2024 video game
2024 video game
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a 2024 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward7️⃣ and published by Activision. It is the thirteenth installment in the Call of Duty series and was released worldwide for7️⃣ PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on November 4, 2024.
Development of Infinite Warfare began during 2014. It is the first7️⃣ title by Infinity Ward under the new three-year development cycle for the Call of Duty series. The game's campaign is7️⃣ centered around a battle for the Solar System, which the Settlement Defense Front (SDF), a hostile force who are the7️⃣ main antagonists, are attempting to take over. The player takes control of Lieutenant Nick Reyes of the Special Combat Air7️⃣ Recon (SCAR). They have their own transforming fighter, named "Jackal", that they can customize as well as a central hub7️⃣ ship named Retribution.
Infinite Warfare's announcement trailer was noted for its strong negative reaction; it was the second-most-disliked video on YouTube7️⃣ at the time. Commentators attributed this to Call of Duty fans expressing frustration at the direction the series had taken,7️⃣ specifically that the game and its predecessors had futuristic settings. Nevertheless, the game received generally positive reviews upon release; it7️⃣ received praise for its gameplay, characters, and Zombies mode, but criticism for its multiplayer mode, while its single-player campaign received7️⃣ mixed opinions. It was named as Best Shooter at E3 by Game Informer and was nominated for several awards. Infinite7️⃣ Warfare underperformed in sales compared to previous Call of Duty titles, though it was both the top-selling game in the7️⃣ US and UK in November 2024.
Special editions of Infinite Warfare were released with a remastered version of Call of Duty7️⃣ 4: Modern Warfare, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
Gameplay [ edit ]
Campaign [ edit ]
In zero-gravity environments, players can7️⃣ use a grappling hook to quickly navigate the environment.
Similar to the previous games in the series, Infinite Warfare is a7️⃣ first-person shooter. As the game introduces a new setting, outer space, new gameplay mechanics, such as zero-gravity environments, are included.[1][2][3]7️⃣ Players are equipped with a boost pack, and a grappling hook, which allow players to move in these zero-gravity environments7️⃣ easily. As the game is set in space, players can visit different planets, satellites and asteroids in the Solar System.[4]
Assuming7️⃣ control of Captain Nick Reyes, a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot, players engage in aerial combat with enemies using his7️⃣ transforming fighter, the Jackal.[5] Aerial combat is not on-rail, as players can freely control the Jackal with few limitations. According7️⃣ to Infinity Ward, both space combat, and the franchise's signature "boots-on-the-ground" gameplay are the game's key focuses.[6] Transition between space7️⃣ combat and boots-on-the-ground combat is seamless with no loading screen.[7]
Players gain access to Retribution, a central hub world. In Retribution,7️⃣ players can view their progression, and start main campaign missions, and secondary quests called "Ship Assaults" which gives them cosmetic7️⃣ and customization items, upgrades to the Jackal, as well as new story details.[8][9] Reyes also has a wrist computer, which7️⃣ allows him to hack into enemies' gadgets and machines such as robots. It can also be used to call in7️⃣ reinforcements at some campaign scenarios.[4] The game also features two new difficulty modes, Specialist and #YOLO, unlockable after initial completion7️⃣ of the campaign. In the former mode, health regeneration does not occur without Nano Shots, and weapons can be shot7️⃣ out from players' hands. Reyes' movement will be hindered if his legs are shot by enemies. In the latter mode,7️⃣ which also implements the same features from Specialist, when players die, they need to restart the game rather than restarting7️⃣ from checkpoints.[10]
Multiplayer [ edit ]
Infinite Warfare introduces a major overhaul to the class system called the "Combat Rigs". Similar to7️⃣ the Specialist system in Black Ops III, there are six rigs in total, being Warfighter, Merc, FTL, Stryker, Phantom and7️⃣ Synaptic. All of which have different payloads, weapons, abilities and playstyles. For example, the Synaptic rig is designed for players7️⃣ who prefer to run and gun, while the Phantom rig is suited for players who want to play stealthily. Players7️⃣ can also gain access to several persistent perks, known as "Traits", which give players advantages in certain combat situations. Additionally,7️⃣ the game retains the chain-based momentum movement system of Black Ops III, allowing players to perform thrust jumps, sliding, and7️⃣ wallrunning.[11]
