''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' is a 2014
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
video game published by
Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
. The eleventh major installment in the ''
Call of Duty
''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
'' series, the game was developed by
Sledgehammer Games
Sledgehammer Games, Inc. is an American video game developer company formed in 2009 by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. The pair formerly worked at Visceral Games and are responsible for the creation of ''Dead Space''. The company is based in ...
for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, while
High Moon Studios
High Moon Studios, Inc. (formerly Sammy Entertainment Inc. and Sammy Studios, Inc.) is an American video game developer initially formed in 2001. After nearly a year as an independent studio, the developer was acquired by Vivendi Games in Janua ...
developed the versions released on
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, and
Raven Software
Raven Software Corporation is an American video game developer based in Wisconsin and founded in 1990. In 1997, Raven made an exclusive publishing deal with Activision and was subsequently acquired by them. After the acquisition, many of the st ...
developed the game's multiplayer and the Exo-Zombies mode.
''Advanced Warfare'' was the first ''Call of Duty'' title to be developed primarily by Sledgehammer, following the supporting work the studio did on ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'' alongside
Infinity Ward
Infinity Ward, Inc. is an American video game developer. They developed the video game ''Call of Duty'', along with seven other installments in the ''Call of Duty'' series. Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, and Jason West established Infinity Ward ...
in 2011. Though the game was released on November 4, 2014, a special edition entitled the ''Day Zero Edition'', which came with bonus in-game content, was released on November 3 for people who pre-ordered the game.
Before the development of ''Advanced Warfare'', Sledgehammer were originally working on a game set during the events of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Development for ''Advanced Warfare'' began in late 2011, shortly before the release of ''Modern Warfare 3''. The game became the first entry in the ''Call of Duty'' series since ''
Call of Duty 2
''Call of Duty 2'' is a 2005 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in most regions of the world. It is the second installment of the ''Call of Duty'' series. Announced by Activision on April 7, ...
'' to feature a game engine that has had its majority re-written and built from scratch. For the game's
single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...
campaign mode, Sledgehammer employed veteran actors
Troy Baker
Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...
and
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
in lead roles. The game's story features a futuristic setting, set between 2054 and 2061, and follows Jack Mitchell of the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
and his involvement with Atlas, a private military corporation that sells its services to the highest bidder.
''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' was released to a positive critical reception and was declared an improvement over its predecessor, ''
Call of Duty: Ghosts''. Many critics praised the visuals, voice acting, single-player campaign, the fast, dynamic, and exciting gameplay, and content-rich multiplayer, but some criticized the predictable plot in the single player campaign. The game won several awards and was considered a commercial success.
Gameplay
''Advanced Warfare'', like the other ''
Call of Duty
''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
'' titles, is presented in a
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
perspective. The game features several significant changes; unlike other installments, ''Advanced Warfare'' does not use a traditional
heads-up display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...
(HUD); instead, all information is relayed to the player via
holographic projections from the weapon equipped.
The general gunplay remains unchanged, apart from new mechanics, such as 'Exo' movements. These Exo movements are performed from the Exoskeleton, which allow the player to boost, dash, and sky jump. The game is the first in the ''Call of Duty'' series that allows the player to choose differing types of conventional weaponry; for example, the game features regular conventional firearms, but the player can choose to use laser or directed energy weaponry, both of which have differing attributes. In addition to Exo movements, the game features different Exo abilities, such as Exo Cloak, which allows players to turn transparent for stealth for a period of time.
Campaign
The single-player campaign features one playable character, Jack Mitchell, as opposed to multiple characters in most previous ''Call of Duty'' games. It uses pre-rendered cinematic cut scenes, similar to ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops II'', to assist in the story aspect of the campaign.
After each mission, the player is given a certain number of upgrade points that can be used to upgrade the Exo suit or weapons. The player can upgrade detection, armor, resistance, tactical, lethal grenade, sprint, recoil, flinch, reload, quick aim, and battery. The number of points that are given is determined by the players performance in the missions. The player may earn additional points by completing specific side objectives, one of which is collecting the game's collectable 'Intel'. The player can switch between different grenades, all of which possess distinctly different abilities.
