WeView Verdict: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

What I find interesting about Call of Duty is that despite being a frequent target of derision, it remains an absolute juggernaut in terms of sales and is generally reasonably well received. Judging by the sales figures, even those who complain about the game seem to be buying the next iteration. Perhaps it’s simply that hope springs eternal, or perhaps Activision are getting just enough right to keep everything ticking over.

Advanced Warfare seems to be somewhat different though, with the addition of the exoskeleton drawing a fair bit of praise from the community. beeje13, for example, called the gameplay “really fresh”, saying that it’s “helped by the new exo suit” and some “superb” gunplay. Also highlighting the game’s new exoskeletons was ylowz, who called it a “unique enough addition to the series to warrant a try”, and noting that the “frantic pace” it adds to the game “makes every other multiplayer match a thrilling affair”.

Then there was Dan Jones, who felt that you can’t say that this iteration of Call of Duty is “the same as the last bunch”, with the exo-suit adding “a new dimension to the game setting it apart from the rest”. Moving on from the new exoskeletons, Dan stated that Advanced Warfare’s story was “the best single player campaign since MW2”, and enjoyed having Kevin Spacey in the spotlight.

Others were less impressed by the story though, with ylowz calling it “good but not memorable”, with an “uninspiring” finale, and colmshan1990 saying that ” the story doesn’t come close to [the] stunning game”. Starman wasn’t sold on the campaign either, feeling that it features “the usual predictable betrayals” that Call of Duty has become known for.

On the multiplayer side of things, doug said they gave up with after two weeks as they “couldn’t get on with the small player lobby and tiny maps” after playing Battlefield 4, while Starman simply called it “mostly the same with minor additions”. Dan Jones was somewhat more positive, although did note that Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer takes “a lot of getting used to”, largely due to the presence of the exo-suit.

For our final comment this week, we turn to colmshan1990. Although it does swing to the more positive side of things, I think it sums up a few of the key points.

Much improved over the last few Call of Duty games – the exo suit makes a nice if not fantastic change to gameplay. Multiplayer is faster (although still nowhere close to something like Unreal Tournament’s level of fast fun), the graphics are prettier and the campaign mode has something resembling a story in amongst the set pieces. It’s better than Ghosts for sure.

Of course, it’s now time to count your votes and give the final verdict for the game. It does seem that, much like last week, Advanced Warfare has split opinion somewhat. Three of you plumped for Buy It, while the other three voted for Sale It, leaving us with no clear winner. I think the best suggestion is to probably pick it up if you can get it a good price.

In tomorrow’s WeView we’ll be taking a look at Mario Kart 8, one of the most fun games I’ve played in recent memory. Taking its place in the poll is survival horror title Dying Light.