The game features hundreds of both primary and secondary weapons. Players can gain access to several types of weapons, including7️⃣ traditional ballistic weapons and melee weapons, futuristic energy weapons, and different kinds of grenades, such as the Seeker Grenade and7️⃣ the Black Hole Grenade. Players can add attachments on them to enhance their efficiency. The game also introduces a new7️⃣ weapon crafting system. In a multiplayer match, players earn "Salvage" points, which can be consumed to purchase Prototype Weapons, variants7️⃣ of existing in-game weapons. For each gun, there are four types of prototypes, classified into four groups, namely Common, Rare,7️⃣ Legendary and Epic, all of which grant players gameplay advantages known as the "Gun Perks".[12] Scorestreaks return in Infinite Warfare7️⃣ for players who have earned sufficient points in a match. Scoresteaks offer players perks such as the ability to deploy7️⃣ UAV and counter-UAV, and the ability to summon a R-C8 robot, an armored robot designed to defend the player and7️⃣ kill other opponents.[13]
Zombies [ edit ]
The game also features a cooperative multiplayer Zombies mode, which has its own gameplay mechanics7️⃣ and story, separate from the campaign.[6] The mode is designed to be more accessible to new players, with new features7️⃣ such as sharing points and teambuy doors, as well as keeping the core gameplay of the mode intact, such as7️⃣ perks and power-ups. A new feature, Fate and Fortune Cards, is introduced similarly to the Gobblegums in Call of Duty:7️⃣ Black Ops III; the cards offer temporary boosts in-game to the players, but unlike Gobblegums they are activated through point7️⃣ earning, and players can select any of the five cards they have equipped at any time, not one at a7️⃣ time like the Gobblegum machine. After initial use of five cards, players can refill their card deck for a price7️⃣ up to two times in a match. Unlike the campaign and multiplayer modes, Zombies is not themed in space combat,7️⃣ and retains the normal movement system.
Campaign [ edit ]
Characters and settings [ edit ]
Kit Harington plays the story's main antagonist,7️⃣ Rear Admiral Salen Kotch.
Infinite Warfare is set in the distant future, after Earth has been stripped of its natural resources7️⃣ as a result of population growth and industrial expansion, prompting the nations of the world to unite and form the7️⃣ United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA), a political organization that handles matters of trade, travel, land claims and all efforts relating7️⃣ to human space colonization. The residents of Earth rely on colonies established elsewhere in the Solar System in order to7️⃣ mine planets and asteroids for resources. The value of these outposts, however, attracts militant radicals who seek to control them,7️⃣ which could place the countries of Earth in a difficult position. In response, the UNSA is defended by the Solar7️⃣ Associated Treaty Organization (SATO), a coordinated military structure that defends Earth and the UNSA's holdings.[9] Prior to the events of7️⃣ the game, a new hostile faction emerges on Mars, calling themselves the Settlement Defense Front (SDF), a totalitarian government consisting7️⃣ of former UNSA colonies that broke away during a previous war of secession. Following years of a troubled stalemate with7️⃣ the Front, relations have deteriorated to a point where the entire Solar System is poised on the brink of war.
As7️⃣ the newly appointed captain of the UNSA Warship Retribution, Commander Nick Reyes (Brian Bloom), a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot7️⃣ of the Special Combat Air Recon (SCAR), is tasked to lead a crew to defeat the Settlement Defense Front on7️⃣ Earth, as well as journey to outer space and across other planets in the system using space-based fighter craft, referred7️⃣ to as Jackals, to stop the Front from taking over the entire Solar System.[9] Assisting Reyes in the fight against7️⃣ the SDF are his mentor Admiral Fredrick Raines (John Marshall Jones), Reyes' wingman and best friend Lieutenant Nora Salter (Jamie7️⃣ Gray Hyder), his robot sidekick E3N "Ethan" (Jeffrey Nordling), and the SATO Marines including Staff Sergeant Usef Omar (David Harewood),7️⃣ Corporal Sean Brooks (Jason Barry) and Private Todd Kashima (Eric Ladin). Other notable allies include Retribution Navigator Victor "Gator" Diallo7️⃣ (Omid Abtahi), Tigris warship captain Maureen Ferran (Claudia Christian), and Retribution Chief Engineer Audrey "Mac" MaCallum (Claudia Black). Facing Reyes7️⃣ and his allies in battle is the commander of the starship Olympus Mons, and leader of the SDF, Rear Admiral7️⃣ Salen Kotch (Kit Harington), and his senior commander Akeel Min Riah (Jim Pirri).[14] UFC fighter Conor McGregor makes a cameo7️⃣ appearance as SDF Captain Bradley Fillion, while Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton appears as Retribution Electro-technical Officer Carl Hamilton.
