Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (E3 2014 First Impressions)

Activision has announced the company will be teaming up with developer Sledgehammer Games for the first time in franchise history to bring gamers Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare this November. The game was on display for attendees at E3 2014 in Los Angeles this year, and we had a chance to see the game live and in person. The first thing that stood out during the presentation was the vastly improved character models, lighting and other graphical features that easily makes Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare the best looking release the series has seen. The addition of new weapons and a fresh new take on the single player campaign for the Call of Duty franchise means fans are in for a treat this Fall.



The team behind the game was showing off two work in progress levels from the single player campaign to be featured in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The first stage was named "Collapse" and took players to a futuristic setting at the Golden Gate Bridge. The level began with players chasing after an enemy using a heavily armed vehicle before switching to action on foot. The level's protagonist then sets off to take down plenty of enemies that pop up out of nowhere in traditional Call of Duty single player style. It's not too long before a collection of drones is called out by the enemy and used to destroy the bridge and leave the good guys fighting to survive amidst the rubble. All in all, the level seemed really cool even if it didn't introduce any big new ideas to the series.

The second level left out many of the explosions and intense gun fights and forced the player to carefully sneak through a forest without alerting enemies of their presence. The stealth stages have obviously been a big part of Call of Duty single player campaigns for a long time, but the futuristic setting of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare changes that by equipping the player with a cloaking device that makes them completely invisible to enemy forces. The catch is that players must be aware of scanners in the area that will bypass the cloaking device and make players visible to the enemy. It's a neat concept that is sure to help make the level one of the most interesting to play the first time through the game's main storyline.



Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is definitely a great looking game for the franchise with explosions and smoke rolling across the destruction in the first level contrasted nicely by the moonlit trees and fog seen in the second. Plenty of new weapons have been added to the player's arsenal in the game including a laser guided grenade that homes in on enemies, an IR grenade that highlights enemies in the area and behind walls, and a Mute Bomb capable of removing all sounds that is not within a specific area, which is perfect in the second, stealth stage. It's unclear how all of the new weapons and equipment will be balanced across the game's multiplayer, but Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare should offer up enough changes and a fun enough storyline to keep fans coming back for more this November.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is now available for preorder from most major retailers for the MSRP of $59.99 and is scheduled to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC on November 4, 2014. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is not yet rated. For more information on the game, check out the official Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare website.Stay tuned for more updates regarding Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as we get more hands-on time with the game in the near future.

Game Features:

• Online Multiplayer 1-16
• Developed by Sledegehammer Games
• Futuristic Setting and Weapons
• DLC Support
• Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One (first impressions), Xbox 360 & PC
Release Date: November 4, 2014