Critical reception
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[65][66][67] Josh Harmon from Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 9/10. He praised the engaging combat mechanics, coherent story (which he described as "a welcome shift for Call of Duty"), new mobility options, as well as in-depth specialization and the multiplayer, which he described as "The deepest, most enjoyable and the most skill-based Call of Duty multiplayer to date". He also praised the futuristic gadgetry which he described as "a feature that breathes new life into the franchise". However, he criticized the single-mission level design for being similar to the previous installments, as well as a predictable, disappointing plot twist, unimpressive co-operative mode and clumsy vehicle-involved single-player mission.[68]
Brian Albert from IGN gave the game 9.1/10. He praised the iteration of the game set in the mid 21st century, calling it the biggest and most successful departure from what's expected in the Call of Duty series since the Modern Warfare trilogy brought the series into the 21st century. Albert gave praise to the campaign, singling out the performances of Troy Baker and Kevin Spacey in their roles as Mitchell and Jonathan Irons respectively, but criticized the campaign's hindrance of its characters' relationships and the exposition dialogue. He praised the creativity of the campaign levels, singling out certain missions that allow freedom to complete objectives. Albert gave praise to the Exo suit, while despite not having full use during the campaign, was a welcome addition for multiplayer which made it more intuitive and fun. He also mentions that the Exo suit allows him to have advantages in multiplayer that weren't possible in earlier Call of Duty titles, and mentioning that certain modes like Capture the Flag felt more intense than expected. He also praised the accelerated pace of rewards given to players who level up during multiplayer, citing supply drops of cosmetic items, new weapons and temporary perks like double experience points as examples. Albert also praised the Pick 13 System, an expansion of the Pick 10 System introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which allowed him more options and flexibility on which weapons, attachments, and score-streaks he wanted in his loadout. He also praised the addition of a firing range in the multiplayer lobby, which allowed him to test the strengths and weaknesses of his loadout.[73]
Daniel Tack from Game Informer gave the game a 9/10, praising the unprecedented amount of fast movement, extensive multiplayer weapon customization, excellent visuals, well-executed single-player, varied multiplayer modes and distinct and interesting single-player levels, but criticizing the predictable plot conclusion and non-impactful weapon upgrades. He summarized the game as "a own special surge forward while maintaining the gunplay that makes the series fantastic."[69]
PlayStation Lifestyle handed the game a 9/10 stating "Sledgehammer Games has given players a greater feeling of customization that goes beyond the cosmetic of an emblem and given way to random unlocks and a great number of modifications."[77]
Ludwig Kietzmann from Joystiq gave the game a 4/5. He praised the strong selection of dense, vertically challenging multiplayer maps, three-dimensional and liberating movement, coherent and fast-paced campaign, smart storytelling, exciting and dynamic gameplay, lifelike characters and movie-like presentation, but criticised the game for being a bit similar to the previous instalments as he stated that "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare just doesn't have the power to break through the expectations of the brand".[74]
Miguel Concepcion from GameSpot gave the game an 8/10, praising its content-rich multiplayer, futuristic combat system, entertaining Uplink mode (a new mode introduced in Advanced Warfare), but criticising the inconsistent narrative, which he stated that "has prevented the campaign from being fully engaging", as well as shallow difficulty curve, making the co-operative mode "tedious".[70]
The game garnered mixed reception from USgamer, awarding it with a 3.5/5 and stating "Advanced Warfare executes the formula competently while adding a handful of bells and whistles like mechs, laser cannons, and double jumps; but Sledgehammer Games seems reluctant to really cut loose and push the setting to its fullest potential, making Advanced Warfare a solid but ultimately unexciting entry in the series."[78]
Awards
Advanced Warfare won the award for "Best Graphics – Technology", in IGN's Best of 2014 awards.[86] At the 2014 NAVGTR Awards the game won two awards: Performance in a Drama, Lead (Kevin Spacey as Jonathan Irons) and Original Dramatic Score, Franchise, and received eight nominations: Writing in a Drama (Mark Boal), Use of Sound(Franchise), Graphics(Technical), Game(Franchise Action) (Glen Schofield, Michael Condrey), Direction in a Game Cinema, Character Design, Art Direction(Contemporary) and Animation, Technical.[87] It also won the award for "Outstanding Realtime Visuals in a videogame at the 2015 Visual Effects Society Awards.[88] It received multiple nominations from awards ceremonies such as The Game Awards 2014, the 11th British Academy Games Awards, the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and the 2015 Golden Joystick Awards.[89] It was nominated for the eSports Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2015.[90]
