Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare review round-up

If you’ve noticed that the buzz surrounding Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is somewhat less than previous entries then you’re not alone. Perhaps Activision has finally realised that people will go out and buy in droves regardless of heavy advertising campaigns?

Reviews would suggest this year’s iteration is worthy of the minimal buzz it has gained, with many critics claiming that it’s the best the franchise has been in years.

At the time of typing the PS4 version sits with an 82% Metacritic while the Xbox One version has the slightly higher score of 85%. That current Xbox One Metacritic is currently formed of 21 reviews as opposed to the PS4’s 15, however.

The lowest score so far is a 7/10 from US Gamer, who report that “Sledgehammer Games seems reluctant to really cut loose and push the setting to its fullest potential”. A 7/10 is nothing to be sniffed at, of course. The highest score on the other hand is 93% from Power Unlimited.

Here’s what else is being said:

9.0 – GameInformer: “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s single-player campaign is a ridiculous summer movie romp with sobering visions of the future of weaponry. Bring popcorn, because the real fun begins with the multiplayer, where the wealth of customization options should have players coming back for game after game”

9.0 – EGM: “At the very least, Advanced Warfare offers reassurance that there’s still something of value left to be found in the franchise. For the first time in years, I can envision a future where Call of Duty won’t just be a fun and polished adrenaline-pumping shooter, but an experience that balances its gameplay bombast with worthwhile storytelling and thematic depth”

9.0 – Polygon: “For whatever minor missteps Advanced Warfare makes with its story, it more than compensates with vision and remarkable execution”

9/10 – God is a Geek: “With the addition of a new dimension and brand new weapon types, Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer feels great. It’s fast paced, it’s smooth, and it feels rather well balanced. Add to that a genuinely compelling single player, and Advanced Warfare does enough to reignite anyone’s interest in the series”

86% – GamesBeat: “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is worth your time. It delivers with its story, great acting, dialogue, the realistic facial animations, cool weapons of the future, and the welcome change in pacing from combat missions to stealth missions”

8/10 – GameSpot: “The huge change in player mobility is less of a paradigm shift and more of an overdue retooling for an 11-year-old FPS franchise, especially in a year of mobility-focused shooters. Yet for all its predictability, Advanced Warfare is a deluge of action-film bravado, and it’s difficult to not be carried away by its tidal forces”

8/10 – GiantBomb: “It’s the best multiplayer the game has seen in some time and the whole thing totals up to a satisfying, if familiar experience”

8/10 – JoyStiq: “Despite the familiarity, it’s been years since a Call of Duty campaign was as coherent and fast-paced as this one”

8/10 – The Metro: “Despite a few pulled punches this is the best Call Of Duty has been in years, and the multiplayer in particular is the most innovative since Modern Warfare began”

8/10 – VideoGamer: “For a future warfare title with drones and jetpacks, Sledgehammer’s success is partly to be found by looking to the series’ past, and by combining its own ideas with COD’s natural appeal it has reinvigorated the franchise”

4/5 – GamesRadar: “With a by-the-numbers campaign structure and unimaginative co-op mode, the competitive multiplayer mode stands as Advanced Warfare’s strongest asset”

4/5 – Digital Spy: “Sledgehammer Games hasn’t reinvented the first-person shooter franchise, but it does give it a shot of adrenaline, making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare one of the fastest, freshest and most thrilling entries yet”

As usual, the supermarkets are competitive with their prices. Sainsbury’s are offering it for £35 with when buying £30 worth of shopping (£44.99 otherwise), while Tesco has it for it for £40 or £35 when purchasing select Xbox Live/PSN cards.

If you can wait, a code for Tesco Direct apparently allows new customers (wink!) to get the Xbox One/360 version for £40 along with a £15 Xbox Live gift card. Pop over to Postabargain for the skinny on that deal.

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