Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

[PaulH]

So my thoughts after 8 hours of multiplayer @ level 36 are it's ok and it was worth the buy and I will continue to play it for sometime yet but it struggles to make this new movement mechanic work because the games fundamental design holds it back. Basically it's: lets give you all this movement never seen before in a CoD game while still keeping it a CoD game which results in a cluster of issues for me. Those being:

 

The maps are so cluttered that I am constantly getting stuck on things. An example being where I was trying to run away from someone shooting me, so I ran around a corner only to get stuck on a chair resulting in my peruser killing me. It was awful on the Killcam as you could just see me there glitched onto the chair running on thin air. If it wasn't for that I could of gotten away and maybe even killed my gotta get a kill gotta get a kill gotta get a kill peruser!

 

The other issue I have with the maps because of the clutter is that it becomes incredibly hard to spot enemies. Combine this with how incredibly quickly you die and you have a series frustration fit. The rule of thumb tends to be whoever sees who first always wins with some rare exceptions only being if the other player that sees you first somehow fails to kill you must have hands made of ham.

 

Again another issue with the maps I have is some really frustrating designs. There are some great maps and a few of my favourites being: Riot, Ascend, Biolab and Solar. But the two I really loathe are Detroit which is far too cluttered and the same goes for the jungle map which I forget the name of and another... which I forget the name of again which is in a Japanese style with a pink cherry tree. Someone thought it would be great to put a death pit in the middle that you have no idea about. Yeah good idea, I have fallen down there so many times it isn't funny anymore.

 

The lack of dedicated servers STILL is a really big issue if you're playing on PC (along with ping being in bars, what's that? Can we have numbers?). I doubt the delay is really noticeable on a console as everything is slower paced and more balanced around having a controller. Just the amount of times I have been shot around corners, insta melee killed from 5 screens away or witnessed in sheer disbelief as my bullets just sponged into my target with no describable effect while at the same time he blows my ass off quite happily. Speaking of having my ass blown off I seem to die 9 times out of 10 from someone shooting me in the back. People just appear behind you constantly and you have no chance.

 

That brings me onto another thing: the instant melee kill. This along with the one shot weapons in the game can go and stick their heads down a toilet. Has this always been a CoD thing? I really dislike it. You die fast enough already to regular weapons, why the need for other things that kill you in one go I don't know.

 

So for the movement it's ok. I put a lot of time into Titanfall and that is the closest game I can compare it to and to be blunt Titanfall does it better. CoD's isn't terrible by no means and I've had some good fun with it - but as I mentioned before; I just believe that the map design hinders CoD's new movement to a large degree. 

 

As for the good: the port in itself is well done for once and that makes me happy. Lots of advanced graphic settings and an FOV slider. Kevin Spacey. I'm really liking the campaign. Sometimes you just gotta switch off and just enjoy the big dumb fancy AAA being thrown at your face.

 

Press E to pay respects.

 

Yeah I also have an issue with the map designs. They had one remit - make the maps suitable for the exo suit, so you would've thought that they would make it clear which areas/rooftops you could access and which you couldn't, but no. Instead it's a case of trial and error - jumping towards one rooftop that seems easily accessible and being pushed down to earth by an invisible wall with an 'out of bounds' message - its sloppy design in truth. Readability of the levels is key and they dropped the ball on that one. 

 

I've actually started playing classic TDM on it, and I feel dirty for saying that as I was all pumped up for 'something differen't, but am actually enjoying it more than the modes with the Exo suit available. COD has never been that tactical, but it is a lot more so when you know that people aren't going to be literally anywhere at any time due to the suit boosting. The maps become more predictable, you can start to learn decent routes through them, you can hold areas down etc. It just becomes less of a bunny hopping clusterfuck. Maybe I'm just traditional. I do still enjoy playing with the exo suit (the server lag is still hindering my enjoyment of it though) but for me playing in the classic style is still where it's at. 

[dux]

I haven't even touched the exo suit yet haha. I don't even use my abilities! I just put 3 attachments onto my gun and off I go, no secondary weapon, nothing. And oh yes! I forgot to mention about the out of bounds trial and error accessibility of areas on the maps. That has caught me out a LOT which as usual resulted in my death. All I do is play TDM. Hardpoint is alright that is quite fun but domination I just get frustrated with. Standing still on a point is just a death sentence a majority of the time and it's frustrating enough dying from behind all the time as it is.

[jackophant]

I quite liked the exo suit. I thought the movement was refreshing, if not a way of copying unreal tournament movement into the game, but it doesn't feel very fluid.

 

I have a couple of hours on multiplayer now, and I am getting totally wrecked by these guys who look absolutely ridiculous and are all using the bloody laser gun thing. zip around, unable to hit them, they aim vaguely in your direction for a couple of seconds and suddenly you are an electrified puddle.

 

I totally agree with the visual noise, but then it means that the thermal scopes actually do something.

[blackdog]

I'm quite curious to try it, but from the videos the exosuit jump doesn't seem very smooth, and in general seems that Titanfall's traversing is much more fluid…

[dux]

I'm quite curious to try it, but from the videos the exosuit jump doesn't seem very smooth, and in general seems that Titanfall's traversing is much more fluid…

 

It is a lot more fluid. But it's not awful.

