Developers Sledgehammer and publishers Activision released a new installation in the COD series in November 2021, Call Of Duty: Vanguard, and I have spent every waking day exploring the new world. As is characteristic of the COD games, we go back in time, and the gameplay is situated in old wars. Set in multiple theaters of World War 2, this first-person shooter game is compatible with Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Impressive Gameplay And Average Plot

The campaign takes place towards the end of the European theater of the Second World War. You get to play as various members of the Task Force called Vanguard, whose job is to uncover a secret Nazi project named Phoenix. Every character has a backstory, which gives you an understanding of their sometimes brutal history.

The story starts with a bang on the rail tracks where you raid a German train as Russian incursions close in. The raid immediately leads to an assault on a submarine dock where you learn about the Phoenix project. Shortly after this raid, the group is captured by the Nazis and left to rot in a gloomy Nazi prison. Most of the game involves flashbacks and cut scenes of each character during the war. I expected to see the team advance as a unit and do great things, but that never materializes. The only cool thing is that we get to fight through different conflicts in Europe across time.

In one of the game’s most graphic scenes, we fight as Sergeant Kingsley in Operation Tonga, where paratroopers land in France ahead of the D-day invasion. In another, we follow Polina Petrova, the Russian sniper, through the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the best gameplays of Vanguard. We participate in the Battle of Midway with American soldier Wade Johnson. We also battle through the Numa Numa Trail, the Battle of El Alamein, and Tobruk.

Multiplayer Mode Bests All Others Again

Multiplayer mode bests the main campaign in more ways than one. It introduces a new mode called Champion Hill, which replaces the Gunfight mode from Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War. The goal is to see how long you will survive in a squad-based deathmatch tournament. Eight squads are divided into twos or threes to battle one another through four dedicated maps, and the last team standing wins.

As you get down to the last three teams, things begin to heat up. You get a couple of lives to use before you are finally eliminated. The multiplayer mode is truly a lot of fun. It doesn’t necessarily elevate the COD formula we are familiar with, but it works. I liked that there were a lot of maps to choose from and different modes within them. However, it felt like the need to create more of such content affected the innovation required for world-building.

Zombie Mode Is Back

The collaborative zombie mode, developed by Treyarch, is back in this game. It is considered an expansion of the Dark Aether story. This mode combines classic zombie gameplay elements with new perks and the Pack-a-Punch machine. It also features the Altar of Covenants which allows you to collect buffs. Despite these new features, the zombie gameplay fails to live up to the classic zombie standard.

Great Weapon Selection

It would be disrespectful to play a game set in 1945 with modern weaponry, and COD: Vanguard avoids this mistake. The weapons and battleships are appropriate for the time and change from one city to another. I saw some car models that were unique to the Russian state at the time. However, the sound of weapon fire does not pack the punch it usually does, which is surprising.

Limited Freedom And Restricted Gameplay

I’m sure it was a huge task for Activision to create new stories from World War 2 for the sixth time without repeating themselves. Fortunately, they did a good job as we have multiple compelling characters, making the game more enjoyable. The game is also built on the technological leaps of Infinity Ward, which makes the moves and shoots smoother, better, and more enjoyable. Each character has special abilities meant to shine through combat, but it does not go beyond the rudimentary stages. For example, Wade’s unique ability was focus, allowing him to see enemies through the jungle and making silent take-downs easier.

One of the things I have treasured the most about the COD series is the freedom it affords you to explore the world as you take down enemies. It allows you to choose your path, but this is not the case in the Battle of Midway. You play as a pilot on a WW2 plane whose mission is to shoot down enemies and bomb warships. The mission is so restrictive that it drags you from one objective to the next and takes out the fun of exploring the skies. 

Cool Graphics And Incredible Cinematic Score

As expected, the graphic rendering of the game is of high quality, almost realistic. The cut scenes feel like actual movie cuts. The world is built with detailed environments and stunning visual effects, and you can see the gory nature of war.

A very good score accompanies COD: Vanguard. Composed by Bear McCreary, every note hits home in the cut scenes and releases emotions. The voice-over acting is one of the best in the series history, where the villains sound menacing and the characters sound compelling.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Vanguard, the 18th installment to the Call of Duty series, is a great addition to the long list of games in the series. But despite these great features, Vanguard fails to meet my expectations. I feel it settled for safety and submitted to basic expectations. It seemed the criticism of the most recent installments got to the developers that they reverted to the familiar with little innovation.