As I watch the recent trailers released for the next iteration in the Call of Duty franchise, Advanced Warfare, I can only think, “Is this going to be the same old?” This game has become a polarizing topic within the gaming world. There are of course the die hard fans and dare I say the “F word”, Fanboys. Yet at the same time, when standing in line for a midnight release I frequently hear “I am so tired of Call of Duty, its the same thing every time.”
Being a fan of the shooter genre as a whole, and not just to certain franchises, I try to keep an open mind, but over the past few years I have begun to feel the same way. This seems to be the same pattern that Activision games have taken in the past, and that is to milk every last drop until the cow falls over dead. Take Tony Hawk for example, or Guitar Hero, they became self cannibalizing machines pumping out iteration after iteration until we became sick of them. Every game should provide enough new content to justify it’s existence, not just a small list of added features and tweaks here and there, or a new visual skin.
Respawn Entertainment’s flagship title Titanfall hit consoles and PC’s earlier this year, to much applause and some murmurs. Many people equated it to the COD series, calling it “Call of Duty with robots”. Yet as I see the exo-suit clad soldiers of Advanced Warfare performing parkour-esque feats, and jump-jetting across the map, I can only think “Titanfall”. Other features such as cloaking, and being able to see through walls are nothing new to games, but after Titanfall I feel as if Activision is not done robbing their ex-partners from Infinity Ward. I’ve created a quickly cut together video to prove my point:
Whatever side of the fence you find yourself on, one thing rings true, competition is good for gamers. We can see who does what best, and through this evolution perhaps the next iterations of these titles will be improved. But perhaps players should be demanding more for our money. In a gaming world where we are constantly asked to fork over money for DLC, Pre-order bonuses, and other sales tools, shouldn’t we be this discerning of all titles? Why do these sequels need to exist? What is new? What isn’t? What has stuck, and why?