 

Also I finished the single player Campaign last night. All I can say is lol. The writing and story made NO SENSE. And the engine REALLY shows its age in places.

[Pampers]

 And the engine REALLY shows its age in places.

 

:s wasn't it a brand new engine when Ghost came out?

[dux]

I was under the impression this was still running on Quake 3 code? It has to be, it looks like it is from 2006 in certain sections.

[marks]

anything that uses bsp is "running on quake3 code"

[DrywallDreams]

 

 And the engine REALLY shows its age in places.

 

:s wasn't it a brand new engine when Ghost came out?

 

And when Blops 2 came out, and when MW3 came out, etc.  They say the same thing every year.

[Puddy]

Also I finished the single player Campaign last night. All I can say is lol. The writing and story made NO SENSE. 

 

Just finished it too, was fun at times. Plot was whimsical and hard to take seriously. If there was anything that annoyed the fuck out of me, it was that the game didn't trust you as a player. There's so many sections where the game forces you to walk in the exact footsteps of an NPC, force total and utter control of your camera in first person, restrict exo movement (exo types... please), artificially slow down your movement during "story moments" and so on. I can't even count the number of times the player character is "knocked down" in a cinematic fashion. Sure, I know this is part of the whole action rollercoaster but it gets sooooo tiring after a while

[dux]

Exactly my thoughts too. When I had control taken away from me I literally said to me screen "OH! Oh what's this CoD, don't trust me to play you is it?!" Then when I was given control in a section I totally wasn't expecting it and shouted out "OH MY GOD YOU'RE LETTING ME PLAY YOU CoD! ARE YOU FEELING OK?!" One thing I will say about the story though, if it wasn't for Gideon, I would be FUCKED and would of died a long time ago. This I take as another slap to the face from the game. It doesn't trust me to play it and it constantly needed to interject with Gideon to help me and or save me so many times. I felt like it was saying "We know you're retarded and can't play the game so we will play it for you, ok? And we know you're a super spastic so we'll rub it in your face by having you constantly saved by this NPC."

 

Am I psychotic because I kinda agreed with Kevin Spacey on some points? lol Then the story went full pants on head retarded and I was like "Where the fuck did this come from?"

The prison camp. I think they played Wolfenstein one too many times and forgot what they were doing. The tone of the game and the representation of Atlas just changed from regular merc guys to like... Nazi SS concentration camp guards?

 

And towards the end of the game Kevin says he could of killed me there and then in the interrogation room inside the prison camp but didn't because he isn't a "monster" But... uh... you shot Mccormack and let him bleed to death? Uh? Uh? What?

.

Oh my goodness CoD, you're really like a pack of Doritos and Pepsi. I'll eat you and drink you but I don't understand why.

 

Still enjoyed it though. I think this is the best way for me to enjoy CoD. Miss out like 7 releases or however many it has been and take a face full then quit again for another 7 editions

Edited November 12, 2014 by dux

[Sprony]

I'm surprised how many people act all shocked about the on rail shooter mechanics, out dated engine and lack of story of yet another COD. That to me is the shocker. Not directed at anyone here but every year it's the same fucking thing. Everybody hating on COD with exactly the same arguments as before and in the mean time it sells like crazy. It was the same with the last Transformers, everybody said it would suck and it did but it was still the best selling movie in theater this year. I just don't get it. Either online, in real life or with friends, we all share the same sentiment but apparently we are a small majority. Or is it humankind's curiosity to see if things could be able to suck less?

[ShockaPop]

I'm surprised how many people act all shocked about the on rail shooter mechanics, out dated engine and lack of story of yet another COD. That to me is the shocker. Not directed at anyone here but every year it's the same fucking thing. Everybody hating on COD with exactly the same arguments as before and in the mean time it sells like crazy. It was the same with the last Transformers, everybody said it would suck and it did but it was still the best selling movie in theater this year. I just don't get it. Either online, in real life or with friends, we all share the same sentiment but apparently we are a small majority. Or is it humankind's curiosity to see if things could be able to suck less?

 

I couldn't agree more.. and laugh to that whining "ooh, this is so stupid and just recycling things" and buying next one in series (maybe even pre-order it to be first one to whine). 

Edited November 13, 2014 by SotaPoika

[-HP-]

Almost done with the campaign, i'll write a short review when I'm done but man, I gotta say, it's the best looking game I've played on my PS4 so far. Shit looks banging... also, so much art for a game that's constantly rushing you. I'm seriously amazed at the amount of detail they managed to cram in every room, that you blast through in 5 seconds or less, lol.

[Buddy]

I'm surprised how many people act all shocked about the on rail shooter mechanics, out dated engine and lack of story of yet another COD. That to me is the shocker. Not directed at anyone here but every year it's the same fucking thing. Everybody hating on COD with exactly the same arguments as before and in the mean time it sells like crazy. It was the same with the last Transformers, everybody said it would suck and it did but it was still the best selling movie in theater this year. I just don't get it. Either online, in real life or with friends, we all share the same sentiment but apparently we are a small majority. Or is it humankind's curiosity to see if things could be able to suck less?

 

People who can form a legit, balanced and logical opinion are a minority. The more popular the product is - the less relevant that minority is.