With two former Naughty Dog developers joining Infinity Ward back in 2014, we may well see a shift for the series’ campaigns. Naughty Dog is well-known for its stellar storytelling, something Infinity Ward’s current Design Director, Jacob Minkoff, worked on for Uncharted: Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception.
Perhaps Infinite Warfare’s campaign, along with those of future Call of Duty games, will begin to become as equally a significant part of the games as the multiplayer. It’s certainly hinted at in recent news of non-linear quests and in the description for Infinite Warfare, with promises of “unforgettable characters,” “rich, immersive narrative,” and putting “storytelling front and center.” It’s this kind of fundamental change that will help Call of Duty to stay relevant with age.
With all evidence seeming to suggest that Call of Duty is in fact a healthy series with plans for innovation, it may just be a poor choice of setting on the part of Infinity Ward, a choice that has been amplified ten-fold by the reveal trailer for Battlefield 1 just a couple of days later. The trailer quickly became the most like video on YouTube. Showcasing a stunning WWI setting complete with classic firearms, swords, and valiant steeds, DICE’s offering was turning back time and giving fans of competitive shooters what they have been wanting for so long.
Though, comparatively speaking, the two games tend to differ in their mechanics and gameplay focus – Call of Duty about fast-paced trigger action and Battlefield a more tactical, ‘realistic’ experience – there’s something to be said about getting the premise of your game right. After all, there’s little to no doubts as to how well Infinite Warfare will play mechanically; nearly every fan knows it will be based on the quality controls and gameplay pioneered by Infinity Ward back in 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. You only have to take a look at the Metacritic scores for the series to see that the level of quality is consistently high. For a series to continue to receive such praise is proof of anything but a decline in the Call of Duty franchise.
Ultimately, Call of Duty won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. While the negative reception to Infinite Warfare should definitely be a lesson to Activision and Infinity Ward, it’s unlikely it will cripple the franchise extensively. With the new talent in Infinity Ward coming in to really pack a punch into the campaigns, it certainly seems like the studio is looking ahead to ensure it remains innovative. Whether or not Treyarch and Sledgehammer do the same, however, is yet to be seen. But when one studio gets something right, such as zombies, the others tend to follow suit. It’ll be interesting to see just how Infinite Warfare looks and feels when we inevitably see it later this year.
One thing is for sure though, after all of the negative reception of its reveal, all eyes will be on Infinite Warfare’s sales figures when it releases in November this year.
