Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox 360 Review

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is here and the game has made a big splash in the fall gaming period. Those looking to purchase the Xbox 360 version might be wondering if it’s worth it, considering the far superior current gen and PC versions. If you own a Xbox 360 or you’re unsure about getting the Xbox One version, then rest assured that this version is definitely worth buying. As you’ve likely seen and read in other reviews, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is an exciting step forward for a game series that tries to deliver a triple A experience each year. This is thanks mainly to the power of the Exoskeleton suits that encompass the entire experience of the game.

Fight For The Future

The story of Advanced Warfare puts us in the shoes of Jack Mitchell over the span of several years deep in the future of 2054. Unlike previous COD games, you won’t be quantum leaping into the bodies of different soldiers, which makes the focus of the story much clearer. The writing is smart and the narrative is one of the easiest to follow in the series, as it generates some very interesting ideas of far future warfare. The cast of characters are memorable and likeable, each with their own quirks and witty one-liners. There’s a great performance by the main man Kevin Spacey as Jonathon Irons, the steely eyed head of the Atlas private military corporation. You’ll also have great support from the other main characters such as Gideon, who serves as a new best friend by the end of the story. He’s no Ghost from Modern Warfare 2, but he’s definitely endearing and easy to appreciate.

The plot gets somewhat predictable halfway through, which is a shame as it’s still very intriguing throughout. Knowing what will happen next doesn’t ruin the enjoyment so you don’t have to worry about that. The singleplayer campaign is filled with very amazing set pieces and phenomenal gameplay segments that are signature of the flash you come to expect in COD games. There’s a welcome level of depth to it too, with many missions giving you a certain amount of freedom of movement, whilst others take you on a ride through narrow corridors and tight alleyways, like we’re used to. There’s a very well thought-out stealth segment in the game where, with the power of the immensely fun grappling hook, you must infiltrate a compound without being seen. This part of the game provided some of the most intuitive fun in the campaign and it felt great to have that much agency.

Besides the Exo suit movements which are fun in and of themselves, you get to upgrade your abilities in-between story missions using points gained by completing challenges. These augment your experience and make some of the later, harder levels all the more easier. The campaign provides some really fun technology, featured in several, very crazy fight sequences and shootouts. It’s the thrill you’re used to in COD, now augmented by Exo suit powers that take the action to new heights. Some missions don’t let you use the boost jump, which is a shame, but they are balanced out by the pacing and structure of the mission itself. Overall, the plot isn’t exactly groundbreaking but it definitely has its moments and the exciting gameplay will carry you all the way through.

Faster, Stronger

Like with any COD game, the presentation has to be top-notch and give you a wide variety of awesome things to witness. Advanced Warfare delivers this, even on the Xbox 360 version which still looks very good. Granted, in comparison to the Xbox One version it doesn’t look anywhere near as special, but the solid visuals you’re used to seeing in previous games returns here, making it easy to watch as well as play. The gameplay on the Xbox 360 version is exactly the same as the current gen versions and there’s no striking difference other than graphical detail and texture quality. Unfortunately, the 360 version is rough around the edges with some choppy textures and bad resolution on certain images, such as the Perk icons in the multiplayer, among other things. This is forgivable considering the age of the console and it’s actually impressive that it holds up this well. If anything, it’s a testament to the design standard COD games adhere to.

The gameplay itself is the meat of Advanced Warfare and you’ll find yourself rushing to try out the new multiplayer. And what an experience it is! The ability to boost jump, boost dodge, boost slam and more presents a very liberating feeling of active movement, that completely changes the core gameplay. Rarely will you find yourself grounded for long as you take to the rooftops and dash from side to side in gun fights. The gameplay is fast, unrelenting but forgiving, so you’ll never feel overwhelmed. There is definitely an emphasis on skill and this applies across all the game modes.

Multiplayer brings back the Pick 10 system from Black Ops II, transforming it into a ‘Pick 13’ system that incorporates Scorestreaks and allows for even deeper customization. Scorestreaks can now be customized with additions that change how they work, such as adding extra abilities to it, and this increases the score needed to earn the streak reward. 2 big additions to multiplayer are the occasional Supply Drops which give you randomized loot in the form of alternate weapons, character costume items and in-game boosters. This system gives every player a chance to get something new and awesome as they progress and unlock things regularly. You can even check out what people have unlocked in the new virtual lobby system where every player’s character can be seen with all their customizations. It’s a nice way of showing off what you got and admiring what others have received. During the intermissions, it’s possible to go to a virtual firing range within the lobby where you can test out a new class, simply by pressing the start button. This way, you can quickly see if that new loadout of yours is going to help or hinder you. This feature is excellent and hopefully COD games, or even other FPS, will take this on board down the line. There’s a great amount of choice and flexibility within the customization, allowing you to look and perform in whatever way suits you best.

