Well, this is a fine mess they’ve gotten us into. While the core multiplayer experience has received a shot in the arm, everything around it has received a shot in the foot. With a rocket launcher. Online has been Call Of Duty’s main draw for decades, but that doesn’t prevent the overall package from feeling like a spectacularly missed opportunity.
It’s unlikely that you’ve missed the criticisms of the campaign that have been spread far and wide, and chances are everything you’ve heard is true. The relatively short length (perhaps four hours) isn’t a problem for us, even if it is out of step with recent entries. It’s the number of mistakes made within that short period that we take issue with.
The odd thing is, there are signs that the original plan was to have a campaign on a grander scale than usual. Makarov, the villain of the storyline that included the infamous No Russian mission, returns in a tale with a similarly globetrotting plot. Multiple missions have intros that make a point of referring to different characters taking different routes, yet you only ever take control of one character along one path. Speaking of routes, we have to talk about those Open Combat Missions.
FIRING SQUADDIE
These are essentially sections of a Warzone map with campaign objectives and AI enemies thrown in, and even feature Warzone’s scavenging element. Rather than missions that offer exciting possibilities for unique strategies and freedom of approach, they very much feel like bits of gaming Blu Tack hurriedly thrown in to bind the rest of the missions into something resembling a story. The Open Combat Missions are a strong indication that the rumours of rushed development are true.
Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av PLAY Magazine UK.
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Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av PLAY Magazine UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Batman: Arkham Asylum
15 years!? Holy depressing passing of time, Batman!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road
Keeping us engaged with the carat-and-stick approach
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs
Keepin' it weird
GRAND THEFT AUTO VI
The ruler of the crime sandbox returns
WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
Up to your pauldrons in science-fiction action
DELTA FORCE: HAWK OPS
Teaching an old hawk new tricks
Welcome to the Roughnecks
Blasting bugs and shooting the breeze with Starship Troopers game lead Peter Maurice and star Casper Van Dien
LEGO HORIZON ADVENTURES
Bricks and stones may break robo dino bones
ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS
Presenting protagonist double trouble
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
A delightfully devilish refresh