Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare moved the series into a near future where private military corporations take over the role of classic armies, and the player, as soldier Jack Mitchell, finds himself in the middle of a conflict with the powerful Atlas Corporation. The campaign's main star was actor Kevin Spacey in a prominent role as the corporation's boss, which gave the game an unusually strong acting component and a greater emphasis on cinematic storytelling and character drama than most previous entries in the series. The story explores questions about what influence private capital can have on the conduct of wars, and repeatedly confronts the player with difficult moral decisions.

The key new feature was the exoskeleton, which gave the player double jumps, quick sideways dodges, and faster movement across the battlefield, noticeably changing both the pace and the vertical dimension of combat compared to its more grounded predecessors. This element also influenced the design of the multiplayer maps, which now accounted for multi-level movement, jumps between rooftops, and new tactical options for both attack and defense. Sledgehammer Games sought to bring a fresh visual style with thoroughly detailed future technology, from combat drones to advanced weapons and equipment, which set the game apart from the series' previous, more contemporary-set entries.

On PC, the game used a new graphics engine and offered significantly improved visuals and more detailed character models compared to earlier titles, although optimization at launch wasn't entirely flawless and required subsequent fixes. Reception at the time was mixed to positive; players appreciated the new movement and cinematic production, but part of the fanbase missed a return to more grounded, realistic action. Advanced Warfare kicked off the exoskeleton and higher-tempo trend that the series then followed in several later entries before returning to a more grounded style of combat a few years later. For many players, it therefore remains a symbol of the period when Call of Duty tried to find a new direction and distinguish itself from ever-similar military shooters.

Why play: For players who want to experience the moment when Call of Duty experimented with exoskeletons and a faster combat pace, even at the cost of not-quite-polished optimization at launch.