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Call Of Duty is a video game series that has transcended being just a game in many ways.
Since the franchise first appeared in 2003 and arguably more potently since the Modern Warfare era of the games began in 2007, the cinematic visuals and audio, as well as storyline has seen the game become an entertainment phenomenon in its own right – out-grossing many Hollywood blockbusters in the process.
2016′s Call Of Duty looks set to be another crucial moment for the long-running series as the game steps into an area it has never been before – outer space.
As you can see, this is a huge departure from the sort of combat the game is known for, even with the futuristic settings of recent years. So what exactly can players expect?
We got an exclusive look at Infinite Warfare’s gameplay, and here’s what we saw.
The trigger point for the warfare is an invasion by a militant faction with space-based capabilities. The first level we saw depicts a massive attack on Geneva, with invading soldier-carrying pods falling from the sky alongside bombs.
The weaponry has advanced again too – with a new shotgun able to lock onto and fire at enemies at several points, and spider drones that double as grenades.
As with all Call Of Duty games the carnage is rapid and manic, but it’s the drastic change of pace and setting that is startling towards the end of the level, as players jump into a futuristic jet to blast into low orbit. The visuals here are stunning – Call Of Duty at its finest, while the space-based dogfight that ensues at the end of this ascent is like nothing this series has even done before.
The game isn’t done there though. Following another dogfight in the second level we saw hand-to-hand combat in zero gravity. Using a grapple hook to pull in some enemies and boosters to out-manoeuvre others, it’s a type of ridiculous combat that only COD can get away with.
Not only that, we also saw an anti-gravity grenade used at one point once the force of nature had been restored – a weapon that suspended enemies in mid air so you could take them out.
Though a lot of the technology is once again new, the way you apply looks much the same – this is a control system and layout many are familiar with, and it remains in place in Infinite Warfare. There are new tools to call in more regular air support and identify and mark enemies, but frequent COD players should slip them into their repertoire with little effort.
Infinite Warfare then is COD personified – loud, brash and manic – but it’s a formula that fans of the series love. There are definitely questions over whether it’s gone too far this year, becoming too ridiculous even for Call Of Duty with the full-scale solar system-sized war.
But there’s a great sense of fun in it too, and that is all many are after.