Multiplayer
Apart from the Exo movement, ''Advanced Warfare''s multiplayer retains certain similarities to previous ''Call of Duty'' titles. The Pick 10 system in ''Black Ops II'' returns as Pick 13, allowing players to pick weapons, attachments, perks and score-streaks within a total of 13 allocation points. Score-streaks are also upgradable with different modules, allowing for additional abilities/effects, at an extra score cost. ''Advanced Warfare'' introduces weapon variants, which contain various different stats compared to the base weapons. This allows the game to contain over 350 weapons, both variants and base versions. Supply drops allow players to earn new gears through playing the game. The content of each supply drop is randomized, and can range from weapon variants to player customization items, as well as bonus
experience point
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s (XPs) time. Players can complete daily challenges to earn supply drops.
Exo Survival
Exo Survival was first introduced as ''Advanced Warfare''s
cooperative game mode. Considered to be a new version of the Survival Mode from ''Modern Warfare 3'', Exo Survival allows up to four players to engage in a wave-based match against
A.I.-controlled enemies. Players can choose from four different classes of Exo, which grant different abilities and score-streaks. Weapons and score-streaks can be upgraded throughout each match. After a certain number of rounds, players are given objectives to perform, such as defending a location, or collecting intel from fallen enemies. Completing the objectives grant players bonus upgrade points; not completing them result in the players being punished, such as having their Exo suits temporarily disabled or activating hostile security turrets.
Exo Survival is played on the game's multiplayer maps, with a total of 13 maps divived into four tiers. Each tier can be unlocked by playing the previous tier and survive a specific number of rounds.
Exo Zombies
Exo Zombies was first teased at the end of the Exo Survival map "Riot", and was officially announced with the ''Havoc''
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
(DLC) pack.
The game features zombies that utilize exo suits, giving them more maneuverability. The game mode stars five brand new characters.
Exo Zombies plays similarly to the original Zombies game mode that has been featured in
Treyarch
Treyarch Corporation ( ; formerly Treyarch Invention LLC) is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1996 by Peter Akemann and Doğan Köslü, it was acquired by Activision in 2001. The studio is known for ...
's ''Call of Duty'' games since ''
Call of Duty: World at War'': up to four players must survive against endless waves of undead enemies, with an optional story quest that can be completed at any time during a match. Players earn points by injuring and/or killing zombies, and use those points to open doors/clear obstacles, or buy new weapons and perks to strengthen their chance of survival. Players can also acquire exo suits in the game mode, allowing them to utilize new movements. Different types of zombies are present in the game, including Charger zombies that have increased movement speed, and Electro-magnetic zombies (EMZs) that can disable the players' Exo suit in close proximity.
The first Exo Zombies map, "Outbreak", was released as part of the ''Havoc'' DLC map pack.
The second map, "Infection", was released as part of the ''Ascendance'' DLC pack.
The third map, "Carrier", was released as part of the ''Supremacy'' DLC pack.
The final map, "Descent", was released as part of the ''Reckoning'' DLC pack.
Plot
Single-player campaign
In 2054,
United States Marines
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...
Private First Class
Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces.
French speaking countries
In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...
Jack Mitchell (
Troy Baker
Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...
) and
Private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Will Irons (
Paul Telfer) help repel a
North Korean invasion of
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, under the command of
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Cormack (Russell Richardson). During the fight, Will is mortally wounded and Mitchell loses his arm, resulting in him being
medically discharged. Following Will's funeral, Mitchell accepts a position at the Atlas Corporation, a
private military corporation
A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
, by its
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
Jonathan Irons (
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
), Will's father, and is given a
prosthetic arm
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
.
