Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Editor's Notes

Xbox One disc version reviewed.

Introduction

With twelve installments in less than two decades, the 'Call of Duty' franchise holds a rare place in the gaming industry as a true juggernaut in terms of sales and widespread appeal.  From its humble roots as 'just another' World War II FPS to its meteoric rise in popularity and dollar signs with the shift to the War on Terror in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,' the annual 'Call of Duty' installment has, for at the past few offerings, began to turn once eager gamers, who were more than willing to put in double digit, if not triple digit hours into the multiplayer system, into fatigued skeptics with a true law of diminishing returns in not only the story department, but a multiplayer system plagued with griefers and exploiters, not to mention a lack of innovation and ingenuity. While not the first title in the franchise to make its way onto the current generation of consoles, 'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' marks the first time an entry in the series that was designed with the current systems in mind.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Abandoning a more grounded approach to setting, 'Advanced Warfare' puts the gamer in the role of Jack Mitchell, Marine turned private military contractor for Atlas Corporation, founded and led by Jonathon Irons (Kevin Spacey in a prominent and heavily advertised role). Jack's world on the surface seems familiar to our own, but with the addition of a cybernetic hand to replace the one Jack lost in a blast that killed Irons' son and Jack's partner, the world of an Atlas mercenary is enhanced by an exosuit that looks straight out of the film 'Elysium.' What this boils down to is a 'Call of Duty' that adds an entire new dimension to in-game action.

'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' remains at its core, what a gamer should expect from a 'Call of Duty' game. The control scheme and general user interface remains unchanged; what's new this year are both A/V enhancements and the exosuit system. The exosuit allows players to traverse large areas with boosted jumps, fall fatal heights at a steady pace, slowed to a gentle landing by retro rockets, bring up a quick shield to make it to more stable cover, or boost one's health regeneration rate to become a walking avatar of death. In both the single player and multiplayer realms of the game, the exosuit takes the familiar and adds enough seasoning to make players rethink the way the play a first person shooter. No longer is getting caught in heavy fire a death sentence; your options are many: pull up a shield for instant cover, strafe with rocket assistance, or take to the skies shattering your enemy's lock on you and raining down your own torrent of bullets in retaliation.

It's definitely recommended, even if one doesn't normally, to play through the campaign of 'Advanced Warfare' if for little more than to be become more acquainted with the new additions to the controls, so multiplayer has a slightly less steep learning curve. More importantly, 'Advanced Warfare' features a narrative that for the first time since the conspiracy tinged insanity of 'Black Ops' and Michael Bay-esque 'Modern Warfare 2' is engaging and gripping.  The world of being an Atlas contractor is steeped in moral dilemmas and on more than one occasion will your moral compass be checked. Once the single player experience ends, multiplayer beckons and yes, you will heed its call.

Gone are the days of absurd killstreaks, rewarding only the most rabid game loyalists. Instead, 'Advanced Warfare' places the emphasis on pure skill and clever use of your exosuit and environment. The action comes in all directions and you must adapt or perish. Borrowing from 'Ghosts,' 'Advanced Warfare' gives players ownership of their online characters with simple, but appreciated customization of player models. Where the game truly shines however, is the seemingly infinite number of loadouts to be created. This year, killstreak rewards can be upgraded, all at the cost of more kills to activate; however, many, especially those more likely to support strong team players, can be turned from killstreaks to support streaks. These touches are gladly welcomed and subtly, but powerfully make 'Advanced Warfare' stand out from the pack.

All the standard multiplayer modes return and for those continually frustrated with not being able to go toe-to-toe with 'Call of Duty's' best, an anonymous, level playing field is offered in the form of a combat training mode that picks your loadouts and pits you against a mix of bots and players of similar skill. It's an essential addition that should have happened years ago and even veterans would find playing here useful for the first few matches. Sledgehammer Games deserves hearty praise for making 'Call of Duty' a relevant multiplayer and single player experience, almost to the point, that their work on 'Modern Warfare 3' is a thankfully distant memory.