Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis ain't 2007. Thank god for that.
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019
Here is the deal, if you have been waiting for a return to form for the CoD series, one that takes you back to the good ol' days of 2007, well this is likely as good as you are going to get. That said, it isn't, nor could it be, the same game. It had to be different. In over a decade, a helluva a lot has happened to the industry and the genre. What is the same? Gun play, selection of modern weapons and variants that makes it feel more grounded. And, of course, some of the killstreaks.
What is different? Well, almost everything else. The way you play, the way you move, the way you can hide (camp--I often wonder if people that complained about camping got involved in real combat if they would scream across the battlefield at the poor bastard on the other side for hiding behind a car. Yeah, I know its a game but flank the guy if he is camping. Adjust and force him/her to move.), and the "weight" of your player makes movement more challenged but still fluid. For those that like to run and gun, you can still do so but, for a change, you are going to get punished for doing so all the time. You want to do better at the game? Slow. Down.
The leveling system, perks system, and prestige system have all undergone severe changes that in my opinion help bring this franchise from the ash heap of FPS back to the forefront. These decisions are sure to divide some that want essentially a CoD 4:MW reskin but to them, I say, you already have it. It is called MW:Remastered. Go play it, it is as close as you can get to the original.
So, forget your 360 degree bozo sniper shots or horribly unfair quick-scoping shots that turn sniper rifles into some sort of extended shotgun. Forget your ability to run through claymores and get a ridiculous knife or melee kill on your opposite, while, unsurprisingly, they throw their remote against the wall in rage. Forget your jackrabbit shooting or dolphin-diving. Forget your desire to be Neo and run on walls sideways. And forget being totally overwhelmed--though, as people get better at this new iteration that likely will change--by kill streaks that wreck your squad before you even get a chance to get going.
In many ways, this was the next step that CoD should have taken years upon years ago. Thankfully, it is here now as we close out one console cycle and begin within the next year a new one. My hope is that those behind the game stay the course and do not give into the pressure to change back to the ludicrous tendencies of the past.
Criticism: So, yeah, I like the game, but there are things that give me pause:
1. TTK is ridiculously fast. Don't get me wrong, I feel there are also times where you might survive an exchange. But more often than not, if you have them, they are dead. If they have you, you're dead.
2. Enemies blend into the muddy color scheme and environment of the game in a fashion that is both incredible and befuddling. In one sense, I like it. It is more realistic. But, for those that want more of an arcade-like experience, I get their concerns.
3. Draw distance and scope of the game, especially in Ground War, is quite large and it reminds me more of Battlefield than it does Call of Duty. And man, oh man, can people, including non-snipers, pick you off at questionable distances with all types of weapons.
4. I am not sure, right now, if much of a difference exists between SMGs and ARs. I have been running with a M4 and likely will do so until they tweak the meta. But, I have also been gunned down, at distance (see 3), by an SMG that should not have that great of accuracy in that situation.