A
terrorist
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
group called the KVA, composed of former
Chechen separatists
Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...
led by Joseph "Hades" Chkheidze (Sharif Ibrahim), begins staging attacks. Mitchell, Gideon (
Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Deucalion in ''Teen Wolf'' and for providing voice-over work in video games, television series and films.
Early life and education
Emery was born to Pauline, a compet ...
), and other Atlas operatives rescue the
Nigerian Prime Minister and capture a KVA technologist in
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
during an international summit. By 2055, Mitchell and his team fail to prevent a more sophisticated KVA from forcing a
nuclear reactor meltdown on
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 23,025 at the 2010 census and an estimated 25,298 in 2019, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County.
...
. The KVA launch simultaneous attacks against nuclear power plants worldwide, irradiating numerous cities and killing thousands. Atlas emerges as the world's dominant military force by aiding displaced civilians and repelling the KVA.
In 2059, Mitchell and Gideon are dispatched to
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
to find and capture Dr. Pierre Danois (Erik Passoja), the KVA's second-in-command. Danois reveals that Hades is at
Santorini
Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, where the KVA is holding a conference. In Greece, Mitchell finds and kills Hades; before dying, Hades warns them of Irons and gives Mitchell a data chip. Atlas operative Ilona (
Angela Gots
Angela Gots is an American actress, best known for her roles in '' Molly's Game'' and '' Madam Secretary''.
Early life
Gots was born and raised in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the m ...
) analyzes the chip. It reveals that Irons killed the NVA technologist after learning of the global attacks, and deliberately allowed them to happen to improve Atlas' profit. Irons attempts to have Mitchell and Ilona arrested by Atlas
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
, but they escape Atlas' headquarters in
New Baghdad New Baghdad or Baghdad Al-Jidida ( ar, بغداد الجديدة) is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad, Iraq. This district has nine Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NAC) and a District Advisory Council. It is located east of the city c ...
, guided by an unidentified soldier, while Gideon stays with Irons for further investigation. The soldier reveals himself to be Cormack, now a member of the Sentinel Task Force, a
Tier One global US-led task force created to investigate the KVA, but now re-purposed to prevent Atlas' rise to power.
In 2060, Mitchell, Cormack, Ilona, and Knox (
Khary Payton
Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...
) infiltrate Irons' private residence in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
. The team discovers that Danois is collaborating with Irons to produce a
bio-weapon
A biological agent (also called bio-agent, biological threat agent, biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bioweapon) is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, fungus, or toxin that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterrorism ...
called "Manticore". They track and intercept a plane carrying Manticore bound for
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, which crashes in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
. Gideon helps the Sentinels defeat the Atlas soldiers, allowing them to retrieve a sample of Manticore. They discover that the weapon is designed to attack the specific
DNA of an individual and kill them; the only exceptions are Atlas members. Sentinel and Gideon infiltrate and destroy an Atlas bio-weapons laboratory in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, destroying many Manticore samples. With his plan revealed, Irons declares war on the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
, believing that the world would be better off without wars if Atlas were in control. The team discovers that, despite destroying the laboratory, Irons is planning a
preemptive strike
A preemptive war is a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived imminent offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending (allegedly unavoidable) war ''shortly before'' that attack materializes. It ...
on the United States via an Atlas attack in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. Atlas destroys the
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...
, trapping the
United States Navy's Third Fleet in the
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
in an attempt to destroy them, but are stopped by Sentinel forces. The United States and the rest of the world declare war on Atlas, forcing Irons to retreat to his headquarters in New
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
.
In 2061, the Sentinels and the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
attack New Baghdad to capture Irons. However, Atlas releases Manticore, killing Knox and most of the troops. Being former Atlas soldiers, Mitchell, Ilona, and Gideon are spared. They and Cormack are captured and brought to an Atlas
prison camp, which runs Manticore
experiments on its inmates. The team escape the facility, but not before Irons shoots Cormack and severely damages Mitchell's prosthetic arm. After Cormack dies, the others discover that Irons is preparing to launch
intercontinental ballistic missiles
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons ca ...
loaded with Manticore against every military base in the world. Using armored battlesuits, Mitchell and Gideon launch an assault on Atlas' headquarters and destroy the missiles. They find Irons as the other Sentinels prepare to bombard the building, but Irons disables their
exoskeletons
An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...
