Will Treyarch be able to maintain the popularity of the FPS series?
I enjoy playing Call of Duty - my love for the series bloomed with Modern Warfare 2, and has been kept alive all the way through Ghosts. However, the most recent title, Advanced Warfare, didn’t quite have that same fun factor for me that other titles in the popular FPS series seemed to have. And with the next title due out later this year, I can’t help but be nervous.
I love playing Call of Duty because of the action and team-based gameplay. Playing a game of Team Deathmatch, Domination or Demolition with friends and strangers, supporting others while they went for kill streaks, earning the beloved AC-130…that’s what I found most enjoyable. I loved competitive games where the score was close until the end. After loving Modern Warfare 2, I played each succeeding title in the series up through Ghosts, and even went back to Call of Duty 4. I can say that I enjoy something in each of those titles, whether it be the simplicity of the gameplay, the kill streaks, or just the way the game felt and played.
Advanced Warfare didn’t bring that same joy that previous titles seemed to bring me. When I played it, it was very fast paced and jumpy. The main problem I had with Advanced Warfare revolved mostly around the exo-skeleton mech suits that each player used to move around in the game. The addition of the exo-suits made the game feel like Titanfall, which wasn’t too fun for me either - a lot of the movement and action took away some of the fun and enjoyment in gunfights that I experienced in previous Call of Duty titles. The game just didn’t feel as engaging - even the guns seemed to sound the same.
After Treyarch introduced Black Ops III, I felt a pang of excitement, just as I had when Advanced Warfare was first revealed. However, I’m nervous about the upcoming game and how it will play and feel for me. I love playing Call of Duty, and will probably still be anticipating the release of Black Ops III. The popularity of Call of Duty as a series has been declining over the last few years, and Advanced Warfare has been the least popular title in the series (with Ghosts as a close second). I guess at this point, I’m most nervous about the Call of Duty series losing its charm. But what comes up must come down at some point, right?
Here is the new trailer for the upcoming Black Ops III release: