It’s finally official: Hollywood star Kevin Spacey is swapping his career as a secret celebrity PlayStation Vita marketer for life as a video game villain. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s debut trailer deployed earlier this week, after intel unintentionally leaked ahead of publisher Activision’s planned coming out party. A two-minute trailer – bursting with more fireballs than a Michael Bay movie – confirmed the abovementioned actor’s involvement, while also setting the overarching tone for the sequel that is in production at Sledgehammer Games. With the full reveal still forthcoming, details are admittedly light on the ground – but we’ve spent some time on the frontline in order to bring you this overview of things that you need to know about the fast approaching first-person shooter.
It’s being made for the PlayStation 4 first and foremost
As was the case with last year’s disappointing doggy-focused affair, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will release on both the PlayStation 4 and the ageing PlayStation 3. However, the publisher promises that this cross-generation compatibility will not negatively impede the next-gen version of the game, as it’s being built with Sony’s latest system in mind. This means that developer Sledgehammer Games – Dead Space director Glen Schofield’s new studio – has been given the freedom to push the format to its limits, and this is evidenced by the escapade’s first trailer, which shows a real step forward for the franchise in the visuals department.
Moreover, this is the first entry in the series to be developed over a span of three years. Previously, production was shared between Infinity Ward and Treyarch, with each team spending about two years on their respective projects. However, the last title that Sledgehammer Games had an input on was 2011’s middling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, meaning that the company has had time to put its own stamp on the property’s blueprints. This is particularly important because the series has started to feel a little stale of late, but with the additional development time – and new format focus – this year’s entry is likely to be the most ambitious in a while.
Its future focus will unlock new gameplay possibilities
There’s an irony to Call of Duty: Advance Warfare’s future focus. Around the time of the legal hullabaloo involving series creators Jason West and Vince Zampella, rumours suggested that the duo wanted to make some form of sci-fi instalment set further forward than the Modern Warfare timeline. The duo eventually exited developer Infinity Ward and set up shop at Respawn Entertainment, ultimately creating the Titanfall property – a franchise seemingly aligned with the ideas that Activision executives had originally frowned upon. Now, perhaps sensing a malaise surrounding recent releases, Sledgehammer Games has been given the opportunity to explore the time period that originally led to the departure of the franchise’s founders.
Consequentially, there are some similarities to EA’s semi-Xbox One exclusive to be spotted in the sequel’s first trailer. Spliced between footage of Kevin Spacey’s rousing monologue, the video shows rocket boots, infrared grenades, hover bikes, spider tanks, magnetic climbing gloves, advanced armour types, and even mech suits like the ones found in Respawn Entertainment’s shooter. It’s unclear which of these toys will be available in multiplayer, but Activision has promised that the new setting will unlock fresh gameplay innovations, both online and offline. It’s safe to assume, then, that there’ll be a greater sense of verticality in this new instalment, with all-new layers such as unique ammunition types bringing a different wrinkle to the series’ familiar formula.
It could have a story that you actually care about
While there has been no shortage of big-name Call of Duty celebrity cameos over the years – Gary Oldman! Sam Worthington! Ed Harris! Michael Keaton! – Sledgehammer Games has opted to follow in the footsteps of Quantic Dream with Kevin Spacey’s character Jonathan Irons. As with Ellen Page from PlayStation 3 exclusive Beyond: Two Souls, the House of Cards star has been scanned and recreated in the game, meaning that it’s not just his voice that you’ll encounter, but also his likeness and full performance. This should bring a new layer to the storytelling, and the studio’s promising a narrative that will hopefully divert from the incomprehensible bombast of the brand’s post-Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare plotlines.
In a tip of the hat to Metal Gear Solid, the story will focus on Private Military Corporations, which already represent a substantial sum of the globe’s outsourced defence expenditure. Spacey will play the founder and president of a fictional faction named the Atlas Corporation, making him one of the most powerful men on the planet. And judging by his speech in the title’s first trailer, he doesn’t appear to agree with the ideals of a democracy, stressing that people want boundaries and rules set by a strong leader. We’re going to assume that you’ll start out as a grunt working for the sinister suit, before having an epiphany and fighting against the army that you once represented. Alright, it’s not exactly original, but the acting already appears to be top-notch, so we’re onboard.