. Mitchell chases and tackles Irons at the edge of the building; Irons hangs onto Mitchell's prosthetic arm, but Mitchell severs it, sending Irons falling to his death. Gideon pulls Mitchell from the ledge, and Mitchell notes that the war against Atlas is far from over.
Exo Zombies
Following a failed attempt to contain a riot at a prison in New Baghdad, Atlas releases the Manticore bioweapon in order to quell the uprising. However, instead of killing the rioters, the Manticore bomb reanimates them as zombies. 3 Atlas platoons are sent in to cage the undead forces, but only one survives, and the others are brought back to an Atlas research facility for further studies. The research is carried out in secret, without the knowledge of the employees, in a hidden area known as Sublevel 6. One night, the captured zombies break out of their containment and overrun the facility. Amidst the chaos, four Atlas employees - ex-Sentinel Task Force operative and Atlas janitor Oz (
John Malkovich
John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...
), Atlas IT specialist Lilith (
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
), Atlas security officer Decker (
Jon Bernthal
Jonathan Edward Bernthal (; born September 20, 1976) is an American actor.
Beginning his career in the early 2000s, he came to prominence for portraying Shane Walsh (The Walking Dead), Shane Walsh on the AMC (TV channel), AMC horror series ' ...
), and Atlas executive Kahn (
Bill Paxton
William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), '' Apollo 13 ...
) - attempt to evacuate, but both of their rescue helicopters are destroyed. The four survivors mount a last stand against the zombie horde, but are eventually overwhelmed. However, they are rescued by Atlas forces, who then take them to an urban facility, for medical treatment. When the four survivors recover, they are thrown into another battle against the infected, ensuring the survival of not only themselves but also innocent citizens trapped in the vicinity.
Eventually, the group is rescued by Sentinel Task Force operatives, but their leader, Captain Lennox (
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low ...
), claims that Oz is the source of the zombie infection. Lennox executes Oz and has Lilith, Decker and Kahn injected with anesthetic. However, Atlas forces ambush them and reclaim the ex-Atlas employees. Sentinel tracks them down, leading them to an Atlas aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean. Oz, however, begins to reanimate while being transported on one of the Sentinel's transports. Upon arrival within the carrier, Lennox locates the three Atlas survivors and leads them in battle against the combined forces of the zombies and Atlas soldiers. Lennox reveals to the other three that Oz was once part of Sentinel, and that he was present at the prison when Atlas released the Manticore bomb, making him one of the first people infected. He also claims that Oz was planted in Kahn's facility by Atlas in order to start the zombie outbreak. The group decides to sink the carrier to the bottom of the ocean, in order to prevent the infection from spreading. They set the ship to self-destruct, but before they can extract in an emergency pod, they briefly encounter Oz, now fully zombified while retaining his intelligence.
The group escapes and decides that Oz must be eliminated, and head to a nearby Atlas underwater survival facility, the Trident Retreat. Oz, however, has already arrived at the facility and murdered all Atlas employees within the base. The group bands together for one final battle against the undead horde, including Oz himself. After undertaking various challenges set by Oz, they are teleported into a digital representation of Oz's memory, where Kahn, Lilith and Decker learn the truth: while they are immune to the Manticore virus' effect, they can be used as a cure for the infection, unlike Oz. Having finished all of Oz's challenges, the group finally confronts him and discovers he has mutated into a monstrous figure. After a long fight, Oz is finally killed, and the group proceeds to burn his mutated corpse, vowing vengeance against Atlas. In the aftermath of the incident, Lennox is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and he helps Decker enlist in Sentinel as a full-fledged soldier; Kahn files a lawsuit against Atlas, with the help of Lilith, who now works as a hacktivist. Unbeknownst to the group, Atlas has already created clones of Oz, all kept hidden under the Trident facility.
