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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Beta impressions – A step to the future

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So, it’s almost time for the yearly arrival of one of the largest franchises in gaming to make its way to our consoles. In just a few short weeks players will again jump into the Call of Duty universe with the arrival of one of the year’s most talked about titles, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Despite being such a popular franchise however, this year’s title has already received its fair share of criticism with the official trailer resulting in uproar amongst even the die-hard fans of the series.

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As a casual player of the Call of Duty series, the futuristic settings of the last few entries aren’t something that I’ve paid much attention to. Sure, I’ve noticed the change, it’s hard not to when a series decides to send you far into the future, but for many, these changes have proven an unpopular choice. However, with release just around the corner and the four-day beta coming to an end, what can we expect of the upcoming FPS blockbuster? – Honestly, much of the same.

Whilst the campaign is the usual reason I tend to jump into the franchise each year, the sole focus of the beta was the multiplayer offering. With four game modes on offer throughout, it seems the overall layout of the multiplayer hasn’t changed at all, with Team Deathmatch, Domination, Gun Game as well as a mixed all in one playlist also returning. Whilst this is certainly nothing to be condemned, it would be nice to see some new game modes thrown in to spice things up, and whilst the full release could certainly offer a couple of new modes yet to be seen, those on offer fail to bring anything new to the table.

Away from the game modes and it seems there is only more of the same, or at least similar features, to previous titles on offer. Sure, a few things are presented in a new way such as the Combat Rigs, which are mechanized body suits used by the players, but this feels like nothing more than spruced up versions of the Specialists seen in Black Ops 3. Another feature returning directly from last year’s title are the Supply Drops in which players can receive potentially rare unlockable weapons and gear for use.

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One promising feature that is certainly a fresh approach for the series is the online teams available for players to join. This option works much like Factions seen in Mortal Kombat X, with players joining their preferred team from one of the four available, before completing various challenges to level up within the team. It seems that all progress made will go towards an online leaderboard for the competing teams. The beta saw the JTF Wolverines and the Orion Initiative available for use, however the full release will bring a couple of fresh ones for players to be part of.

The beta was also a good chance for players to see a select few of the maps that will be playable in just a couple of weeks, with the most popular proving to be the returning Terminal from Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2. Whilst the return sees a few changes made to keep in line with the futuristic theme, it is certainly nice to see such a popular map return. Other maps include one that offers up a slight change in gameplay with low-gravity, but for those who frequent Call of Duty’s multiplayer, there will certainly be reason to cheer with more of the same style incorporated into the new maps, with tight close quarters combat present throughout.

One major disappointment for me was the lack of recognisable weapons. Whilst the futuristic setting was always going to make the presence of well-known weapons difficult, seeing 20 different weapons that all offer more resemblance to the Transformers movies than anything seen before is certainly off putting. That said, the full game is certain to make amends with a classic weapon menu said to be available which includes such classics as the M1 bolt action rifle, along with several well-known shotguns and assault rifles.

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Overall, and whilst the beta has certainly offered some promising prospects for hardcore fans of the series, those looking on with reluctance at the continued futuristic direction the franchise is taking will certainly find themselves disheartened by everything on offer. Whilst the gameplay is stable, it doesn’t take long to realise that Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare doesn’t feel like much of a change over last year’s entry in the franchise.

Surely that will leave many questioning if a yearly title in the beloved series is the right way to continue?

Carlos Santuana (Sly Boogie1993)
Carlos Santuana (Sly Boogie1993)
After 20 years of playing every game I can get my hands on, I can now be found selling my soul for anything Resident Evil, Gears of War, or Gamerscore related... all of which will be mastered after a good cuppa!
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