Call of Duty: Vanguard 6 Concerns We Have

After months of rumors and numerous leaks, Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty: Vanguard has finally been announced, that too with Activision removing all mentions of its name from the reveal trailer. It's impossible to tell a fan of the franchise to avoid a new Call of Duty title. However, it is necessary to point out the various problems that plague the series and how they might impact the new release. Vanguard's own brand nonsense is also included. Let's look at six of the biggest concerns we have at the moment.

The Story

Call of Duty is a World War 2 setting. It has multiple theaters of warfare that span from North America to Eastern and Western European Fronts. One glance at will make you believe it. Although you will once again attack Normandy's beaches during D-Day (the Nazis have been defeated) much of the campaign was actually created after World War 2. Hitler and the Nazis were already dead. It's not over, however. The Allies have to deal with Heinrich Freisinger, an antagonist, and Project Phoenix, which are being used to create Hitler's successor.

In terms of setup, it almost sounds similar to the Wolfenstein titles. Except that there are no robot hounds, sci fi technology, or hulking supersoldiers. Wolfenstein is still very interesting. The story's quality is in doubt because Vanguard uses World War 2 as a backdrop. It will be interesting to see what happens, but it is concerning nonetheless, even if the fans had hoped for something better.

Quality Assurance

Vanguard has a huge scale. It features a campaign that spans multiple theaters of warfare, 20 multiplayer maps (16 being core), and a brand-new mode called Champion Hill. Treyarch also created a Zombies mode that connects with Black Ops Cold War. There will also be a Warzone map that will tie in to this year's release. It is impressive, but there are concerns about quality assurance. Call of Duty - Black Ops Cold War was a large project that had many developers involved, but there were also behind-the scenes problems which resulted in a shorter development time.

It is not known if this is also true for Vanguard. However, it is possible that Sledgehammer was removed from Black Ops Cold War to give more time to this project. However, there are no doubts about its quality. As last year's game demonstrated, bigger does not always mean better. Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War had many bugs and performance issues. There were also challenges in Zombies that didn't progress and crashes across all platforms. Many issues remain to this day. Given V anguard’s scale, current events, and the likelihood that it will ship with problems, no matter how much testing, there are good odds.

Size

Another concern when talking about scale is the size of the install. According to a recent report, Vanguard would require 275 GB of space. The listing on the Microsoft Store for the Xbox version stated that 75 GB would be needed. What's the deal? This is likely due to the space required for the campaign, with additional modes increasing the total to 275GB. Official confirmation is still in process.

Let's take a look at Black Ops Cold War. It required nearly 190 GB of space to install on Xbox Series X/S at launch. This included Zombies and Multiplayer, Dead Ops Arkade, an HD texture pack, ray tracing information, and the Campaign. The current requirements for the PC version of Battle.net show that multiplayer requires 50 GB, but that all game modes combined account for 175GB.

Warzone has not been included in both cases. Additional space will be required for post-launch updates. It doesn't matter if you have a console or a PC, you will need a lot of space on your hard drive to run the game and continue to enjoy it after launch.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer was another major issue last year. The lack of player names tags meant that players could not see each other at launch, making it difficult for them to hide on dark maps and harass others. Fireteam: Dirty Bomb was hampered by vehicles that were too powerful. Sniper rifles became extremely powerful after the removal of flinch, allowing for easy kills and minimal effort. Scorestreaks are another topic.

These and many other complaints would be addressed. However, even with Black Ops Cold War's fifth season, multiplayer is dangerously close to being an afterthought. All of this falls under the purview of Treyarch. Sledgehammer Games was known for its issues with multiplayer during Call of Duty: WW2's launch. However, they would eventually resolve them. This made for a very enjoyable experience. Maybe things will change this year.

Skill-Based Matchmaking

It's clear that skill-based matchmaking is an integral part of every competitive PvP shooter. Call of Duty does not differ. Many people want it to be removed, but others understand the necessity of it, especially as it gives lower-skilled players a chance at survival. Call of Duty's implementation of this, especially with Black Ops Cold War has been less than perfect. One's skill level can fluctuate greatly, allowing them both to go on a tear on one map and then be completely stomped on the next.

It remains to be seen how Sledgehammer Games will address this, but one thing is certain - SBMM will be an option in Vanguard’s multiplayer. The implementation of the SBMM is a close call, so series fans are advised to be aware.

Monetization and Pricing

A Call of Duty title will always have a stronghold on Monetization, with its season passes and microtransactions. Many of the offerings are "merely cosmetic," which is why some are disappointed. The Roze skin from Warzone also says "Hi," but other players are content. It's clear that the pricing model is still extremely poor. Call of Duty Vanguard will be $60 on Xbox One and PS4 while the Xbox Series X/S or PS5 versions will cost $70. You would expect that upgrading from Xbox One to PS4 to Xbox Series X/S, or PS5 will cost money (since Activision isn't charging for it).

No, you can't play the older gen version but you will have the option of playing on the current gen later. To do this you must buy Cross-Gen Bundle at $70. Although this isn't as bad Battlefield2042 charging $100 to get the same, it's still irritating.

Note: These views are the author's and should not be taken to mean that GamingBolt is represented.

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By: Ravi Sinha
Title: Call of Duty: Vanguard – 6 Concerns That We Have
Sourced From: gamingbolt.com/call-of-duty-vanguard-6-concerns-that-we-have
Published Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2021 09:29:55 +0000

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