They delivered a spectacle more or less unmatched on Xbox 360 and PS3. I remember thinking that both games were up there as Game of the Year candidates, based purely on the campaigns. Dev time is clearly in short supply, especially this year when Raven and Treyarch skipped the queue (Sledgehammer's game was next in line after Modern Warfare), but wouldn't it be great if Activision's most cherished possession started leading again?īack in the original Modern Warfare days, Call of Duty genuinely felt incredible. In theory, each game would then have a three-year development, but that's not including working on post-release DLC, which is always a big part of the package. Plus there are plenty of studios that offer support to ensure the Call of Duty juggernaut keeps on moving. The key Call of Duty studios are Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games. Activision puts out a new Call of Duty every year, without fail, so perhaps there's just not time to be more ambitious, but what if there was? The result is a game that feels a bit like something put together (with a lot of skill, I should add) using a 'build your own Call of Duty kit.' While Cold War does a few things differently in its structure, you're still essentially playing a string of standalone missions with characters I do not care about. Missions take place all over the place and are linked by cutscenes and a hub of sorts. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Īs much as I enjoyed the Cold War campaign, it felt rather scattered. But, we're into a new generation now, and it's time for things to change.

I'm not sure anyone could say anything in the Cold War campaign surprised them, but considering it followed the expected Call of Duty formula I came away more impressed than I thought I would. Aside from a bit of stealth, it's more or less non-stop action for five or six hours. With Call of Duty campaigns sticking to the design laid out by games made two generations ago, it's time for something new.Ĭall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the most fun I've had with a CoD campaign in quite a few years.

Call of duty cold war campaign