Is CoD Advanced Warfare Just Titanfall in Disguise?
, by Av Kandola, 3 min reading time
The next Call Of Duty (COD) is just around the corner and whether you hate or love the franchise, you won't be able to not talk about it. This latest instalment however has stirred up a bit of a storm among fans and gamers alike due to the fact that Activision and Sledgehammer games have decided to dabble with the futuristic or sci-fi element.
Is this latest instalment a sign of progression or desperation?
The next Call Of Duty (COD) is just around the corner and whether you hate or love the franchise, you won't be able to not talk about it. This latest instalment however has stirred up a bit of a storm among fans and gamers alike due to the fact that Activision and Sledgehammer games have decided to dabble with the futuristic or sci-fi element.
This a tough situation for Activision, given the fact that the main reason why COD players love the franchise (this is from personal experience, discussing the matter with many gamers) is that they detest the sci fi shooter genre. They want a more realistic experience when it comes to choice of weapons, gameplay, setting etc. and what better way to achieve this than to base it on real world events (or loosely at best). Although with the rise of Titanfall this may have turned a few fans but the overall response to the announcement has sparked outrage at the direction COD is taking, some may feel it is a bit of a cop out on their part. Maybe dwindling sales due to competition from the likes of Battle Field and Titanfall have forced their hand, or even for the sake of progression and doing something new, a fresh spin has to be taken on the series.
Needless to say the game will make a lot of sales on launch in my honest opinion, whether there has been bad press or lack of hype, many of the COD games in the past have always managed to do well. Though it can easily go the other way, with a big fan base already stolen by Battle Field for the more realistic experience at present, the already established Titanfall which was a massive hit, will have sci-fi fans set with high expectations not to mention the likes of Halo 5 that are on the horizon and have an already massive fan base. These franchises as a whole not only pose a problem now but in the future to, loss in interest now could spell disaster for Activision.
Although we've looked at games fairly similar in infrastructure to COD there's also the increasing popularity in MMO shooters like Destiny, with online content, gameplay and depth to the universe (kind of, but that's another story), I feel it raises the bar even higher in what gamers will expect. I may be wrong with this assumption but I feel it is relevant nonetheless. The gaming landscape is changing and it's changing fast not only in the genre or content available but also in what consoles and games alike are capable of, so to say that COD could stick to the same old hypothesised terrorist attack or military expedition would be ridiculous. Even before the release of the Xbox One and PS4 fans were already becoming disgruntled with the franchise, with an alarming amount of people holding the same opinion that; ''it's going to be a rehashed version of the last game with a couple new guns and maps''. To earn such a reputation is very dangerous but in itself can also be what keeps you in business, customers being fairly happy and familiar with your product will always return, but in regards to the gaming industry; how long will that last?
It would be quite the oversight to say that the COD franchise is on it's last legs but it's definitely fair to say that it's seen better days. Facing the facts if it wasn't for COD (specifically from COD 4 Modern Warfare) the face of online shooters and competitive tournaments would be a very different thing than what we have today. It opened up a door to new gamers ushering in the rise of popularity for gaming in general we see now. So with such a rich history I don't think it's the beginning of the end just yet, rather a rough patch as they verge into unfamiliar territory.
Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare will be released worldwide on November 3rd 2014 for multiple platforms.