Plot [7️⃣ edit ]
In 2187, a UNSA space forces team is sent to a secret UNSA weapons research facility on Europa where7️⃣ a prototype weapon is being developed, resulting in the SDF seizing the installation. The UNSA team recover the prototype and7️⃣ initiate the facility's self-destruct, but are captured by the SDF and subsequently executed by one of the SDF's main commanders,7️⃣ Admiral Kotch.
On Earth, Reyes expresses his opinion to Admiral Raines that the SDF attack is tantamount to a declaration of7️⃣ war and that the UNSA should be preparing a counterattack. However, Admiral Raines explains that the UNSA's leaders do not7️⃣ want to escalate the situation, especially during the Fleet Week celebrations where the entire UNSA fleet gathers at Geneva. Invited7️⃣ to enjoy the festivities, Reyes links up with his wingman Salter and is assigned the experimental E3N for evaluation. Suddenly,7️⃣ the UNSA's AATIS defense cannons, hijacked by the SDF, open fire on the assembled fleet; simultaneously, an SDF assault force7️⃣ invades Geneva. Reyes manages to fight his way to the AATIS control tower, where he shuts down the AATIS cannons7️⃣ and apprehends Riah, the SDF spy responsible for sabotaging them. Reyes then accompanies the surviving UNSA ships into orbit to7️⃣ oppose the attacking SDF fleet. The SDF's flagship, the Olympus Mons, suddenly arrives and destroys more UNSA ships before it7️⃣ is forced to retreat. The battle is a disaster for the UNSA, as only two ships survive the battle: the7️⃣ carrier Retribution, to which Reyes is assigned, and the destroyer Tigris.
Upon landing on the Retribution, Reyes learns that both the7️⃣ ship's captain and the executive officer were killed in battle, leaving him as the highest-ranking officer of the ship and7️⃣ its de facto captain. Admiral Raines promotes Reyes to commander and orders him to retake the cargo port on the7️⃣ Moon from the SDF. After successfully liberating the Moon, Reyes is tasked with delaying the SDF for as long as7️⃣ possible until the UNSA can rebuild its fleet. At this point, Reyes can embark on a number of optional missions7️⃣ to attack key SDF targets, as well as a strategic refueling tower on Titan, crippling the SDF's fuel supply. Later,7️⃣ he is sent to investigate a disturbance at an asteroid mining station near Mercury, only to find it was a7️⃣ diversion while the SDF destroys the Tigris, leaving the Retribution as the sole remaining UNSA ship.
Learning that Riah is carrying7️⃣ a beacon meant to signal the main SDF fleet to invade Earth, Reyes devises a plan to use the beacon7️⃣ to lure the SDF fleet right into the still-operational AATIS guns. The plan goes awry when Riah escapes, destroys the7️⃣ AATIS guns, and kills himself to trigger the beacon. The SDF arrives and the Olympus Mons destroys UNSA headquarters, killing7️⃣ Admiral Raines.
With no other options, Reyes uses the opportunity to board and commandeer the Olympus Mons. Enraged, Kotch then sets7️⃣ his own ship to self-destruct by overloading the ship’s nuclear reactor to destroy Geneva to cripple SATO leadership. Reyes manages7️⃣ to fight his way to the bridge and kill Admiral Kotch, stopping the self-destruct sequence. He then takes the Olympus7️⃣ Mons and Retribution to Mars, where he intends to use the ship to destroy the SDF's orbital shipyard and cripple7️⃣ their fleet in return. While the attack is successful, the Olympus Mons is damaged to the point its weapons are7️⃣ inoperable, and with few other options, Reyes orders it to ram the shipyard. As a result, the Retribution also suffers7️⃣ damage and drifts into the Olympus Mons' flight path. Both warships crash onto the surface of Mars with the shipyard7️⃣ still intact.
