“I might be oversimplifying my role, but it’s hard to ignore how complex making games has become. The technology, the art, the design... it’s all advanced to such a degree, that I feel one can’t help but deep-dive into a particular area of game development in order to be successful.”
This is a regrettable transition in some ways, because Alavi’s finest creations stem from his willingness to forage beyond his official role—typically without the knowledge of his superiors. Step forward All Ghillied Up, Call of Duty’s first sustained attempt at ‘true’ stealth, and evidence that engaging choices are possible within a campaign that’s all about travelling from A to B.
It’s the calm that throws you. Even by the standards of subsequent games, Modern Warfare is dizzying—a coruscating carnival of tank raids and AC-130 bombardments, shellshock and broken glass. But it also has a playable flashback set in post-meltdown Chernobyl that opens amid overgrown fields and woodland, wind hissing through the stalks. “Too much radiation. We’ll have to go around,” remarks a voiceover the radio. Then, a clump of vegetation in the foreground stands up and reveals itself to be your ghillie-suited CO, Captain MacMillan. It’s a masterful introduction, setting the tone while almost casually illustrating the mechanics of staying hidden.