The multiplayer comes loaded with 10 modes, including the new Uplink mode that plays like basketball or NFL depending on your point of view. The aim is to get a Satellite Drone ball into the opponent’s floating goal, either by throwing it or jumping into the goal sphere for more points. It’s a thrilling mode that takes full advantage of the Exo movement, allowing for some amazing instances of team play. It’s possible to also pass the ball to team mates and throw the ball at opponents to make them catch it, which removes their weapon and lets you take them down. Other than Uplink, fan favorite modes such as Kill Confirmed, Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch all return, and you’ll also see the Search & Rescue mode from Call of Duty: Ghosts. The inclusion of the ‘classic’ playlist is an interesting addition that strips all players of Exo abilities and movement options, which in turns makes the game play like a cross between Ghosts and Black Ops II. It feels surprisingly natural this way and it’s a nice alternative to all the crazy boosting madness of the normal modes. I don’t imagine it’ll get more attention, but it’s a good nostalgia trip for long-time series fans. You get to experience all the intensity of Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer across 12 different maps, each with unique layouts that will accommodate the Exo movement. The maps have events that occur during the match, some which alter the environment, but these events aren’t as phenomenal as the ones in Ghosts and not all can be player activated. Regardless, they are a cool addition that gives each match a level of dynamic interactivity and cinematic flair.

Old Dog, New Tricks

It can’t be stated enough how much the Exo suit changes COD gameplay. For years, many have felt that the safe progress that COD games make just isn’t enough and several have demanded innovation. Sledgehammer Games took some big risks by adding these new mechanics but it certainly paid off with great execution. Knowing the ins and outs of the Exo suit and its abilities will set you ahead of the pack in this game. Other than the latent movement options, you’ll be able to utilize several ‘Exo abilities’ such as the ability to hover, cloak, run faster and absorb more damage. You may find yourself drawing similarities between Advanced Warfare and other sci-fi titles of the past such as Crysis and Halo, which share many gameplay traits. There’s even an element of the F.E.A.R series in the campaign where you can slow down time with the Overdrive ability. All these features create a fun new way of playing a series that has, for years, stuck to its roots and rarely deviated from them. It’s certainly a welcome change.

Utilizing the new Exo movements is just as relevant in the new Exo Survival mode that gives you 4 player co-op across the multiplayer maps, presenting players with varied enemies and objectives. It may at first seem like a simple add-on mode, but this survival mode is a beast of its own. Exo Survival plays a lot more like Modern Warfare 3’s ‘Spec Ops Survival’ mode than Ghosts’ ‘Safeguard’ option in the Squads mode. It does share some features though, such as the scorestreak support drop round and clever AI enemies that are constantly on the move. You can buy and upgrade weapons, scorestreaks and your Exo suit, which is essential to do in-between rounds. You’re certainly going to want to, since this mode is a lot harder than previous COD game survival modes. Particular rounds may give you an objective that you must complete, such as picking up dog tags, and failure to do so will slam you with a penalty on the next round. These penalties make an already challenging mode even harder, so you’ll want to try your best to avoid them. The enemy variety is good and the multiplayer maps which the survival mode occur on will allow you to use movement and teamwork to your advantage.

In general, the Exo suit makes the COD experience feel fresh in all new ways and lets players do cool and exciting things in each multiplayer match. There’s never a dull moment while you have it on and this applies to the campaign, multiplayer and Exo Survival modes. It’s not too hard to switch back to old COD gameplay, but you’ll definitely miss the freeing movement of the Exo suit.

VERDICT

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare provides an exciting new look for the franchise as it takes leaps and boost dodges away from the core gameplay of the past and expands how we play the game. Its singleplayer campaign contains a lot of memorable moments and phenomenal set pieces that are worth replaying for the thrills, even if the story isn’t the reason you go back for it. The multiplayer returns, stronger than ever and contains. several enhancements that make it one of the most unique COD experiences yet. Despite some sub-optimal textures and images, a sign of the aged hardware, the Xbox 360 version achieves a solid sci-fi action experience in this year’s COD title. If you’re a fan of COD games, FPS in general, or sci-fi action, then you owe it to yourself to pick up this year’s game. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare delivers fast paced fun in a new, futuristic format, with great results.