The strong success of EA's 2001 shooter Medal of Honor: Allied Assault seemed to trigger a wave of PC action games set during historical military conflicts, particularly World War II. As a result of a series of departures from EA's Medal of Honor teams, there are several new studios that are working to build on that legacy. Infinity Ward--a new studio formed by the lead developers of Allied Assault--has been working on a new WWII-themed PC game with an even broader scope, one that will contain three separate single-player campaigns to show the war through American, British, and Russian eyes. Call of Duty, which will inaugurate a new Activision brand for war-themed games, is aiming for an authentic, cinematic portrayal of the war that puts players in the middle of large-scale battles surrounded by intelligent teammates.

Call of Duty will make its public debut at next month's E3, but to get the early details, we spoke with Vince Zampella, chief creative officer at Infinity Ward. He told us about the comprehensive scope of the single-player campaign, the variety of missions we can expect, and the significantly modified version of the Quake III engine used in the game.

GameSpot: What parts of World War II will be depicted in Call of Duty? How does the player's character fit into each of the three campaigns?

Call of Duty will include three epic campaigns covering the US assault on Normandy, British commando raids, and the Soviet defense on the eastern front.

Vince Zampella: The bulk of the US campaign will take place in Normandy, almost entirely on D-Day. The player's character is a "pathfinder" in the 101st Airborne Division, one of several paratroopers dropped early on D-Day to mark the main drop zones for the rest of the Airborne forces. St. Mère Eglise and Brecourt Manor are among the historical locations in this campaign.

The British campaign starts the player off as a glider infantryman on D-Day, capturing and defending the bridge over the Caen Canal that is now known as Pegasus Bridge. From there, the campaign chronicles the exploits of a group of soldiers in 2 SAS (Special Air Service) who are tasked with highly difficult sabotage operations behind enemy lines. The battleship Tirpitz and the Eder Dam are also real parts of World War II that set the stage for several missions in the British campaign.

The Russian campaign unfolds as the player--one of thousands of ill-equipped conscripts--is crossing the Volga into Stalingrad, just days after the German army begins its offensive on the city. Heavy urban combat in the ruins of Stalingrad is later followed by tank battles in Eastern Poland as the Red Army pushes onward to Berlin, where the taking of the Reichstag culminates in the fall of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in the eastern theater.

GS: What sort of scale can we expect in the game's combat? How much do you work with teammates in your squad?

VZ: Call of Duty is all about fighting as a group--it's not about one-man armies. Fighting alongside friendly soldiers--even friendly tanks en masse, in some missions--is the core theme for many missions. The scale is generally squad-level (small groups of four to eight tasked with a specific goal), but it does scale up to larger numbers depending on the mission at hand. There are a few missions where you will be without squadmates watching your back or helping you achieve objectives in a very real, tactical sense.

GS: Describe some of the key sequences and missions of the single-player campaign.

VZ: Our portrayal of the battle at Brecourt Manor pays homage to the actions of paratroopers on D-Day in Normandy. A consistent atmosphere of sheer danger and speed permeates this level--taking advantage of the confusion among German troops as you run crouched down in the boarded-up trenches, popping up to get your bearings and fire off a few rounds from your Garand at the artillery crews, and coming under deadly suppressing fire from MG42s across the hedgerow-lined fields are all situations the player will experience. Seeing your squad leader risking his life to carry a wounded comrade on his back out of the line of fire is a particularly gripping moment.

GS: What are some of the historical weapons, vehicles, and items players will be have at their disposal?

VZ: There are huge arsenals of weapons, artillery, and vehicles that we have to draw upon, and opening up the game to include three Allied sides allows us access to quite a lot of resources. Each side will have a full selection of weapons, including the Germans, whose weapons you can always pick up and use. We also have appropriate vehicles and artillery pieces throughout the game, adding to the gameplay and scenery. We have done extensive research to re-create everything as accurately as possible, including recording the sounds of the actual weapons firing, reloading, and so on. This also gave us a chance to take photographic and animation reference of all the weapons, which adds quite a lot to the authenticity of the game.