Development
Before being switched to become the co-developers of ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'', Sledgehammer Games was already working on a ''Call of Duty'' game called ''Call of Duty: Fog of War''. ''Fog of War'' was announced before ''Modern Warfare 3'' and after ''Black Ops''. It was to be set during the events of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
and was said to be an action-adventure
third-person shooter video game. A ''Call of Duty''
massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or more commonly MMO) is an online video game with a large number of players, often hundreds or thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent world, persistent open world, alt ...
was also in development. Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg later stated that ''Modern Warfare 3'' was not the same title as Sledgehammer Games' action-adventure ''Call of Duty'' game. When asked if the action-adventure game was also in development, Hirshberg then stated that the Sledgehammer team was fully focused on ''Modern Warfare 3'' and that their own title had been put on hold.
A new game in the ''Call of Duty'' series was announced to be released in November 2014.
Director Michael Condrey said that the majority of the engine has been built from scratch. He stated that although there are lines of the old code left, there are new rendering, animation, physics and audio systems.
With the improved engine, the audio has been built from the ground up. According to Don Veca, who worked on ''Advanced Warfare'', the audio in the game is very advanced which gives the game a genuine and great feel. Saying that audio doesn't come last as it did in previous titles, Glen Schofield says "We make sure that audio is just as important as anything else and Don's in there from the start with us."
Another objective that Sledgehammer accomplished with ''Advanced Warfare'' were the animations. The facial animating system and set is the same as James Cameron's upcoming ''
Avatar: The Way of Water''. According to Activision, the new three-year ''Call of Duty'' development cycle meant that ''Advanced Warfare'' developer Sledgehammer Games was able to create a 'near photorealistic' world unlike any ''Call of Duty'' before. Michael Condrey confirmed in a tweet that ''Advanced Warfare'' would be featuring female soldiers in multiplayer, as well.
On June 6, 2014, in an issue of ''MCVOnline Magazine'', it was confirmed that
High Moon Studios
High Moon Studios, Inc. (formerly Sammy Entertainment Inc. and Sammy Studios, Inc.) is an American video game developer initially formed in 2001. After nearly a year as an independent studio, the developer was acquired by Vivendi Games in Janua ...
, the team behind the ''
Deadpool
Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
'' video game and ''
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
'' games, was working on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of ''Advanced Warfare'', while Sledgehammer Games was focusing on the PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One versions of the title. Activision also confirmed that the game would not be released on the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
, making ''Advanced Warfare'' the first main ''Call of Duty'' game to not see a release on a
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
platform since ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'' in 2009.
Music
Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams (born 13 December 1961) is a British composer, conductor, orchestrator, and record producer. He has composed music for video games, television and films including the ''Metal Gear'' series, ''Spy Game'', ''Phone Booth'', ...
, who composed the main title theme for ''
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'', returned for ''Advanced Warfare'' while
audiomachine
Audiomachine is an American production music company based in Beverly Hills, California. The company was founded by Paul Dinletir and Carol Sovinski in August 2005, producing music composed by Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix.
About the company
...
composed the overall score of the game.
The score for the Exo Zombies downloadable content pack was composed by
Chris Vrenna
Chris Vrenna (born February 23, 1967 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American musician, producer, engineer, remixer, songwriter, programmer, and founder of the electronic band Tweaker. Vrenna played drums for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails ...
.
Marketing and release
''Advanced Warfare'' was released one day earlier to customers who purchased the ''Day Zero Edition''. This version featured double
XP for the first day and two exclusive guns, as well as access to exclusive weapons and an Exo Skeleton suit.
A 1-terabyte Xbox One console bundle with a Sentinel Task Force-inspired hardware design, and a digital copy of the ''Day Zero Edition'', was also released by Microsoft as a tie-in.
