First Posted: 10/28/2014
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.
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
“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.
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, 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 will be the bane of players clustered together.
Players can assign Exo abilities to each class, which offers a different twist to how a class operates. Exo Shield, gives the player a quick-deploy shield to keep gunfire at bay — Exo Cloak enables the player to hover for a short time.
There are Exo Perks, which add a bit more “oomf” to those exo abilities. The “Gung Ho,” perk allows players to reload while sprinting and shoot while sliding.
I was initially skeptical of how the exoskeletons would factor into “Advanced Warfare.” Videos of multiplayer footage shows each perk has a battery life, meaning they can’t be used enough to break the game.
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.
The “Heavy Weapon Class” will also be introduced. 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.” 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.
Customization
“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. Gear can also be customized to make soldiers stand out in the heat of battle.
A lot of those goodies come in the form of Supply Drops. A new reward system for the series, Supply Drops feature more than 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.
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
With up to 13 possibilities, I’m already trying to think of theoretical classes for when the team death matches start.
This year will feature a virtual firing range. Players can enter the range straight from the Create-a-Class menu, or even between matches, to test any of their classes.
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.
By all indications, “Advanced Warfare” will set a new course for the series, and I’m pumped to experience it.
