The newest installment of blockbuster video game Call of Duty hits the streets in the US tomorrow, pitting soldiers of the future against a Machiavellian villain played by Kevin Spacey.
Activision Publishing set out to reload the multibillion-dollar franchise, bringing in studio Sledgehammer Games to put its spin on the title and taking advantage of the advanced capabilities of the new-generation PlayStation4 and Xbox One consoles.
Sledgehammer modified the mechanics of playing the military shooter game by adding "exoskeleton suits" that give characters super-soldier abilities.
A "riveting new story" was woven into the game, along with "an iconic new character", played by Academy Award winner Spacey.
Special gear was used to capture Spacey's movements, expressions and more to create a realistic virtual version of him playing the part of Jonathan Irons, a private military contractor intent on ruling the world.
A California judge recently shot down a lawsuit filed by former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega after his likeness appeared in a Call of Duty video game.
Judge William Fahey sided with video game publisher Activision Blizzard, dismissing a lawsuit that creators of the game had decried as "frivolous".
The suit filed by Noriega two months earlier accused those behind the video game of exploiting his likeness without permission, portraying him as a villain.
"This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we're gratified that, in the end, a notorious criminal didn't win," said former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was part of the defense team.
The franchise has sold more than 100million units since the original was released in late 2003.
