Since the Modern Warfare series, Call of Duty hasn’t really been the same. Black Ops and Black Ops 2 were great and all, but neither of them possessed a campaign with characters with a likeable charm and charisma, whom we had travelled with from the very start. Alex Mason was no Soap McTavish, and we are yet to see a Call Of Duty game with such an enthralling action story that not only amazes us with fantastic gameplay, but touches us, emotionally.
This is where Advanced Warfare comes in. Born in a different universe to the one we know today, the latest instalment in the Call Of Duty series follows a Private Military contractor called ‘Atlas’ which has reached out beyond the military, becoming a nation upon itself.
It’s new ground for Activision and developers Sledgehammer Games who are picking up the tatters of what remains of Call of Duty Ghosts. This time around, player must rely on vast amounts of technology to survive. The days of shoot, and move and shoot are over. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
If Activision can somehow create a trilogy as emotionally powerful as Modern Warfare, and a fan base with the same following, combined with the power of Next Gen, we could easily see the return of a powerhouse in a market vulnerable, because it is the first year a Shooter will be developed with Next Gen in mind.
What is worrying is that Call Of Duty is yet to find it’s identify post-Modern Warfare. This is shown in –
CoD Black Ops – 2010 (Shady Government Agent in real wars)
CoD Black Ops 2 – 2012 (40 years on since first game, minor connection with the plot from the first game)
CoD Ghosts – 2013 (Post-invasion America, Guerrila warfare)
There is no real consistency. If Activision and Sledgehammer can create some consistency in the same mini-genre, there is money to be made, And people to entertain. We will know soon enough.