Are you looking forward to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s evolved combat, or do you subscribe to the mindset that war never changes? Are you excited by the business-based plot, or would you like the series to return to more recognisable conflicts? Sound your submachine gun in the comments section below.
Are you looking forward to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare? (65 votes)
- Yes, the trailer has got me really hyped
- Hmm, I need to see more
- No, I’m pretty bored of the franchise
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Comments 33
Maybe this new CoD will actually have a thought-provoking plot in contrast to everything else since World at War. I could care less about multiplayer at this point.
@kensredemption Yeah, it's gone off the rails a little bit in recent years, hasn't it? I really liked the first Modern Warfare — sadly never played World at War — but I thought the ones after that fell apart a bit. Black Ops had interesting ideas, but was a bit all over the place, too.
I have no time for this franchise anymore. The single player has been a nonsense for a long time and to be totally honest, the only time I have ever been messaged with insults whilst playing an online game has been cod multiplayer! Looking for a reaction no doubt, my reaction was I don't need to play cod anymore.
While I find the use of the word 'upstart' a little confusing when describing Sledgehammer - this certainly looks interesting, at least a lot more interesting than Ghosts.
Black Ops 2 was a blast, really nicely put together. Ghosts just felt like more hollow Modern Warfare.
It´s the same every year, we say we´r done with COD but we end up buying it anyway, that´s why COD is the most sold...
I need to see more. It sounds promising, but so did Black Ops and I couldn't get into that.
Poll speaks for itself.
Looks more promising than most, but I would need to know a lot more before getting hyped.
Idk if I'd go so far as to say I'm excited, but I'm definitely buying day one. Call of Duty is top notch FPS gameplay. I don't usually like FPS, but I always enjoy a good CoD campaign over the holiday season. Games like Killzone... never been a fan. I tried- got the one on PS4 and Vita (Mercenary being the better of the two imo), but I just can't get into them. They're just not that fun. I mean, there's moderate enjoyment to be had, but they don't hook me like CoD does. So Idk, to each their own but as for me, I'm buying this game no doubt about it.
I have not got into a COD multiplayer since MW2 but if they put some of the tech from the trailer into the MP it could be more enjoyable. SIngleplayer in COD is still at a quality higher than most AAA FPS if you like the videogame version of popcorn action movies.
Other than the graphics and weapons, I doubt there will be any positive evolution in this game.
I am excited. And I haven't been interested in a CoD since I finished MW2. This, as I wrote in another comment, looks interesting, mostly because I love Kevin Spacey and I love Crysis.
@get2sammyb I know you're going to say "We're a PlayStation-centric site!" again, but honestly: "PS4's Evolved FPS Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" and "It’s being made for the PlayStation 4 first and foremost"?
It is not "PS4s FPS", but, if any, it's PS4, Xbox One and PC and also PS3/Xbox 360. Thus it's not made foremost for PS4, but for PC and next gen systems.
I know this may seem nit-picky, but if even the Official Xbox magazine manages to mention if a game also comes to PlayStation, I think so can PushSquare. Not mentioning other systems and use words to imply that it's PlayStation foremost/only smells of either stubbornness and/or bad journalism, in my opinion.
You know I love the site, but with this, Pushsquare is somehow diminishing itself, I think.
Just my two cents, though...
@get2sammyb Indeed. I'm pretty sure the relentless annual rotation between Infinity Ward and Treyarch had something to do with it. That, plus the time it would would take porting the various titles between the PS36Wii would put a time crunch on the writers...or, at least I'd assume so.
Just based on the trailer, this is like...the coolest looking game I've ever seen.
Show me gameplay and a good, balanced multiplayer experience and I might be interested.
I enjoyed Ghosts purely on the basis that they changed so many of the failures in multiplayer, the killstreak system was more balanced.
If they can add actual teamwork and proper vehicle based combat akin to Battlefield I'd certainly consider.
