The 2014 entry in the Call of Duty series, Advanced Warfare, is different than everything that came before, and it wants you to know that. As the first Call of Duty designed with next-generation consoles in mind, Sledgehammer Games has upped the ante for everyone, with bigger and badder fire fights, eye-popping set pieces and a stronger emphasis on story than Call of Duty has had for years.
Activision has released an extended trailer for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare that zeroes-in on the game's story, revealing more details than anything seen thus far. The game kicks off after the world's major powers are brought to their knees by a global terrorist attack. When terrorists hit nuclear reactors on five continents simultaneously, the U.S. finds its government and military power severely compromised. To fight back and rebuild, they turn to a private military contractor firm called Atlas Corporation. The U.S. winds up giving over "immense amounts of responsibility" and power to Atlas, which is headed by a power-hungry man named Jonathon Irons.
As you can see in the trailer (if you didn't know already), Irons is played by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, who provides both his voice and movements via motion capture. Spacey is in full-on "House of Cards" mode here, speaking about how might makes right. The in-engine rendering of Spacey suffers from some uncanny valley issues around the eyes, but for the most part looks solid.
This latest trailer also provides some oh-so-juicy sights and sounds of how the game's near-future technology drastically changes the battlefield. You'll see the soldiers' exo-suits providing them with almost superhuman capabilities like jetpack-powered flight, impossible jump heights and lengths, crazy fast zip-lining and much more. A huge cluster of drones flying through the sky like a giant snake is impossible to miss, as is an enormous tidal wave. Clearly, this is a Call of Duty that knows the importance of huge set pieces, and all of those "advanced" methods of warfare look to make some genuine changes to the familiar formula.
The trailer would do any Hollywood blockbuster proud with some truly epic action and a dazzling performance by Spacey. If you've strayed from Call of Duty in recent years, Sledgehammer Games' first entry is looking like it could be the first title in the franchise worth getting excited about in a long time.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will be in stores in time for Christmas, launching on November 4, 2014.
