Author: Bert Perez
By now the beta access for Call of Duty has ended and many gamers have had their first taste of the next big title to come out of the franchise. I have always been one to preorder any game with the words “Call of Duty” in it but after learning that I was to become a father soon, I hit the breaks on that this time around. Thankfully I was still able to take advantage of the game’s free to play access that was offered to those of us who didn’t preorder.
Managing to play a total of about six games, I got a small sampling of what the game had to offer. I opted for the default playlist trying to get the most out of the time I had available. From what I remember, the modes that I played in were team deathmatch and domination. Though a few of those matches did feature 10v10 team sizes, the action and speed is typical of any Call of Duty from previous installments. This is to be expected with the traditional game modes which is why there has been heavy emphasis on ground war, gunfight, and realistic mode.
As always, there is a learning curve with getting familiar with the levels and the load out equipment. The maps included in the beta felt fairly large during the first play through. The new ability to open and close doors allowing for different building configurations is a nice way to set up claymores or ambush points. There was also the added ability to mantle on top of objects that you would not immediately think are climbable. This adds an interesting element to multiplayer gameplay forcing you to not only check your corners but to check the elevated positions such as windows, shipping containers, and the roofs of small buildings.
In terms of graphics, I felt the best looking map on my Xbox One X and LG 4k monitor was Azhir Cave. During the day it featured the bright light shining on the desert and buildings which made it feel natural. The cave was dark as soon as you moved in until the character adjusted to the light making for a more strategic approach rather than running and gunning. As for the other maps though the quality was good but wasn’t too impressive. Although it can be argued that graphics may have been tampered down since for the multiplayer beta release, it still felt a bit short of what we see in the trailers for the game. After being burned by Anthem (topic for another time), I do not intend to fall under the same spell again.
All in all, this appeared to be the same fast-paced multiplayer action you might find in other installments but I am still eagerly awaiting its release. Plus we still have campaign to look forward too for which the trailer was released shortly after the close of beta testing. With the game officially coming out October 25th I hope that I will see a lot of you out there.