Reveal
In May 2014, the official ''Call of Duty'' website was updated with a scrambled image that was due to be revealed on May 4, 2014, but the trailer was leaked ahead of schedule on May 1 and then officially released soon after. The trailer revealed actor Kevin Spacey as portraying a character in the game who resents democracy.
The trailer contained a variety of futuristic technologies, including
cloaking
Cloaking is a search engine optimization (SEO) technique in which the content presented to the search engine spider is different from that presented to the user's browser. This is done by delivering content based on the IP addresses or the User ...
aircraft, twin-rotor drones, hover bikes, "spider" tanks, specialized weapons,
powered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as power armor, powered armor, powered suit, cybernetic suit, cybernetic armor, exosuit, hardsuit, exoframe or augmented mobility, is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body, provi ...
s, threat-detection grenades and gloves that allow their wearer to climb up walls.
On June 9, 2014,
E3 2014
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 (E3 2014) was the 20th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 10, 2014, and ended on June 12, 2014, with 48,900 total attendees.
Ma ...
was opened with a new gameplay trailer for ''Advanced Warfare'' that showcased features such as swarms of drones resembling birds and infrared enemy identifiers. During the presentation, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that downloadable content for ''Advanced Warfare'' will be released first on Xbox Live in the same fashion as the previous games in the series.
On July 29, 2014, Sledgehammer Games released a trailer showing a more in depth look into the main back story of the campaign side of the game. Within the last five seconds of the trailer a brief view of the multiplayer was shown, the first time multiplayer had been shown. Within it "score streaks" were visible which are returning from ''Black Ops II''. Also shown was the new HUD which usually changes from each title. The trailer also stated that there would be a worldwide full multiplayer reveal on August 11, 2014, during
Gamescom 2014
Gamescom (stylized as gamescom) is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 2018, it has been organised by ''game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche'' (English: Associa ...
.
On October 30,
Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch (born April 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor and model who has portrayed Tim Riggins in the NBC television series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011). He has also worked in films such as '' X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' (2009), ''Battle ...
and
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski (, ; born June 7, 1991) is an American model and actress. Born in London to American parents and raised in Encinitas, California, Ratajkowski began acting as a child before she gained a recurring role on the Nickelodeon ...
co-starred in the live action trailer in advance of the game's November 4 release directed by
Peter Berg
Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964) is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), the action comedy ''The Rundown'' (2003), the sports drama '' Friday Night Lig ...
who previously worked with Kitsch in the films ''
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
'' and ''
Lone Survivor
''Lone Survivor'' is a 2013 American biographical war film based on the 2007 nonfiction book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson. Set during the war in Afghanistan, it dramatizes the unsuccessful United States Navy SEAL ...
''.
Downloadable content
A pre-order bonus was announced entitled 'Advanced Arsenal' which consists of a Custom Exoskeleton along with an EM1 Quantum & AK-12G weapon usable in multiplayer. An advertisement revealed that the collector's editions will include a bonus multiplayer map, "Atlas Gorge", which is a remake of the map "Pipeline" from ''
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare''; an Atlas Digital Content Pack, which includes two bonus weapons, a custom character helmet, a player card, five in-game "supply drops" and a single-player upgrade token. Also included is a season pass, granting players access to four post-release map packs. Additionally, all pre-orders would be upgraded to the "Day Zero Edition", which includes 24 hours early access to the game with double XP, additional weapons and in-game items.
