Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- November 2, 2014
- Raven Software
- 9h median play time
The Digital Edition Personalization Pack features a custom weapon camo, reticle set and calling card to personalize your loadout. Available with digital versions of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Reviews
- story1,069 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" is generally viewed as engaging yet predictable, featuring a mix of action-packed sequences and a familiar narrative arc involving corporate power and military ethics. While some players appreciate the cinematic quality and character performances, particularly by Kevin Spacey, many criticize the story for its clichés, linearity, and lack of depth, often feeling rushed or formulaic. Overall, it offers a solid but unremarkable experience typical of the franchise, with a few standout moments and missions that enhance its appeal.
“The story explored themes of corporate power, military ethics, and the consequences of unchecked technological advancement, adding depth to the otherwise action-packed experience.”
“The campaign is bolstered by Hollywood-caliber production values, featuring stunning visuals, intense set-pieces, and a riveting storyline that keeps players on the edge of their seats.”
“The story is really well thought-out and original - a major global corporation has built the world's largest and most powerful standing army and as a result has profound influence over the infrastructure and policy of most major nations.”
“Particularly annoying is the fact that the long dialogue sequences between missions cannot be skipped, neither can the training at the beginning be skipped.”
“The story never sucked you into it so that you would feel invested and the ending was so easy to see immediately after a couple of missions.”
“The campaign's story is very ehh but COD stories for a couple of years now have been ridiculous.”
- gameplay736 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" has received mixed reviews, with many praising the innovative exoskeleton mechanics that enhance mobility and introduce new tactical options, resulting in a fast-paced and engaging experience. However, some players have criticized the game for technical issues, such as lag and bugs, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While the campaign offers a blend of traditional and new gameplay elements, the multiplayer experience has been described as chaotic and unbalanced, leading to a divide in player satisfaction.
“The exoskeleton, a central gameplay mechanic, revolutionized movement, allowing players to boost jump, wall-run, and even hover briefly.”
“With its groundbreaking exoskeleton mechanics, Hollywood-quality production values, and addictive gameplay, Advanced Warfare raises the bar for the FPS genre and solidifies its place as a modern classic in the Call of Duty franchise.”
“The gameplay is fun and refreshing, with new mechanics that offer a fresh take on movement and mobility.”
“Gameplay is gross, the game is a scam.”
“Not only is the gameplay not great, but it runs like garbage too.”
“The gameplay is pathetic.”
- graphics649 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and realism, even years after its release. Many players note that the game showcases impressive detail and lifelike animations, setting a high standard for the franchise. However, some users report performance issues and optimization challenges, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The game’s visuals are stunning, with detailed textures and lifelike animations.”
“Visually, the game sets a new standard for visual fidelity in the FPS genre, showcasing stunning graphics that immerse players in a futuristic world brimming with detail and atmosphere.”
“The graphics are jaw-dropping for such an old game; I mean it's eight years old and looks as good, if not better, than a lot of modern-day games.”
“The constant crashing, the lag that stayed no matter what you set your graphics to... this game has been ruined by this port... disappointed...”
“I played the game on 1440p resolution with low settings and it still takes a toll on my graphics card, given the graphics and texture in-game looked like a mud puddle.”
“The graphics engine is buggy beyond belief, the audio engine carries background noise and routinely repeats with a microsecond delay.”
- optimization363 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 39 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, particularly for its PC version, which suffers from severe stuttering, crashes, and poor performance even on high-end hardware. Many players report that the game is nearly unplayable due to these issues, with some suggesting it runs better on consoles. Despite some praise for its graphics and engine improvements, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, making it frustrating for players seeking a smooth experience.
“Engine optimization is fantastic despite mind-blowing graphics even for a decade later.”
“Another thing I praise about this game is how much more amazing the graphics looked compared to its predecessors and it's so incredibly optimized too.”
“The game is also well optimized to take advantage of PC hardware, unlike the past few titles in the series.”
“The game crashes all the time and it's not like I'm on low-end hardware. I've got an i7 10700F, 3060 Ti, 32GB 5200MHz DDR5 RAM. The game is really poorly optimized, stutters, and makes it unplayable. I tried my hardest to enjoy and play through, but when it crashes for no reason on every mission, it becomes unbearable.”
“The game is horribly optimized for PC and is almost unplayable at times.”
“This game is complete garbage from the terrible optimization and poor services.”
- stability115 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of severe bugs, crashes, and performance issues across both single-player and multiplayer modes. Players have experienced frequent freezing, lag, and unresponsive mechanics, making the game frustratingly unplayable at times. While some patches have improved the situation, many still find the game to be a "buggy mess" that detracts significantly from the overall experience.
“The campaign is really good, has decent graphics, and is mostly bug-free.”
“Single player runs great, with minimal issues.”
“If you want to play a great 1920x1080p version of the game, buy it on PS4; it runs great.”
“Buggy and bad campaign.”
“Buggy mess that crashes to desktop every half hour.”
“The game is buggy, the port is terrible, and there is nobody to play with.”
- replayability30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players enjoy the variety of suit functions and customization options that enhance gameplay, many criticize the single-player campaign for its linearity and lack of replay value. Multiplayer modes suffer from a dwindling player base, limiting options and further diminishing replayability. Despite these drawbacks, cooperative play and certain game modes can still provide enjoyable experiences for those willing to explore them.
“It may take a little practice to learn the suit functions, but it's worth it as this gives you many different ways of overcoming obstacles, something which boosts the replayability despite the linear mission parameters.”
“Very much enjoyable, very much replayable, so much fun.”
“The reasons why I love this game is the fact that Sledgehammer has listened to the community and what it has been asking for, examples are a fully fleshed out campaign with replayability.”
“And the campaign has no replay value.”
