PC Gamer - UK (2022-01)

maps. While we’re not talking
Battlefield levels of destruction,
certain walls and windows can be
shattered to alter the flow of maps,
and environments are subject to a
more cosmetic ‘dirtying’ over time. It
gives the maps a satisfying sense of
progression, and it’s fun to see the
mess left behind by a half-dozen
bombing-run killstreaks.
Less notable but
arguably more
significant is the
introduction of Combat
Pacing, which
essentially lets you
select the rough
player-count for each
mode. There are three
pacing levels: Tactical,
Assault, and Blitz. Tactical keeps the
player count low, resulting in an
almost Counter-Strike feel. Blitz,
meanwhile, can have anywhere
between 16 and 48 players, which
means intense action and killstreaks
by the bucketload. Personally, I liked
letting the game cycle through the
different tiers. It made for a good
showcase of how varied Vanguard’s
multiplayer can be.
Modes-wise, Vanguard hinges
heavily around classic scenarios like
Team Deathmatch and Domination,
while there’s a new version of
Modern Warfare’s Gunfight mode
called Champion Kill. This sees
players square off in teams of two or
three in small-scale rounds. You all
start off with the same loadout, but
cash you earn by winning lets you
upgrade your weapons and
equipment, meaning fights gradually
diversify as they progress.
For me, though, the highlight of
Vanguard’s multiplayer is Patrol. This
is a capture and hold-scenario similar
to Domination, but there is only one
control point that moves randomly
around the map. This makes it far
more dynamic than traditional
Domination, as the team in control
must constantly adjust its defence to
counter new sightlines or angles of
attack. It’s a fun, frenetic mode that
balances teamwork with your ability
to react, although it’s best played on
Tactical or Assault Pacing. Blitz turns
Patrol into a chaotic pile-on.

SMITHING THE POINT
All considered, I like Vanguard’s
multiplayer, but there’s nothing here
that makes it a must-buy. Like the
campaign, it seems to struggle with
the World War II setting. There’s

nothing as interesting as Call of Duty:

WWII’s War mode, for example,

while the whole gunsmithing

element of the game feels entirely

out-of-place with World War II

era-weaponry. Indeed, one thing I

would like from Vanguard is a ‘no

attachments’ mode, where you play

exclusively with the default weapons

• scopes and stocks be damned.
  I suppose I’m now
  obliged to talk about
  Zombies. Cards on the
  table, I’ve never really
  cared for CoD’s
  Zombies mode, and
  Vanguard’s version
  does little to convince
  me that I’m missing
  out. Der Anfang centres
  around a hub in Stalingrad, from
  which you can access portals that
  transport you to different places like
  Paris or the Pacific, where you must
  complete one of three objective types.
  One sees you collecting runes to
  disable a series of magic obelisks,
  another involves protecting a floating
  orb as it travels around the map, and
  the third is a ‘kill zombies until the
  timer runs out’ affair.
  Completing these missions earns
  you Cursed Hearts. These are spent
  at an altar on various powers that can
  combine with your weapons and
  abilities in, well, I was going to say
  ‘interesting ways’ but frankly that’s
  pushing it. For example, I combined
  the combat shotgun with an ability
  that reloads your gun for you on a
  critical hit. The result of this was I

hardly had to reload again, letting me

mow zombies down easily. More

powerful versions of these abilities

become available to buy as the

zombie horde grows, so the combat

scales in intensity as you progress.

But with only three mission types

and three zombie types, the hamster-

wheel grind quickly emerges.

STORMY WEATHER

There is one last issue relating to this

year’s Call of Duty that must be

addressed. Sledgehammer’s game

releases off the back of truly horrific

allegations of discrimination and

sexual harassment at Activision

Blizzard has led to the state of

California suing the company. It’s the

most egregious example yet of the

game industry’s endemic

mistreatment of women.

Sledgehammer, for its part, addressed

the allegations against its parent

company in the run-up to release,

and there are ongoing efforts by the

ABK Workers’ Alliance to improve

the culture of the company.

It’s difficult to address this topic in

a sufficiently nuanced fashion within

the scope of a review. The PC Gamer

site has covered the story extensively

as it has unfolded and will continue

to do so. Nonetheless, during the

process of review the allegations

were never far from my mind, and

although I wouldn’t want to punish

the work of Sledgehammer for

actions taken by people elsewhere in

Activision Blizzard, I also find it hard

not to be frustrated at the prospect of

who might profit from the positive

things I’ve said about Vanguard, and

how that feeds, however slightly or

indirectly, into facilitating a culture of

harassment and abuse.

I hope there is no need to make

such clarifications in the future,

because there are glimpses of

ingenuity within Vanguard, and

perhaps Sledgehammer can take

those ideas and run further on its

next outing with the series. This time

around though, my feelings are

largely indifferent. The singleplayer

has a couple of great missions, and

the multiplayer has a couple of good

modes. But on the whole, Vanguard is

a war we’ve seen before.

60

Multiplayeris as good as

ever,but thecampaign

and Zombiesmode fail to

capitalise on what could

be interesting ideas.

VERDICT

Modes-wise,

Vanguard

hinges heavily

around classic

scenarios

H A M M E R I N G I T H O M E

Sledgehammer’s decade with Call of Duty

C A L L O F

D U T Y 3

2 0 1 1

Co-developed with

Infinity Ward

C A L L O F

D U T Y :W W I I

2 0 1 7

C A L L O F D U T Y:

B L A C K O P S

C O L D W AR

2 0 2 0

Assisting Treyarch

C A L L O F D U T Y:

A D V A NC E D

W A R F AR E

2 0 1 4

C A L L O F

D U T Y :M O D E R N

W A R F AR E 2 0 1 9

Assisting

Infinity Ward

C A L L O F D U T Y:

V A N G UA R D

2 0 2 1

Call of Duty: Vanguard

REVIEW