Realizing that there is no way for them to get back to Earth alive, Reyes rallies the survivors of7️⃣ the Retribution crew and leads them on one final assault on the shipyard. Most of the surviving crew are killed,7️⃣ but Reyes, Salter, Ethan and a few others make it to the shipyard, where they commandeer a destroyer. However, its7️⃣ weapons are disabled and the mooring clamps are locked. Ethan sacrifices himself to destroy the moorings while Reyes unlocks the7️⃣ destroyer's weapons and orders Salter to destroy the shipyard, despite him still remaining on it. Salter reluctantly opens fire, ejecting7️⃣ Reyes into space. He is able to watch the SDF shipyard explode before shrapnel from its destruction punctures his suit,7️⃣ causing him to suffocate.
Some time later, the UNSA honors Reyes and the Retribution crew's sacrifice, stating that their destruction of7️⃣ the SDF shipyard was a decisive victory and that the SDF has been all but destroyed as a result. Salter,7️⃣ who is one of only four survivors from the Retribution, salutes a war memorial in Geneva listing the names of7️⃣ all of the UNSA soldiers who died in the conflict, including Reyes.
During the credits, the recorded messages of some of7️⃣ the deceased Retribution crew may be heard.
Zombies [ edit ]
Characters [ edit ]
Infinite Warfare Zombies stars Ike Barinholtz, Jay Pharoah,7️⃣ Seth Green and Sasheer Zamata as the main protagonists of the story: Aaron "A.J." Jordaniels, Andre Wright, Poindexter Zittermann and7️⃣ Sally Simpson. They initially appear as aspiring actors, who are trapped inside a series of horror films by director Willard7️⃣ Wyler (Paul Reubens), where they play out the role of the films' archetype characters. Throughout the season, the actors encounter7️⃣ various celebrity actors who are also trapped in each film, including: David Hasselhoff, Kevin Smith, Pam Grier, and Cassandra Peterson7️⃣ who reprises her role as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Jason Mewes has a minor voiceover role as himself, while7️⃣ Fred Tatasciore provides the voice of the demon Mephistopheles.
Plot [ edit ]
Some time before the events of the game, horror7️⃣ film director Willard Wyler lost his wife Alexandra to leukemia, causing a rift between him and his daughter Winona. At7️⃣ some point, Wyler made a deal with the demonic Mephistopheles, and unwillingly became a slave to him, forced to collect7️⃣ souls by sending them into alternate dimensions formed from his films, leading them to their deaths by the monsters of7️⃣ his creation. Over time, Wyler felt guilt for condemning countless victims, including Winona, to their doom, and secretly formed a7️⃣ plan to recruit actors who could enter his films and fight back, freeing Wyler from his prison and defeating Mephistopheles.
After7️⃣ decades of elusive retirement, Wyler prepares for his comeback into the movie business. He invites four aspiring actors: A.J., Andre,7️⃣ Poindexter and Sally, to his theater for an audition, but unbeknownst to them, he intends to trap the four inside7️⃣ one of his own movies, "Zombies in Spaceland". The four actors find themselves in an 80's theme park, dressed as7️⃣ the archetypes of the era. As the four try to survive the oncoming zombie horde, they find unexpected help from7️⃣ famous actor David Hasselhoff, who has also been trapped in this movie for an unknown amount of time as his7️⃣ Knight Rider character Michael Knight. With Hasselhoff's aid, the four actors manage to fend off the undead, much to Wyler's7️⃣ chagrin, and discover a piece of an artifact known as the Soul Key. As the actors attempt to escape, they7️⃣ instead find themselves in another one of Wyler's films, "Rave in the Redwoods", set in a '90s campsite in the7️⃣ Redwood National and State Parks, where they go up against hordes of undead raver teenagers and sasquatches. As the actors7️⃣ traverse across the campsite, they encounter director Kevin Smith, who has also been trapped here for an amount of time7️⃣ with his friend Jason Mewes. Kevin reveals that Jason died prior to the actors' arrival in the film at the7️⃣ hands of the chainsaw-wielding Slasher, who lurks the campsite. The actors help Kevin recover his memory, and convince him to7️⃣ help them escape the film. However, the group soon uncovers through the memories that Jason, along with various other victims7️⃣ associated with Wyler, was killed by Kevin who was unknowingly the Slasher all along. Kevin, as he fully recovers his7️⃣ memories, is forced to transform into the Slasher to kill the actors, but is defeated.