“Multiplayer is dead now and there isn't much replay value in the campaign.”
“The single-player campaign is only seven hours long and does not have much replay value unless you are a die-hard Kevin Spacey fan.”
- music28 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance tension and fit the game's tone, while others criticize its integration and volume levels, which can drown out important sound effects and dialogue. Many players feel that the soundtrack is underutilized, leading to long stretches of gameplay without background music, and express disappointment over the lack of user control over audio settings. Overall, while the sound design has its moments, it often detracts from the immersive experience.
“The sound effects were crisp and impactful, and the music effectively heightened the tension and excitement of the gameplay.”
“The music is also perfectly suited to the game's tone, adding to the overall immersive experience.”
“Its soundtrack is also nice, which includes that sci-fi and zombie-like feeling (I'm talking about the Exo Zombies soundtrack).”
“The game's cutscenes and music make it worse.”
“Too often, there are huge segments of the game without any background music.”
“Half of the cutscenes were perfect, others would have the characters' mouths moving but you'd only hear the background piano music and maybe a faint whisper of dialogue.”
- humor27 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny due to absurd gameplay mechanics and quirky cutscenes, while others criticize it as unintentional comedy stemming from technical issues and poor design choices. Many reviews highlight moments of hilarity, such as the ridiculousness of certain character interactions and the game's inconsistent mechanics, but there are also strong sentiments that the humor falls flat or is overshadowed by frustration. Overall, the game's comedic elements seem to resonate differently among players, with some enjoying the humor and others deeming it a "joke" in a negative sense.
“Some cutscenes are hilarious or terrifying depending on how you view that man.”
“Kevin Spacey is the villain (fitting), and what's funny is he breaks your robot arm, and at the end, asks you to pull him up from a ledge... while holding your now useless robot arm.”
“This game is fucking hilarious and you should play it.”
“Surely it requires skill to give someone a headshot in milliseconds around the corner, but it is just not funny if you are the guy who receives this headshot.”
“The jokes feel forced and often fall flat, making the humor more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés that just didn't land.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding in the game are mixed, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating, often feeling that the effort required outweighs the rewards. Some express that the grind can feel pointless, especially when top-tier gear is easily accessible, while others appreciate the competitive aspect and find enjoyment in the challenge. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant detractor for many, leading to a sense of monotony and dissatisfaction.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I apparently played for 11 hours, at least 2 of those were the game paused and played on hardened difficulty; the only thing hard about it was actually forcing yourself to play another tedious mission.”
“I would rather just watch a cinematic unfold than do tedious button mashing that's supposed to immerse myself into something I really have no meaningful interaction with in reality.”
“The gameplay is tedious and boring.”
- monetization19 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 58 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy in "Call of Duty" has drawn significant criticism for its reliance on misleading advertising and aggressive microtransactions, which many players feel detract from the overall gameplay experience. Users express frustration over the high costs associated with in-game purchases and the lack of value in season passes, leading to a perception of the game as a "money-grabber." While some appreciate certain personalization options, the overwhelming sentiment is that the monetization model undermines the game's integrity and enjoyment.
“If you buy a season pass, just like in other games, the additional microtransactions aren't included, which left me incredulous.”
“Broken at launch, microtransactions killed the game; later updates fixed the game.”
“The game was also a money-grabber that would have you spend hundreds of dollars on microtransactions rather than actually playing the game to get better gear.”
“But don't wander like a blind fly into their twisted web of deception; in doing so, you'd only fall short as a victim of modern-day internet microtransactions.”
“If you buy a season pass, just like in BOII, the additional microtransactions aren't included, which left me incredulous, so I don't like that.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it has the potential for a compelling narrative centered on a surrogate son amidst war and corporate power, the focus on side characters detracts from building a strong emotional connection. Players report feeling a range of emotions, from sadness during cutscenes to excitement from gameplay mechanics, but overall, the emotional depth is undermined by technical issues and a lack of narrative focus.
“Between the potentially emotional bond of a surrogate son and the backdrop of war, government inefficiency, and rising corporate power; the game had the potential to tell a pretty great tale.”
“This game does get me emotional but not in a mad, screaming at people kind of way, but a sad way.”
“It's both graphically and emotionally enticing.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning visual fidelity and immersive futuristic world, setting a new standard in the FPS genre. While some players appreciate the detailed graphics and engaging atmosphere, others feel that the latest installment lacks the immersive qualities of previous titles, with concerns about the impact of lag compensation on the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a mixed bag, with strong visuals but varying opinions on its effectiveness.
“Visually, the game sets a new standard for visual fidelity in the FPS genre, showcasing stunning graphics that immerse players in a futuristic world brimming with detail and atmosphere.”
“I only played this game for the campaign, I gotta say throughout all the future phases of Call of Duty, this one in particular is more visually pleasing with the graphics and atmosphere.”
“Amazing game atmosphere and the best FPS game mechanics I have seen before.”
“I liked the previous games in the series, but there is no atmosphere in the new game.”
“Lag compensation system creates a cheater-like atmosphere.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as strong, with an engaging story plot that captivates players. However, some reviewers note that certain character arcs feel predictable and lack depth, with minimal growth beyond initial conflicts. Overall, while the visuals enhance the experience, the character development may not fully meet the expectations set by the narrative.
“Good character development and an amazing story plot.”
“Strong character development and stunning visuals allow the player to control a game on par with a summer action blockbuster – in theory.”
“There’s one turn you see coming from a mile away, and no other character development really happens except for two characters mildly disagreeing with each other at the beginning of a mission and then liking each other at the end.”
“The characters feel flat and their arcs are predictable, making it hard to invest in their journeys.”
“I expected more depth, but the character development is minimal and lacks any real impact on the story.”