Xbox Series X|S Review Key Provided by Sledgehammer Games
I’ll be the first to admit that I was skeptical as to how Activision and Sledgehammer were going to pull off Call of Duty: Vanguard. Last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, while offering a decent enough single-player campaign, left much to be desired when compared to its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019).
MW offered players fantastic gunplay, a tense story, and multiplayer additions that set the stage for the future of CoD games going forward. Cold War though felt like a backtrack in certain ways, simplifying the robust and detailed gameplay mechanics for a more traditional arcade-like one that was in line with older titles. This didn’t sit too well for me so I was extremely hesitant when it came to seeing what Vanguard had to offer.
Upon playing the game, I was astonished to see the return of all of my favorite MW gameplay mechanics as well as brand new additions that, in my eyes, make this an even better title than that of what we received in 2019. This is the follow-up we deserved.
Story
I’ve always been a fan of the stories told in the CoD games because they had this summer blockbuster charm about them. And while that is true to a degree, I personally haven’t felt connected to a story from the series since Black Ops: II, with the exception of MW. Sure, Cold War was a great story, but at times it felt a bit disjointed and noncongruent with the already established storylines and lore from that part of the universe.
Vanguard on the other hand, fully embraces the blockbuster look and feel, opting for a Michael Bay meets Indiana Jones action FPS. The feats and action scenes are amazing, the heroes are as cool as possibly imaginable, and the villains are as evil and sniveling as they come. This is a story that had me glued to the screen from start to finish. While it isn’t a terribly long game, it’s a thrill ride for its entire duration.
Weaving the stories of four different war heroes from different regions across the world, you’ll find yourself rooting for each and every one of them as they epically take down the Nazis in some of the coolest scenarios I’ve seen in gaming in quite a while. This is one of my favorite CoD stories to date.
Gameplay
Campaign
From its opening, this game tells you that there are absolutely no holds barred. This isn’t the average shoot-and-run CoD title. As you progress throughout the story, you’ll get the chance to play as each of the four heroes the story centers on; Arthur Kingsley, Polina Petrova, Lucas Riggs, and Wade Jackson. Each having their own special ability that makes their missions distinctly different from one another.
Arthur can direct his allies in battle, Polina can slink and sneak through cracked walls and under desks to cut the legs out from beneath her targets, Lucas can precisely aim his demolition equipment, and Wade can turn on his predator-like instincts to stalk his prey. There’s a lot of variation in gameplay that leaves never a dull moment.
Each of these new elements does a fine job at giving a slight breathe of new life to the campaign. Admittedly though, Polina has the absolute best levels. She truly outshines the rest of her comrades. Vanguard is Polina’s game, she truly outshines the rest of her comrades. She not only gets the most ability usage through her missions but her side of the story is just fantastically done.
Gunplay feels at its best in Vanguard with enhancements that even outdo what MW had done. We also get the return of some of my favorite aspects from that game too. You can toggle weapon firing modes, snap to cover, tactical-sprint, and even open doors again! The return of these features is what really makes this game feel like a complete package when all is said and done for me.
Multiplayer
The other half of my heart when it comes to Vanguard is its multiplayer. If the campaign kept me entertained by its awesome story and characters, multiplayer mesmerizes me with its fast-paced combat and addictive gameplay. This too seems like the closest the franchise has come to perfecting FPS gameplay.
All of my favorite aspects of the gunplay are only heightened by the fact that I’m able to go toe-to-toe with other players given the same tools. Speaking of which, I’m also pleased to see that the weapons, perks, killstreaks, and so forth are much more in line with that of which MW put forward as well. It’s easier to pick up and more entertaining to engage with overall.
There is a bevy of new additions made to the multiplayer that further what CoD’s multiplayer will be in future titles as well. We have the new Champion Hill mode, combat pacing, a new MVP voting stage to games, and even more customization options available for operators.