The actors retrieve the second piece7️⃣ of the Soul Key, and are immediately warped into Wyler's third film, "Shaolin Shuffle", set in the backdrop of a7️⃣ '70s New York City. The group, now dressed in 70s apparel, find help from actress Pam Grier, who operates a7️⃣ martial arts dojo in the film. Pam assists the actors in fighting Wyler's zombie horde, by giving them special martial7️⃣ arts skills and training. The group encounter Arthur McIntosh, a failed businessman who after consuming a mysterious chemical became the7️⃣ Rat King, capable of controlling sewer rats at his will. The actors and Pam battle McIntosh and manage to kill7️⃣ him, while also retrieving the third piece of the Soul Key.
The four actors are then teleported into Wyler's fourth film,7️⃣ "Attack of the Radioactive Thing", set in a 1950s beach area affected by a radioactive experiment. The actors encounter horror7️⃣ film hostess Elvira, who is also trapped inside this film, and proceed to assist her in her plan to foil7️⃣ Wyler's scheme. Together, they battle against a combined force of zombies as well as mutant crab-frog fusions and a giant7️⃣ radioactive beast dubbed Crogzilla. The crew assemble a nuclear bomb and detonate it inside the Crogzilla's belly, blowing it to7️⃣ bits. They then retrieve the fourth piece of the Soul Key inside the Crogzilla's eye.
The four actors are then teleported7️⃣ into the final film, "The Beast from Beyond", as they arrive at a futuristic military station on an ice planet,7️⃣ where they battle against the Cryptid aliens from the Extinction series, as well as a mixture of zombies from the7️⃣ previous four films. After fighting against a herd of Cryptids, the four retrieve the final piece of the Soul Key,7️⃣ and are seemingly teleported back to Wyler's theater, where he joyfully greets them. Without letting him explain himself, the four7️⃣ actors furiously send Wyler back into the Spaceland movie using his own method, but ultimately realize they have become slaves7️⃣ to the demon Mephistopheles in Wyler's place. Mephistopheles himself appears in front of the four actors, and threatens to consume7️⃣ their souls; the four then arm themselves for a final battle against the demon. After seemingly winning against him, the7️⃣ four are teleported back to the theater, but still find themselves unable to escape. In reality, it is revealed that7️⃣ they are already trapped inside the Soul Jar, which contains pocket universes representing the theater as well as each of7️⃣ Wyler's films. Meanwhile, Wyler enlists Hasselhoff's help in Spaceland once more in an attempt to escape the movie. He reunites7️⃣ with the four actors and reconciles with them as all five begin to plot their next move.
Development and release [7️⃣ edit ]
I want people to play our new game and say, 'Wow, I haven't seen [Call of Duty] change that7️⃣ much since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. —Jacob Minkoff, a design director at Infinity Ward
In 2014, Activision announced a7️⃣ three-year development cycle for the Call of Duty series, in which Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Treyarch would take turns7️⃣ in releasing a Call of Duty video game every year so as to extend each game's development time.[15] Infinite Warfare7️⃣ is the third and the last game in the first cycle, and it is the first video game developed by7️⃣ Infinity Ward since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts.[6] Development for the game dates as far back as 2014.[16] According to7️⃣ Infinity Ward, the development team added many new ideas to the game, and put emphasis on the game's storytelling.[17] The7️⃣ team chose space as the game's setting as they believed that it can introduce new environments to players. To make7️⃣ the game more realistic, Infinity Ward had consulted several military experts.[7][18] The team also wants to start an Infinite Warfare7️⃣ sub-series.[19]
Reveal [ edit ]
In February 2024, Activision announced that Infinity Ward would be the lead developer of 2024's Call of7️⃣ Duty game.[20] Infinite Warfare was officially confirmed by Activision when they announced that the company would not have a booth7️⃣ at E3 2024, and that their products would be shown through their partner, Sony Interactive Entertainment.[21] Activision teased the game7️⃣ with a video, titled "Know Your Enemy", and a new ending for Black Ops III's "Nuk3town" map, which shows a7️⃣ giant airship on top of the map.[22][23] The game was leaked via PlayStation Store on April 26, and the first7️⃣ trailer was revealed unofficially via Hulu prior to the game's official announcement.[24][25]
