of a teammate engaged in a fierce gunbattle, enemies will spawn behind you. In any of these situations, your life is very, very short.
Other stuff:
I played mostly team games, and just as with any other FPS, teamwork is key to success. Joining groups playing team deathmatch by yourself can be a frustrating expeience, It's much more fun if you're playing with a group who communicates, and uses eachothers styles and kits to their common benefit. In other words, it sucks when you have 6 snipers on a team
Overall, I'd give the Beta an 8 of 10. Very intense and exciting combat, good textures and sound. If they fix the lag and spawn point issues before the final release, it could very well be a 9.
