Call of Duty: Vanguard review: Innovating in the wrong direction
I fell back in love with Call of Duty two years ago when the series’ Modern Warfare storyline was rebooted. The game featured a lot of the good parts from the classic Call of Duty experience, all while adding in some fun new bits. Tactical sprint was a joy, new options for equipment varied gameplay, and new weapons (including a lever-action rifle that I devoted way too much time to getting good with) were a joy to use. Call of Duty: Vanguard seemed to emulate a lot of that leading up to its release, using the same engine as Modern Warfare and mimicking the game’s more realistic feel. However, Vanguard is all show and very little substance. It flexes some features, claiming that they’re new when really only one of them is. Outside of multiplayer, Vanguard‘s campaign and zombies modes both try to reinvent their classic interpretations, although both manage to fail in those attempts. Having spent around 15 hours with the game so far, I feel content to set my controller down and walk away ...
Guns feel wonderful; Classic, fast-paced multiplayer; Destructible environments add depth;
Forgettable campaign; New Zombies formula isn't as fun; Unbalanced weapons in multiplayer; A haven for cheaters;