In May 2024, Activision released the official announcement trailer7️⃣ for the game, a week after they trademarked the name of the game.[6][26] The trailer of the game was officially7️⃣ revealed through a live-stream on Twitch.[27] As part of the reveal, Activision ran a social media game using a Facebook7️⃣ chat bot, which tasks the player to decode a message.[28] A remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,7️⃣ entitled Modern Warfare Remastered, was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC alongside Infinite Warfare, only available with the7️⃣ purchase of either the Legacy, Digital Deluxe or Legacy Pro edition of Infinite Warfare.[29] The first public piece of gameplay7️⃣ for the Infinite Warfare campaign was revealed as a trailer during the Sony press conference at E3 2024.[30][31] A gameplay7️⃣ video of the "Black Sky" campaign mission was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2024. Also revealed was7️⃣ the "Terminal" map pre-order bonus for customers who pre-ordered Infinite Warfare.[32]
In August 2024, Activision sent mysterious metal packages to YouTubers7️⃣ in the Call of Duty community. Each came with a combination lock and a countdown timer. A code was sent7️⃣ to all recipients to open the boxes once the timer reached 1 minute.[33] Each box contained a variety of 80's-themed7️⃣ apparel, plus a cassette player and a VHS tape, which contained the reveal trailer for Zombies in Spaceland.[34] An HD7️⃣ version of the trailer was released hours after, along with a reveal of the game's new mechanics, as well as7️⃣ the "Zombies in Spaceland" bonus preorder pack, which contains a weapon camouflage, an animated player card, as well as a7️⃣ "Fate and Fortune Card Pack" for use in the Zombies mode.[35] The official reveal of Infinite Warfare's multiplayer mode took7️⃣ place during the Call of Duty XP 2024 convention, which was held in early September 2024.[36][37]
Multiplayer beta [ edit ]
A7️⃣ multiplayer beta for people who pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 version of the game began on October 14. An Xbox One7️⃣ beta began on October 21, and the PC version did not have a beta.[38] The beta concluded on October 24.[38]
Downloadable7️⃣ content [ edit ]
Players who purchased the season pass, whether it be separately or with certain special editions of the7️⃣ game, were to receive all four DLC packs for Infinite Warfare, released in four different waves during 2024, for a7️⃣ slightly discounted price (compared to that of all DLC packs purchased separately). Season pass holders were to also receive 1,0007️⃣ Salvage credits, the game's in-game currency, and 10 rare quality supply drops at the game's launch.[39] The first DLC pack,7️⃣ named Sabotage, was available to PS4 players on January 31, 2024, and to Xbox One and PC players on March7️⃣ 2, 2024.[40] The pack includes the new Zombies map Rave in the Redwoods, as well as four new multiplayer maps:7️⃣ Noir, Renaissance, Neon, and Dominion (remade from the MW2 map Afghan).[40] The second map pack, Continuum, was released on PS47️⃣ on April 18, 2024, and on Xbox One and PC on May 18, 2024; the map pack includes four MP7️⃣ maps: Turista, Scrap, Archive, Excess (a remake of the MW2 map Rust), and one Zombies map, Shaolin Shuffle. The third7️⃣ map pack, Absolution, was released on PS4 on July 6, 2024, and on Xbox One and PC on August 8,7️⃣ 2024; the map pack features the Zombies map Attack of the Radioactive Thing and four MP maps: Permafrost, Fore, Bermuda7️⃣ and Ember (a remake of the MW3 map Resistance). The final map pack, Retribution, will be released on PS4 on7️⃣ September 12, 2024, and features the final Zombies episode The Beast from Beyond, as well as four MP maps: Carnage,7️⃣ Altitude, Depot 22 and Heartland (a remake of the Ghosts map Warhawk).
In addition to map packs, Infinite Warfare also feature7️⃣ announcer voice packs, replacing the regular voice over in multiplayer with other voices. A voice pack called "UK Special Forces"7️⃣ was released for free to all players, featuring the voice of actor Craig Fairbrass (also known for his role as7️⃣ Gaz in Modern Warfare, Ghost in Modern Warfare 2, Wallcroft in Modern Warfare 3, and Tee in Infinite Warfare). Other7️⃣ voice packs feature various celebrities, including rapper Method Man, YouTuber Ozzy Man Reviews, and comedian Ken Jeong.
