Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- November 2, 2014
- Raven Software
- 9h median play time
Get on SteamThe 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.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- story2,138 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 themes of corporate power and military ethics, with a notable performance by Kevin Spacey as the antagonist. While many players appreciate the cinematic quality and action-packed missions, they also criticize the linearity and lack of character depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall impact. Technical issues, such as crashes and unskippable cutscenes, further detract from the experience, making it a hit-or-miss for those focused on the narrative.
“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 story is pretty generic.”
- gameplay1,472 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, making the experience feel fast-paced and dynamic. However, some players criticize the game for technical issues, such as lag and bugs, which detract from the overall enjoyment, particularly in multiplayer modes. While the campaign offers engaging moments and a visually impressive presentation, the multiplayer experience is often marred by balance issues and a lack of dedicated servers, leading to a chaotic and sometimes frustrating gameplay environment.
“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 I personally like the new technology they've incorporated into the game, they just shat the bed when actually making the damn thing run.”
“Not only is the gameplay not great but it runs like garbage too.”
“The only things I remember are the annoying parts that weren't difficult due to lack of skill, but game mechanics.”
“Unless you're looking for a game you can 100% under 20 hours, skip this trash; the cinematic/load screens can't be skipped, the story makes no sense, and the gameplay is so boring I spent more time in the pause screen than the actual game.”
- graphics1,298 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" are widely praised for their stunning realism and detail, showcasing a significant improvement over previous titles in the franchise. Many players note that the visuals have aged well, remaining impressive even a decade after release, although some report performance issues and optimization challenges on various hardware setups. Overall, the game sets a high standard for visual fidelity in the FPS genre, despite occasional graphical glitches and the need for powerful hardware to fully experience its capabilities.
“Engine optimization is fantastic despite mind-blowing graphics even for a decade later.”
“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.”
“Tired lowering graphics to absolute minimum, still frame rate drops at the exact same spots regardless of settings.”
“So this game was good back in the day when it was optimized for legacy systems, but now on modern systems there are all kinds of lag spikes and strange loading pauses... also, I have a modern (2021) mid-tier gaming rig which should run this at very high frame rates with max graphics on 1440p, well, it doesn't... on max I barely get 30 fps with huge frame time spikes... meh.”
“The constant crashing, the lag that stayed no matter what you set your graphics to... this game has been ruined by this port... disappointed...”
- optimization726 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 inconsistent 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 capabilities, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, making it difficult to recommend for PC gamers.
“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.”
“What I like about this game is that it is really, really well optimized.”
“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 runs like crap even with the 4090, where the settings cause constant stutters and bad optimizations.”
“This game is complete garbage from the terrible optimization and poor services.”
- stability230 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues across both single-player and multiplayer modes. Many users experienced frequent freezes, significant frame rate drops, and unresponsive mechanics, rendering the game nearly unplayable at times. While some patches have improved the situation, the overall consensus is that the game remains a "buggy mess" that detracts from the overall experience.
“The campaign is really good, has decent graphics, and is mostly bug-free.”
“Single player runs great, providing a smooth experience overall.”
“If you really want to play a great 1920x1080p version of the game, buy it on PS4, which I also have, and it runs great.”
“Buggy mess unplayable on modern systems.”
“When this game came out, it was a buggy piece of shit, and not worth half the amount I paid for it.”
“This game is full, and I mean full of bugs, glitches, errors, and problems.”
- replayability60 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find enjoyment in the various ways to tackle obstacles and appreciate the multiplayer modes, many criticize the single-player campaign for its linearity and lack of replay value. The multiplayer experience is hampered by a dwindling player base, limiting available game modes, and the campaign's unskippable cutscenes detract from replayability. Players suggest that the game is worth playing, particularly in co-op, but recommend waiting for a sale due to its limited content.
“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.”
“Replayability is the key to wanting to keep your games.”
“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.”
- music56 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 7 % 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 dialogue and sound effects. Many players feel that the soundtrack is underutilized, leading to long stretches of gameplay without background music, and express disappointment over the lack of options to adjust or mute the music. Overall, while the sound design has its strengths, 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.”
“Singleplayer campaign was worse than what I've seen before with COD, took about 6 hours to complete, also cinematic scenes bugged and I could not hear any conversations, only music was playing loud so I missed out on some reasoning in this boring plot.”
- humor54 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny due to its absurdities, such as the ridiculous mechanics and cutscenes, while others criticize it as unintentional comedy stemming from poor design and glitches. Many reviews highlight moments of hilarity, particularly in single-player scenarios and multiplayer mishaps, but there are also strong sentiments that the game fails to deliver a cohesive or enjoyable experience, leading to frustration rather than laughter. Overall, the humor seems to stem from both intentional comedic elements and the game's numerous flaws.
“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 hilarious and you should play it.”
“The one where you hop from car to car was actually kinda funny because I would try to jump on top of one just to mess with the game.”
“Surely it requires skill to give someone a headshot in milliseconds around the corner, but it is just not funny if you are that guy who receives this headshot.”
- grinding38 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating, often feeling that the effort required to unlock items is not worth the reward. Some players express that the game discourages grinding due to the early availability of powerful weapons, while others appreciate the competitive nature of gear-grinding. Overall, the experience is marred by repetitive tasks and a lack of meaningful engagement, leading to a sense of boredom for many.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“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.”
- monetization38 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 58 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy in "Call of Duty" has been criticized for its reliance on misleading advertising and excessive microtransactions, which many players feel detracts from the overall gameplay experience. Users report spending significant amounts on in-game purchases, often feeling that the game prioritizes profit over player enjoyment, with additional content not included in season passes. Overall, the monetization approach has left players frustrated and wary of future purchases.
“Liked some personalizations (in-game purchases).”
“If you buy a season pass, just like in other games, the additional microtransactions aren't included, which left me incredulous, so I don't like that.”
“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.”
“Broken at launch, microtransactions killed the game; later updates fixed the game.”
- emotional22 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 around themes of war and personal connection, the focus on side characters detracts from building a strong emotional bond. 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 narrative choices.
“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.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % 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. However, some players feel that it lacks the atmospheric depth found in previous titles, with criticisms aimed at the lag compensation system creating a negative experience. Overall, while many appreciate the graphics and mechanics, opinions on the overall atmosphere are mixed.
“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, and 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.”
“Atmosphere - okay”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its strength and integration with the story, creating an engaging narrative experience. However, some players note that certain character arcs feel predictable and lack depth, with minimal growth beyond initial conflicts. Overall, while the potential for rich character development is acknowledged, execution varies, leading to mixed impressions.
“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 two characters mildly disagreeing with each other in the beginning of a mission and then liking each other at the end.”