On November 3, 2014, Activision revealed 4 DLCs for ''Advanced Warfare'', namely ''Havoc'', ''Ascendance'', ''Supremacy'', and ''Reckoning''. A new co-op mode, Exo Zombies, was announced on November 27, 2014, and was released alongside the ''Havoc'' DLC on January 27, 2015, for the Xbox consoles, February 26, 2015, for the PlayStation consoles, and March 3, 2015, for Windows. The ''Ascendance'' DLC was released on March 31, 2015, for the Xbox consoles and April 30, 2015, for the PlayStation consoles and Windows. The DLC includes 4 new maps, the second Exo Zombies map and a new grappling hook feature playlist. The third DLC of the game, ''Supremacy'', was released on June 2, 2015, for the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
. The DLC includes four new maps and act as a continuation to the Exo Zombies campaign. It was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Windows on July 2, 2015. The last DLC, ''Reckoning'', was released for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on August 4, 2015. It was released for the remaining platforms on September 3, 2015. The release of ''Reckoning'' on these platforms marked the end of the exclusivity deal between Activision and Microsoft.
Reception
Critical reception
''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' received "generally favorable reviews", according to
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
Josh Harmon from ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
'' gave the game a 9/10. He praised the engaging combat mechanics, coherent story (which he described as "a welcome shift for ''Call of Duty''"), new mobility options, as well as in-depth specialization and the multiplayer, which he described as "The deepest, most enjoyable and the most skill-based ''Call of Duty'' multiplayer to date". He also praised the futuristic gadgetry which he described as "a feature that breathes new life into the franchise". However, he criticized the single-mission level design for being similar to the previous installments, as well as a predictable, disappointing plot twist, unimpressive co-operative mode and clumsy vehicle-involved single-player mission.
Brian Albert from
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
gave the game 9.1/10. He praised the iteration of the game set in the mid 21st century, calling it the biggest and most successful departure from what's expected in the ''Call of Duty'' series since the Modern Warfare trilogy brought the series into the 21st century. Albert gave praise to the campaign, singling out the performances of
Troy Baker
Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...
and
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
in their roles as Mitchell and Jonathan Irons respectively, but criticized the campaign's hindrance of its characters' relationships and the exposition dialogue. He praised the creativity of the campaign levels, singling out certain missions that allow freedom to complete objectives. Albert gave praise to the Exo suit, while despite not having full use during the campaign, was a welcome addition for multiplayer which made it more intuitive and fun. He also mentions that the Exo suit allows him to have advantages in multiplayer that weren't possible in earlier ''Call of Duty'' titles, and mentioning that certain modes like Capture the Flag felt more intense than expected. He also praised the accelerated pace of rewards given to players who level up during multiplayer, citing supply drops of cosmetic items, new weapons and temporary perks like double experience points as examples. Albert also praised the Pick 13 System, an expansion of the Pick 10 System introduced in ''
Call of Duty: Black Ops II'', which allowed him more options and flexibility on which weapons, attachments, and score-streaks he wanted in his loadout. He also praised the addition of a firing range in the multiplayer lobby, which allowed him to test the strengths and weaknesses of his loadout.
Daniel Tack from
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
gave the game a 9/10, praising the unprecedented amount of fast movement, extensive multiplayer weapon customization, excellent visuals, well-executed single-player, varied multiplayer modes and distinct and interesting single-player levels, but criticizing the predictable plot conclusion and non-impactful weapon upgrades. He summarized the game as "a own special surge forward while maintaining the gunplay that makes the series fantastic."
PlayStation Lifestyle handed the game a 9/10 stating "Sledgehammer Games has given players a greater feeling of customization that goes beyond the cosmetic of an emblem and given way to random unlocks and a great number of modifications."
Ludwig Kietzmann from Joystiq gave the game a 4/5. He praised the strong selection of dense, vertically challenging multiplayer maps, three-dimensional and liberating movement, coherent and fast-paced campaign, smart storytelling, exciting and dynamic gameplay, lifelike characters and movie-like presentation, but criticised the game for being a bit similar to the previous instalments as he stated that "''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' just doesn't have the power to break through the expectations of the brand".
Miguel Concepcion from
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
gave the game an 8/10, praising its content-rich multiplayer, futuristic combat system, entertaining Uplink mode (a new mode introduced in ''Advanced Warfare''), but criticising the inconsistent narrative, which he stated that "has prevented the campaign from being fully engaging", as well as shallow difficulty curve, making the co-operative mode "tedious".
