Wall runs, super jumps and laser rifles - not only the fan community but also the founding studio Infinity Ward realized that Call of Duty had developed into the wrong direction for a long time. The futuristic gameplay of Call of Duty: Ghosts and Infinite Warfare was too arbitrary and had little in common with the origins of the glorious first-person shooter series. Realism and authenticity made way for science fiction.
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward returns to the very roots from which the studio's best games emerged. The team around studio head Pat Kelly has meticulously refined its success formula and is now able to present one of the most realistic and perhaps the best multiplayer part of its franchise.
Every player has a lethal and a non-lethal throwable equipped as default.
Image: Activision
New features of the Modern Warfare multiplayer
The increased realism of Modern Warfare is due to a multitude of new features and details. You can now close doors, which prevents enemies from falling into your back as quickly. On the other hand, Modern Warfare allows players to open doors in different ways, including tactical options. You can quietly slide open a door to get a glimpse of a room or throw in a grenade as a surprise gift for your enemies. If you prefer a noisier alternative, you can attach C4 to a door and blow it open. Instead, you can always throw yourself against a door and sprint into the room. Running is also made faster with the so-called tactical sprint, where the weapon is no longer held in the hip area. Instead, the barrel of the gun points upwards as you speed across the map. But be careful, you won't be able to switch to your weapon's sights as quickly as before.
The Modern Warfare makers didn't tire of pointing out that their new gameplay features resulted from actual conversations with (ex-)Navy-Seal soldiers. Further new features, therefore, include leaning your weapon against door frames, or reloading your weapon while aiming down sights. Closed doors will make you feel safer, but be aware of wooden doors. The increased degree of realism is also reflected in the damaging effect of certain weapons. Whether a cover does its job is determined by physical laws, including the caliber and distance from a target.
Craft your perfect weapon
Weapons can be upgraded in any way and adapted to one's needs. Whether you want to have a laser attachment and a visor, or a different barrel or magazine - the Gunsmith workbench offers countless possibilities to craft your perfect weapon. If you like, you can even equip yourself with a sawed-off shotgun and a sniper sight. However, you will have to choose between a maximum of five additional attachments and parts for your weapon creations. The game mode and map layout also play a decisive role in the optimal weapon customization, as Modern Warfare offers higher variance as in other titles of the franchise.
The map selection ranges from small 2-on-2 battles in the new Gunfight mode, to large maps for all-out tactical warfare between two 20-man teams. In contrast to earlier times, the developers no longer attach great importance to the symmetry of cards. The environments, therefore, appear more organic, including maps in complete darkness, such as the Azhir Cave map, which is situated in the Arabian desert. All the players can use night vision equipment, which makes enemies and their lasers more visible than in daylight.
While impressions of Modern Warfare have been consistently positive so far, the return of Killstreaks is controversial. Scorestreaks instead of Killstreaks would, for example, also reward tactical players who contribute to the team's success, not only players with great goalscoring skills. Otherwise, there is no shortage of great rewards in Modern Warfare. Killstreaks include Wheelson, a remote-controlled vehicle with a powerful cannon, or Phosphorus bombs dropped by a jet. Only the best players are allowed to slip into the armored combat suit called the Juggernaut, as this reward requires 15 consecutive kills. Those who manage to do so can look forward to the ultimate fighting machine, which can even take down helicopters with its minigun.
If you want to show off your skills to other console players, the Call of Duty series offers cross-platform play [Crossplay] functionality for the first time. You will now be able to play with your friends, no matter the platform they are on. According to Pat Kelly, the game will not feature a Season Pass, providing all DLC content like new maps and weapons, free of charge. The game releases on the 25th October 2019, for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Lock and load!