Reception [ edit ]
Upon7️⃣ release of the initial trailer, the game was heavily criticized by the community for being too futuristic. The consensus held7️⃣ was that this had stemmed from frustration with the current direction of the franchise, as consecutive installments released in the7️⃣ past few years had been set in future settings and narratives.[55][56] In response to the criticism, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg7️⃣ stated that he knew "that there are people in our community who are nostalgic for the 'boots-on-the-ground-style gameplay' ... [but]7️⃣ ... we also have millions of people in our community who want to have new innovative experiences in the game7️⃣ each year and Infinite Warfare is going to deliver that." He also stated that Call of Duty: Black Ops II,7️⃣ whose trailer also received its fair share of dislikes, would go on to become the best-selling Call of Duty game7️⃣ at the time.[57] As of June 30, 2024 , the trailer has received more than 3.95 million dislikes and is7️⃣ the 25th-most-disliked video on YouTube.[58][59][60]
Despite its pre-release criticism, Infinite Warfare was named Best Shooter at E3 by Game Informer.[61] At7️⃣ the 2024 Game Critics Awards for the best of E3, the game was nominated for Best Action Game,[62] but lost7️⃣ to rival game Battlefield 1.[63]
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare received "generally favorable" reviews for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,7️⃣ while the PC version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[41][42][43]
IGN gave the game a 7.7 out7️⃣ of 10 stating; "Despite its shift to interplanetary combat, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a generally fun but inessential7️⃣ shooter."[51] Trusted Reviews awarded Infinite Warfare 4 and a half out of 5 stars, reasoning; "A solid campaign and the7️⃣ excellent "Zombies" mode will see people stick around for a good while".[64]
The single-player campaign received mixed reviews. Trusted Reviews praised7️⃣ it as the latest example of the improving quality of Call of Duty campaigns in recent years, complimenting the "immersive7️⃣ experience" thanks to an almost complete lack of loading screens, although they felt the narrative was "a bit thin".[64] GamesRadar+7️⃣ praised the dark and realistic tone, and thought the game was a departure from the typical sense of heroism in7️⃣ the series.[49] Game Informer thought that Infinite Warfare still included some of the series' usual elements but carried greater emotional7️⃣ weight than its predecessors.[46] The story and characters received particular praise; Polygon and GameRevolution write the characters were the "strongest"7️⃣ and "most memorable" in the series, with Polygon feeling the writing for a Call of Duty campaign had never been7️⃣ bettered.[47][53] IGN appreciated the dialogue and cast performances.[51] GameSpot also praised the characters and compared the game's structure to a7️⃣ film, in contrast to past installments that felt like an episodic series.[48]
EGM, however, panned the narrative as one of the7️⃣ worst they'd experienced in some time; they criticized the characterization of Kotch and Kit Harrington's "lifeless acting", as well as7️⃣ the supporting characters' arcs that they felt were "rushed to an uncomfortable degree"; both EGM and IGN highlighted an example7️⃣ when Omar expresses his dislike of Ethan, but has bonded with him without explanation by the next mission.[45][51] IGN wrote7️⃣ the campaign was "slow and plodding" and only marginally better than Call of Duty: Ghosts, which they saw as a7️⃣ low point of the franchise.[51] Destructoid called the campaign "average", thinking only fans of Mass Effect and sci-fi would be7️⃣ swayed by it.[44]
Game Informer was pleased from a perception that the "frenetic" movement of gameplay in recent Call of Duty7️⃣ installments had been toned down for Infinite Warfare and harkened back to the series' older style.[46] While EGM enjoyed the7️⃣ variety of gameplay in space, they felt that at times it was unclear as to where the player was meant7️⃣ to go or what their objectives were.[45] Destructoid felt that some of the gadgets used in the game were more7️⃣ entertaining in multiplayer.[44] The game's multiplayer was criticized by Trusted Reviews, writing they were saddened that it was not on7️⃣ par with previous entries.[64]
Sales [ edit ]
Infinite Warfare sold 1.8 million copies in its first week in US.[65] However, overall7️⃣ sales were down 50% compared to 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops III.[66][67][68] Activision was reported to be expecting sales7️⃣ to be down due to the fact that Infinite Warfare was going to be a "new sub-series" and that the7️⃣ Black Ops name carried brand weight with it.[69][70] Despite slow initial sales, Infinite Warfare was the top-selling game in the7️⃣ US in November 2024.[71][72] Activision reported in February 2024 that the game missed their sales expectations with one of the7️⃣ reasons cited being that the game "didn't resonate with fans".[73]
The PlayStation 4 version sold 105,764 copies within its first week7️⃣ on sale in Japan, making it the bestselling game of the week in the country.[74]
Accolades [ edit ]