The game garnered mixed reception from
USgamer
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
, awarding it with a 3.5/5 and stating "''Advanced Warfare'' executes the formula competently while adding a handful of bells and whistles like mechs, laser cannons, and double jumps; but Sledgehammer Games seems reluctant to really cut loose and push the setting to its fullest potential, making ''Advanced Warfare'' a solid but ultimately unexciting entry in the series."
"Press F to pay respects"
One particular moment of the game that was singled out by reviewers and players alike was Will Irons' funeral service, where the player is prompted to press a button to approach the coffin; on the PC version, this particular prompt read "Press to Pay Respects." The mechanic was criticized and ridiculed for both being arbitrary and unnecessary, as well as being inappropriate to the tone of the funeral the game otherwise would like to convey. The phrase has since become detached from its source, becoming an
Internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
in its own right, sometimes used unironically: during the tribute stream for the
Jacksonville Landing shooting
The Jacksonville Landing shooting, also known as the Jacksonville shooting, was a mass shooting that occurred at a video game tournament for the video game ''Madden NFL 19'' in Jacksonville Landing, Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2018, ...
, viewers posted a single letter "F" in the chat.
Sales
It was reported in November 2014 that US retail sales of ''Advanced Warfare'' were 27% down on 2013's ''Call of Duty: Ghosts''. Despite the decline, ''Advanced Warfare'' was still the top-selling game at US retail for 2014.
The PlayStation 3 version sold 79,586 copies within its first week on sale in Japan, making it the bestselling game of the week in the country. In the same week, the PlayStation 4 version sold 64,060 copies, and the Xbox One version sold 3,370 copies.
Awards
The game won the award for "Best Graphics - Technology", in IGN's Best of 2014 awards. At the 2014 NAVGTR Awards the game won two awards: ''Performance in a Drama, Lead'' (
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
as ''Jonathan Irons'') and ''Original Dramatic Score, Franchise'', and received eight nominations: ''Writing in a Drama'' (
Mark Boal
Mark Boal (born January 23, 1973) is an American journalist, screenwriter, and film producer. Before he became a prominent figure of cinema, Boal worked as a journalist for such publications as ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Village Voice'', ''Salon' ...
), ''Use of Sound(Franchise)'', ''Graphics(Technical)'', ''Game(Franchise Action)'' (Glen Schofield, Michael Condrey), ''Direction in a Game Cinema'', ''Character Design'', ''Art Direction(Contemporary)'' and ''Animation, Technical''. It also won the award for "Outstanding Realtime Visuals in a videogame at the 2015
Visual Effects Society Awards
The Visual Effects Society (VES) is an entertainment industry organization representing visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and p ...
. It received nominations at
The Game Awards
The Game Awards is an annual awards ceremony honoring achievements in the video game industry. Established in 2014, the shows are produced and hosted by game journalist Geoff Keighley, who worked on its predecessor, the Spike Video Game Awards, ...
, the 2015
British Academy Games Awards
The BAFTA Games Awards or British Academy Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony honouring "outstanding creative achievement" in the video game industry. First presented in 2004 following the restructuring of the BAFTA Interactive En ...
, 2015
DICE Awards
The D.I.C.E. Awards (formerly the Interactive Achievement Awards) is an award show in the video game industry started in 1998 and commonly referred to in the industry as the "video games Oscar". The awards are arranged by the Academy of Intera ...
, and the 2015
Golden Joystick Awards
The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is a video game award ceremony; it awards the best video games of the year, as voted for originally by the British general public, but is now a global event that can be voted ...
.
It was nominated for the eSports Game of the Year Award at
The Game Awards 2015
The Game Awards 2015 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2015. It was produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on December 3, 2015. '' The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'' won the show's Game of the ...
.
Notes
References
External links
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