@ririgarcia Speak for yourself only. My last CoD was "World at War" and also, for now, Im done with Battlefield, didn't bother with BF4 either.
@kupo No offence but then you should watch more trailers!
This could be my return to CoD. Who knows....
@KALofKRYPTON I've edited that out. I meant 'start-up', but that's not technically true either. My mistake.
@Reverend_Skeeve Thanks for the feedback. Not trying to mislead anyone, but it's always been our policy to talk about games from the perspective of the platform that we're covering. In this instance, "It's being made for PlayStation 4 first and foremost" is supposed to be imply that the PlayStation 3 is not taking priority. In that case, perhaps "It's being made for next-gen first and foremost" may have been clearer, so I'll take that on board.
However, we're never going to be the kind of site that lists out which platforms a multiformat game is coming to, because, personally, I don't think that's relevent information. I know a lot of other single format sites do that, but I've always felt like that's redundant when you're speaking to a specific audience. Will take the feedback on board, though.
@get2sammyb Well, a COD article is always going to inspire pedantry
If it was made for ps4 then why does xbox one get DLC first and ps4 doesn't get it for a month?
@Reverend_Skeeve well said.
@get2sammyb Thanks, man. I know that you know that CoD is coming to pretty much every system out there, and yes, @KALofKRYPTON it may seem pedantic, but in my opinion it's just more professional from a journalistic point of view to have the statements in a more general fashion.
It was just meant as a little, good-natured feedback and I'm glad you take it as that. In general, Pushsquare is one of the most professional websites on teh webz with very fair and differentiated reviews and articles, so this is why this whole business I mentioned above is all the more unfitting, as it's kind of colliding with the high quality I'm used from Pushsquares other articles and content.
Anyway, thanks for listening and keep up the good work!
@Trfe Thank you, kind sir!
They've always been good with marketing. Leaving the audience/gamers thinking they will be getting something new, but at the end of the day you wont be. I'll pass. It's coming out at a bad time anyway. Following 2 months after Destiny.
If they've finally made the multiplayer competitive like in Killzone (CoD likes to hold your hand a lot), then I just may be buying my first ever CoD this year.
I assume the story will center on the the premise that big private military companies don't thrive in peace time. They initiate instability and shocker they're needed.
Hope this latest installment can bring some much needed freshness to COD as it has been pretty dry since BLOPS1/MW2.
@Reverend_Skeeve Haha, not at all - I love the feedback!
The one thing I don't like about the CoD games is that even the grenades have aim assist on them. When throwing the grenade, the distance is controlled to whoever is the closest to the distance thrown and sometimes it drops sooner or later depending. I hope they take aim assist off of grenades, it's not needed. If they keep it on, I won't buy the game.
Regardless, I'll be picking this up as I do with all call of duties, Day one !. And any shooter to be honest. But as with most cods I put them down fairly quickly, and move onto other things like battlefield etc. that being said I'm liking the entire new approach being taken by the series, and this could well be the shot in the arm the series needed. The Cod experience has always been extremely fun but always short lived for me, on my birthday every year ( December ) I have a legendary LAN party at my house, which usually consists of about 10 ps3's plus 10 42-50" flat panels( I work as a custom Av installer so I can borrow the screens ) and we mainly play Cod get drunk and eat dominos .Last year we only had 5 Ps4's, which was disappointing but a few of my mates are very casual gamers and the system had only been out a week ! But fingers crossed well have a full house this time round and we'll be blasting away on this
Not really one to rush out and buy a CoD, I tend to pick them up dirt cheap when the next installment has released, this one does look interesting. I've grown VERY tired of all the 'oorah' stuff (Probably why I prefer Treyarch to IW as treyarch has less of it) so a near future setting seems a good place to take the series so it'll be different enough. Wouldn't mind a return to WW2 at some point though, World at War is still the best entry in the series for me.
the current multyiplaer is a bit naff and all over the place the new aliiens bit is very good one the four player and most work as a team should do so that is why i would stick with the game the four player mode is the best thing since slice bread i think keep that going (smile)
yes love it
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