Sledgehammer Games’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has finally received its first trailer, and boy does it… actually really not scream Call of Duty. The game was formed by Dead Space developers Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, and it shows that they look are adding some new tricks to the battlefield. Instead of lots of run and gun gameplay, we see exo suits, drones, and a fair amount of people platforming around while Kevin Spacey rants about US intervention in the third world.
Additional new toys players will try out include gloves that let you climb walls like Spider-Man, hoverbikes, and most intriguingly from a gameplay perspective, deployable cover. Most of the shoot outs we see either involve shooting from behind cover or utilizing your EXO suit. It was previously hinted that Activision had developers toying with a third person Call of Duty game, and perhaps we’ll be seeing some elements from that game be implemented in first person.
Another intriguing deviation from the norm is how unheroic the United States is painted in this trailer. The country seems to be almost running on an economy of war, Metal Gear Solid 4 style, and it Kevin Spacey will be playing the head of the Atlas (logo can be seen on one of the soldiers) corporation. For once, we may be playing exclusively as a PMC instead of an official US or British soldier.
One thing comes to mind though about the third person inspired elements, the gear, the futuristic vehicles, and the gritty “America might not be the good guy this time” undertone — this all is strikingly reminiscent of Killzone.
One thing comes to mind though about the third person inspired elements, the gear, the futuristic vehicles, and the gritty “America might not be the good guy this time” undertone — this all is strikingly reminiscent of Killzone. While there are still some notable differences in the trailer and the game will still feature the same sort of gunplay, the comparison is undeniable. Kevin Spacey even brings to mind Malcolm McDowell’s performance as Chairman Stahl from Killzone 3:
Whether this is an accidental similarity or Sledgehammer is taking notes from Guerrilla Games is unclear at this point, but it wouldn’t hurt for the Call of Duty developer to make its game stand out from the Treyarch and Infinity Ward titles. Hopefully Sledgehammer has plenty more surprises up its sleeve though, several of which we’ll be hearing out as the months towards release press onward.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set to release November 4, 2014. Platforms other than Xbox One have not been confirmed, although it is safe to assume that PS4, PC and possibly Wii-U will also see a release. No word on last-gen consoles PS3 or Xbox 360.
