Every year we get a new Call of Duty game and every year I hear gamers complaining about how it doesn’t evolve the franchise and how it’s much of the same. While that might’ve been true for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare brings a number of changes to the gameplay—especially on a technical and narrative front—that make it the long-awaited evolution all of us were hoping for. While it might not be a substantial leap, it does push the franchise in the right direction. Before I begin this review, let me request that you keep an open mind when buying this one. I thought Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was good and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 was atrocious. I was pleasantly surprised when I played this game and was given a chance to delve deeper into the story structure and mechanics.
Campaign
The campaign takes place over the course of a few hours from what it seems. Earth is attacked by a faction which split from the main governing body years ago. They live on harsh planets in the solar system and have adopted a fascist government. I don’t know if I missed this but the reason for the split was unclear. From what I understood, they were dissatisfied with how weak Earth and its government institutions were. I’m not sure though because it wasn’t made clear during the story. Having a detailed opening cutscene which explains all of this would’ve helped, similar to what Destiny did before you began the game. Considering that Activision wants to make Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare into a sub-franchise, I think a clear explanation is necessary.
You’re thrust into an invasion the moment you start the campaign and have to defend Earth and then take the fight to the aggressors. What starts off as a linear campaign becomes open-ended because the story offers numerous side quests which offer upgrades and new pieces to the puzzle. Questions like where the enemy gets their resources from and how their leadership operates are answered, but the main question—about why they’re so hostile towards Earth—isn’t touched upon in an in-depth way. Having a better explanation would’ve elevated the experience considerably.
The story takes around twelve hours to complete if you play it on a challenging difficulty setting. Similar to Destiny, the events unfold across the entire solar system and offer varied environments. The side quests are mostly corridor environments or repetitive space shooting. Speaking of space shooting, while they might’ve overdone those parts, are amazing. I’m not sure what the reason is but they feel incredibly precise and easy to control. The fact that the game runs at 60 FPS helps the mechanics. I don’t think I’m in the minority here but now I want Infinity Ward to make a proper Call of Duty game which focuses on aircraft combat. They absolutely knocked it out of the park in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
While the story might have some missteps, mostly due to the lack of exposition, it’s intense and the fact that you can select your missions and do additional side quests is a welcome change. I wish they expand upon this formula in the next game. It’s definitely worth your time and is way better than the plots of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Normally many gamers who buy the games skip the story altogether for the multiplayer experience but this is one everyone should experience.
Also, there’s a cover mechanic in the campaign which isn’t available in the multiplayer modes. The enemies do a lot of damage so you have to use it. A little yellow arrow pops up on your reticle and holding down the left trigger enables you to peek out of cover and shoot enemies. You have to rely on this in order to succeed at higher difficulty settings.
Multiplayer
As per tradition, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare features robust multiplayer modes, classes and maps. One of the most notable changes has to be the maps. The maps are distinct and gorgeous. While many gamers stated that the “space” setting would be disastrous for the franchise, I would have to disagree. It enables the developers to feature regions which we’ve never seen before and are completely unique. For example, Europa is a sight to behold. Not only is the layout fantastic, but the vistas are just incredible. Arenas like Terminal take place in outer space now.
Mission Teams are also an interesting addition to the game. Basically by joining a particular faction, you can complete challenges and then earn rewards. The rewards include a variety of items like cosmetic upgrades. They add another layer to an already expansive mode.
The biggest change you’ll notice in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has to be the shooting mechanics as alluded to earlier. The focus on precision has never been greater and it’s never been easier to aim your weapon. Shooting feels great and getting headshots is satisfying. It makes a huge difference because in some games it’s very hard to aim for some odd reason. I experienced issues like these in Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2. While I can understand that Battlefield 1 tries to recapture a historic era with its weapons, I was surprised when I went into Titanfall 2’s multiplayer and found that it wasn’t as precise as I would’ve liked. I tried changing the settings but could never get it to the level I wanted it to. I didn’t have to experiment with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare at all, it was perfect out of the box. Infinity Ward are definitely the masters when it comes to this. The mechanics are much better than what I experienced when playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and even Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on Xbox One.
Zombies
Zombies mode has to be the funniest part of the game. I had extensive experience with the Spaceland map which features a maze-like network of barrier which you have to take down in order to escape, I think. I played many rounds but could never get past Scene 15. And I believe there are ten more after that!
It’s basically like Horde mode from Gears of War 4, except with zombies. You play as a bunch of stereotypical teenagers on the set of a horror film and have to survive. There are a variety of weapons to purchase along with many secrets like hidden passages and challenge robots. This is definitely the most addictive part of the multiplayer experience. While there might only be the Spaceland map so far, it offers hours of gameplay because it has so many sections and so many secrets. I don’t even know how you’ll experience it all without spending days playing it.
Technical Issues
The campaign has some problems including disappearing objects and fluctuations in frame rate. I didn’t encounter any noticeable frame rate issues during the multiplayer portions of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. However, that might be because the game runs at a dynamic resolution from what it feels like. The campaign looks crisp but the multiplayer can seem cloudy and muddled at times. While this might be jarring to some people, it helps preserve the frame rate.
Summary
All in all, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a definitive evolution for the franchise, an evolution we desperately needed. While it might not be the game we wanted—here’s looking at you World War II—it’s definitely a welcome change. The campaign is solid despite the lack of thorough exposition and the addition of side quests make it feel special. The shooting mechanics are genre-defining in my opinion. If you haven’t played Call of Duty for the past few years, this is the one which should change your mind about the franchise. Longtime fans of the franchise will be happy with the changes, especially when it comes to the story. Now, let me end this review so I can go back to playing some Zombies.
Asher and Xian is a shared byline ICXM used for 18 articles co-authored between 2015–2017 covering game reviews, and Xbox news. See the individual contributor profiles for the writers behind these collaborations.