Champion Hill is a more expanded upon version of MW’s Gunfight, offering very fun and intense gameplay that will have you pulling out your hair through its duration. Combat pacing is a new set of filters that basically gives you the chance to choose whether you want to play games with fewer or more players. For example; Tactical combat would load you into games where calculated gameplay is rewarded while Blitz gives players a fast-paced frantic set of games to play.
It’s a really interesting addition to the game that I found to be extremely welcome. I mostly enjoy playing Hardcore TDM, so it’s nice to shake the gameplay up depending on the mood I’m in. It’s actually something I hope other games implement in the future. It’s a pretty ingenious idea if you think about it as it’s very simple.
The new MVP system is a pretty cool one that follows the results of the game. There are three players that are chosen to be voted upon and the reason could be anything from most multi-kills to most time spent near an enemy. There are some pretty odd ones but it’s pretty cool to see your name up there as you pump your teammates up to vote for you. Players that vote or get MVP are given a small bit of XP for their time but for me, it’s just worth it to see my name in lights every chance I get.
Lastly, there are some new customization options when it comes to your operators. They fall solely in the back-end with things such as MVP screen moves or quips. There are some nice additions here that just add small instances to gameplay that enhance it overall.
I also appreciate the fact that you don’t have to play as Nazis in this game. All players in multiplayer play as the hero characters from the campaign as well as brand new ones created specifically for multiplayer. It’s always bothered me personally to play as Nazis. I know that sounds ridiculous because it’s a WWII game but it’s just the honest truth. I stand by their decision on this one hundred percent.
I also found a lot of joy in traversing the new maps this game brings to the table as well as newly re-imagined maps from previous games. I just think that we’ve finally been given a nice varied selection of maps as opposed to the mainly three-lane ones of the past.
Zombies
The zombies mode makes its return yet again with a sort of middle-ground between the normal version we all know and love and the Outbreak mode that was introduced in Cold War. I actually prefer this to the Outbreak mode and appreciate the fact that this is a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster of the two.
The gameplay is new yet familiar in a lot of ways. You have the rounds, vending machines, and portals. With each round though you have the chance to go into these portals, harvest resources, and complete objectives all while fighting the unrelenting undead.
This is the first zombies mode that’s actually caught my attention since the bus in BOII, which is really saying something. There’s just a lot of layers to this one that feels like a step forward and a more enticing way to play overall.
Visuals
This is by far the most beautiful game I’ve ever had the chance to play. The lighting, draw-distances, details, and life of the world had me captivated at every turn. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My screen-shot button must’ve been crying inside by just how many shots I took while playing.
Character animations are almost photo-realistic too which made the actor’s performances even more theatrical. It was literally like watching a movie. If this is next-gen gaming, I don’t think I was fully prepared to see what it really had to offer.
Audio
Audio is on point as usual when it comes to CoD. The guns sound fantastic and the voice actors truly brought their A-game to this story. There isn’t a weak link in the cast. As I said; the heroes are extremely likable and the villains are almost infinitely detestable.
The game’s score is perfectly fitting as well, bringing that triumphant orchestral sound that these WWII epics are known for. It’s the cherry on top of the sundae.
What It Could Have Done Better
Getting the easy part out of the way; the AI can be a bit dumb no matter whether it’s the campaign AI or zombies. They’re just numb-skulls, that’s all. They aren’t horrible but they just don’t seem to put up too much of a fight.
My other issues with the game fall in the performance category but luckily aside from a single game crash I experienced, they aren’t issues that impact gameplay. I found audio could be out of sync from characters’ lips every so often in cutscenes, frames would drop heavily in some missions for a moment, and textures had some pop-ins here or there as well.
I would like to stress that these issues though were isolated to the campaign and have most likely been patched already.
Verdict
The term “surprised” is an absolute understatement when it comes to how I feel about Call of Duty: Vanguard. This is a game that left me bewildered by just how much I actually enjoyed what it had to offer. This is the best overall CoD I’ve played in a long time. If you’re a fan of the series and were hesitant about whether this one would be worth it, I can assure you that it most definitely is. It smashed my expectations, becoming my contender for Game of the Year.
