#EGX2014 Preview: Call Of Duty Advanced Warfare
When I arrived at EGX, my first point of call was the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare stand, as you know that will get busy and hectic very quickly. After my wait I got to sit down to play two matches, each with a different mode and a map to try out.
The first game that I played as a traditional team deathmatch on Biolab. Fans of the Call of Duty series will instantly grow accustom to how the game plays, as the gameplay is as fluid as ever. The second game that I got to play was on the dynamic map called Defender. You may have seen this in one of the trailers, as at some point during the game, the map will be flooded via an incoming monsoon. This certainly adds a moment of panic and pushes the players closer together when the waves come in.
The mode that I got to play on this map was Uplink, which had an NFL feel about it. Basically one team would have to defend the ball and carry it into the opponent’s zone, with team members defending the player in possession of the ball, the best that they can. Half way through the game, the team roles would then swap round, almost like a half-time. The two matches sure were a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see what else is in store come release.
A big thing has been made about the freedom of movement that will become available to you, with the all new Exo-Skeleton and let me tell you this now, this is no cheap gimmick. If you thought the pace of previous Call of Duty games were fast and frantic, just wait until you get a chance to play this. The Exo-Skeleton has you jumping with meaning, punching like The Hulk and running around like the Master Chief with a fire-cracker stuck up his ass! In fact, mainly due to the Exo-Skeleton, many have drawn comparisons to a certain EA title created by ex Call of Duty developers; of course I am talking about Titanfall. If I was going to draw any comparisons at all, I would say that Advanced Warfare is actually less like Titanfall, and a little more like Halo with the powers that the Exo-Skeleton brings.
The Exo-Skeleton basically turns you into a super powered solider with increased powers and weapons that improve your vision somewhat. Other then some of the more basic powers that I had already spoken about, I got to try out the camo and shield perk. The camo gives you a Predator like cloak, but you are still fairly noticeable by the eagle-eyed gamer, but when events get very hectic, it can give you an advantage at quick glance and when sneaking up to an opponent. The shield however, not only defended you from face front bullets, but it can also deflect them too. So this could spell danger for a close-quarter opponent with a shotgun.
I know Activision and Sledgehammer Games made a big deal about the customisation options available to you in Advanced Warfare at the Xbox multiplayer reveal. But I have to tell you that they were not exaggerating and the amount of options that you have open to you, is insane! From what I could tell with my short time with the demo, there seems to be nothing that you can’t customise in Advanced Warfare. As a fan of the FPS genre and Call of Duty in particular, I believe fans are going to be very happy with this instalment and first impressions tell me that this is going to be the best game in the series for a long time.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will release for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on November 4th or the 3rd for those that pre-order the free upgrade Day Zero Edition.