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First Posted: 10/19/2014
It’s almost November, which means it’s almost time to answer the call of duty — pun intended.
“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” is quickly approaching. In my review of “Call of Duty: Ghosts”, I generally praised the game but added that the series needed a breath of fresh air.
I remember writing in my reviews for “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” and “Ghosts” and thinking something along the lines of “another year, another ‘Call of Duty.’” That’s not to say it’s a bad thing — I’ve always been a “Call of Duty” guy, and I have pumped myself up for its releases for the last 6 years or so.
This year, however, feels different. Just look at the development of the game — “Advanced Warfare” is the first “Call of Duty” game to utilize a three-year development cycle. That means that developer Sledgehammer Games has had plenty of time to create something special for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s also coming out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Judging by what I’ve seen so far, “Advanced Warfare” could be the game that revitalizes the series in a big way.
Single player
As the title suggests, “Advanced Warfare” is set in 2054. A global terrorist attack has left the world in shambles, and Atlas Corporation, a private military corporation (PMC), is there to save the day. Soldiers in Atlas Corporation are equipped with exoskeletons, which give them abilities and arsenal that have never been seen before in the series. Soldiers are able to jump, glide and power their way through battle.
There are also some sick-looking new weapons, vehicles and equipment ready to be used.
The interesting thing about this year’s campaign is Kevin Spacey’s role as Jonathan Irons. Irons is the CEO and founder of Atlas, and his silver-tongued dialogue so far already makes him a worthy adversary.
Don’t get me wrong — guys like Vladimir Makarov (“Modern Warfare 3”) and Gabriel Rorke (“Call of Duty: Ghosts”) were amazing bad guys. I just think that Irons has the potential to be an even better bad guy, and he definitely doesn’t look the part of a soldier. His silver tongue, along with the immense power he has with Atlas, should be an intriguing development in the story.
As per previous years, I always play through the game’s campaign before I tough multiplayer. It’s a tradition of mine.
Multiplayer
Like the campaign mode, “Advanced Warfare” will be introducing a slew of high-tech gear and weaponry into the fray of this year’s multiplayer mode.
The exoskeleton will be featured prominently this year, with players able to to “Boost Jump” and “Boost Dodge” in the heat of battle. Offensively, “Boost Slam” is an air-to-ground melee to attack which, my the sounds of it, will be the bane of players clustered together.
Players will also be able to assign Exo abilities to each class, each of which offering a different twist to how a class operates. Exo Shield, for example, gives the player a quick-deploy shield to keep gunfire at bay — Exo Cloak, however, enables the player to hover for a short time.
There are also Exo Perks, which add just a little bit more “oomf” to those exo abilities. The “Gung Ho,” perk, for instance, allows players to reload while sprinting and shoot while sliding.
I was initially skeptical of how the exoskeletons would factor into “Advanced Warfare,” but a little research quickly put those fears to rest. Videos of multiplayer footage show that each perk has a battery life, meaning they can’t be used enough to break the game.
Not to mention, as much as I have claimed to be a “traditionalist” when it comes to first-person shooter games, seeing all of these new features on paper excites me.
A new classed called the “Heavy Weapon Class” will also be introduced this year. Referred to as “directed energy weapons”, the new class doesn’t use reloads — they just overheat after too much use.
“Advanced Warfare” will also mark the return of “Momentum”, which fans of “Call of Duty: World at War” (like myself) remember as “War.” Think of it as tug of war — there are 5 consecutive capture points, but only one is active at a time. The more kills and captures a team gets, the faster it is able to get the other points.
Seeing them in action on videos adds to the anticipation. I love the fact that “Advanced Warfare” will almost definitely change the way I play. Instead of checking those corners, I’m also going to have to be quicker for those Exo-Dashes and enemies hovering overhead.
I also love the idea of having a separate class for heavy weapons. I can’t help but wonder if that includes other weapons like heavy machine guns and rocket launchers.
If it does, I’m really going to have to re-think my classes.
Customization
Remember in “Ghosts” when you could pick presets of gear, helmets and skin types?
“Advanced Warfare” will take things to the next level, as customization is going to be a core element to the multiplayer experience.
Almost 350 cosmetic and attribute changes can be made to weapons, and gear can also be customized to make your soldiers stand out in the heat of battle. Everything from heads, eyewear, helmets, shirts, vests, gloves and even the exoskeleton can be customized.
A lot of those goodies can come in the form of Supply Drops. A new reward system for the series, Supply Drops feature over 1,000 rewards, including weapons, gear and other items. They’re ranked into three classes – Enlisted, Professional and Elite – and are given when players complete objectives or play the game for a certain amount of time.
I’m a sucker for cool-looking armor, so I’m pumped to see what the choices are for “Advanced Warfare.” I also love the fact that players will be rewarded simply based on the amount of time they have played the game. Mind you, I still plan on targeting those objectives, even the hard-to-complete ones. That’s a habit I picked up in “Ghosts.”
Players can once again choose the gender of their soldiers.
This year will also mark the debut of the game’s virtual lobby. Instead of seeing a list of screen names, players can see other characters, as well as their loadouts and customization options.
The Create-A-Class will feature the “Pick 13” system this year, which gives players the choice of 13 different items from different areas. They include:
• 1 primary weapon (with up to 2 attachments)
• 1 secondary weapon (with up to 1 attachment)
• 1 perk from 3 tiers
• 3 wildcards
• 3 scorestreaks
• 1 Exo Ability
• 2 Exo Launchers
I finally dove deeper into my classes with “Ghosts”, opting to get rid of my secondary weapon and grenades in favor of more perks. With up to 13 possibilities, I’m already trying to think of theoretical classes for when the team deathmatches start.
Oh, and this year will also feature a virtual firing range. Players can enter the range straight from the Create-a-Class menu, or even between matches, to test out any of their classes.
It was handy being able to test out new loadouts in Squads in “Ghosts”, but it’s awesome that a firing range enables that testing without the actual heat of battle.
A step to the future
I’m excited about “Advanced Warfare.”
Sure, I was excited about “Modern Warfare 3” and “Ghosts”, both of which were great games. But when I say “I’m excited about ‘Advanced Warfare”, this goes beyond pre-game hype.
I’m convinced that “Advanced Warfare” is going to change the series. I remember writing that top 10 tip list for “Call of Duty” multiplayer a while ago, and I love the fact that “Advanced Warfare” will seemingly change how I play. Instead of following the relatively same formula over the last couple of years, “Advanced Warfare” is shaking things up and giving players a new experience to sink their teeth into.
The game is also seemingly going to take a whole new depth with its customization options, and the Exoskeletons will add new layers of strategy to the game.
By all indications, “Advanced Warfare” will set a new course for the series, and I’m pumped to experience it.
“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” comes out on November 4 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Check back with “High Score Gaming” for a complete review of “Advanced Warfare” in the coming weeks.
What are your thoughts on “Advanced Warfare”? Are you excited about the new changes? What do you think the game will mean for the series? Leave a comment below, or email me at [email protected] and let me know what you think!