Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare stands out as a first-person shooter that pushes the series into a futuristic era, blending high-tech exosuits with intense combat scenarios set between 2054 and 2061. Developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision, this 2014 release emphasizes vertical mobility and advanced tactics, making it a fresh take on the franchise's signature action. Players step into the boots of Jack Mitchell, navigating a world dominated by powerful private military corporations and global threats.
Gameplay
The core of the experience revolves around exoskeleton suits that enhance movement and combat capabilities. These exosuits allow for boosts, dashes, and high jumps, transforming traditional shooting into a more agile affair where positioning and speed matter as much as accuracy. In combat, you can equip a range of weapons from standard firearms to directed energy options, each with unique attributes that affect handling and effectiveness.
Upgrades play a key role, especially in the campaign, where completing objectives earns points to improve your exosuit's features like armor, resistance, or reload speed. Multiplayer builds on this with a Pick 13 system for customizing loadouts, including perks and scorestreaks that can be enhanced with modules. Supply drops provide randomized gear, adding an element of progression through gameplay rewards.
Game Modes
Multiplayer offers a variety of competitive setups enhanced by exosuit mechanics, including the Uplink mode where teams battle over a satellite drone. Standard options like team deathmatch and capture the flag gain new depth with the added mobility, encouraging strategies that exploit vertical spaces and quick maneuvers.
For cooperative play, Exo Survival pits up to four players against waves of AI enemies on 13 maps divided into tiers. You select Exo classes with specific abilities and upgrade weapons as you progress through objectives like defending points or gathering intel. Exo Zombies mode delivers survival against undead hordes, featuring maps such as Outbreak, Infection, Carrier, and Descent, where players use points from kills to access better gear and areas.
The single-player campaign focuses on narrative-driven missions with cinematic elements, while all modes integrate the exosuit for consistent mechanics across the board.
Campaign and Factions
The story unfolds through Jack Mitchell's perspective, involving key factions like the Atlas corporation, a private military powerhouse led by Jonathan Irons, the terrorist group KVA, and the Sentinel task force. Missions highlight conflicts between these groups, incorporating bioweapons and high-stakes operations that tie into the futuristic theme.
Is It Worth Playing?
With generally favorable reception, including scores like 9.1 out of 10 from IGN and 9 out of 10 from Game Informer, the game earned praise for its innovative exosuit mobility, deep customization, and engaging multiplayer. Critics noted the fast-paced action and strong voice acting, though some pointed out predictable plot elements.
As a 2014 title, it saw post-launch support through four DLC packs in 2015, adding maps and the Exo Zombies storyline, but no further updates have followed. It remains accessible on PC for those seeking a blend of single-player narrative and multiplayer competition.
If you enjoy first-person shooters with a focus on mobility and futuristic tech, this one holds up well for its mechanics and variety. Fans of the series or tactical action will find it rewarding, especially in cooperative modes, making it a solid pick even years later.