At its core, the raw fundamentals of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s control and methodology remain intact. There’s still an emphasis of stalking corridors using spatially-conscious route-
mapping, knowing when to raise your aim, and keeping up with the tempo of battle.
But believe us when we say that Sledgehammer Games has thrown a futuristic spanner in the works and shaken up that precariously weathered formula with a suite of new Exo abilities and
manoeuvres that force you to forget most of what you thought you knew about Activision’s franchise.
It’s those changes we’re going to look at today, starting with the fundamentals of Exo movement, combat and functions.
Part of succeeding at Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer component is re-wiring your brain. After years of having your soldier’s boots firmly planted on the ground, it may take some adjustment before you get comfortable with your Exo suit’s new double-jumping skills. While your primary leap is low, you can gain a considerable boost by hitting jump again.
Any edges you come into contact with will trigger a hoist move, enabling you to latch on to surfaces and climb up. Sledgehammers maps are full of sneaky elevated routes, raised vantage points and shortcuts designed for those who dare to aim higher. Use them – that is is exactly why they are there.
You can also air dash by clicking in the left stick in mid-jump, which helps you cross wider gaps. If you play maps long enough, you’ll see that many areas have been designed to deliberately encourage you to use this skill. It’s also possible to dash on the ground left, right and back to avoid fire and find cover in a pinch.
These are all useful tools that take some time to fully-appreciate, but by quickly boosting – be it in the air or on the ground, you are shortening the amount of time you are exposed in the open. This means you are less likely to die when passing open doorways or wider areas that could be monitored by snipers or campers.
Each of these new skills comes at a price. It’s worth noting that each time you use an Exo ability, your location is given away on the mini-map, so it’s important to spool off which moves trigger this moment of visibility. All of a sudden you’re hit by a toss-up between boosting and double-jumping around each map like mad to stay mobile, or doing so sparingly to avoid detection.
Over times you’ll come to realise that while your Exo arsenal makes you highly agile, you’ll want to play a slower, more considered game than previous Call of Duty titles. Never sprint around corners, and when you do, always, always, always raise your aim. You never know who is lurking around the other side. This is CoD 101. Revise this and you will improve your play considerably.
Instead, it’s true that if you refrain from dashing around like a nutter and actually observe the lay of the land, you’ll be able to pick out enemies at distance and increase your chances of a cheeky longshot kill. Those with shotguns should opt for hugging walls, using low cover and observing their mini-map to get the drop on foes.
Advanced Warfare’s new Pick 13 loadout model offers a range of additional Exo suit abilities at the cost of one point. These can further alter your approach to a variety of situations, but be aware that some of these can only be used once per life – such as the Exo Stim, which offers quicker health regen, which is useful when you’re dangerously in the red.
There’s also Exo Cloak, a stealth move that renders your soldier transparent for a short time. This is a great tool for those who prefer to go long range, but you need to really bear in mind that your cloak is lifted each time you fire, and must be re-applied after each shot. This is quite ineffective at close range however, as you can be easily-seen.
Exo Shield deploys a small riot shield on your arm, which can give you a period of defence over wide, open ground when boosting to an elevated position isn’t an option. Alternatively, Exo Overlock gives your soldier a temporary speed boost which is also suitable for helping you cover uncovered expanses while minimising risk of detection or death. Shotgun runners might also want to consider Exo Mute Device, which silences their grunt’s footsteps for a moment, giving them a chance to sneak up on their prey before planting buckshot into their back.
Exo Hover is Mute Device’s opposite and feels like a bit of a dud, because it’s anything but stealthy. It basically enables you to hang in mid-air for a spell, while shooting down on enemies. Fun? Yes, but it leaves you visible for all to see, and makes a sound that nearby opponents can follow to your location.
Lastly, there’s Exo Trophy System, which neutralises incendiary and explosive devices for a while, and Exo Ping, a short radar pulse that reveals enemies on your radar, as well as when they’re firing. This is a great one, and Sledgehammer’s new fire indicator is worth noting, as it shows when one of your nearby buddies is trying to take down a foe. It basically makes it easier to see who needs an assist.
There’s a lot to cover already here, and while Advanced Warfare might feel like a standard game of Call of Duty in your hands, it will reveal itself to be so much more over time. It’s unnecessary to sprint around like you’re playing Unreal Tournament or Quake 3 in this game. Needless haste is a quick route to death, and you will be expected to respect your surroundings more often here.
For example, keep one ear out for the unmistakable sound an Exo suit makes when it’s double jumping or boosting. If you hear that when none of your squad mates are nearby on the map, it means an enemy is close. The same goes for you – don’t go spamming Exo moves when you don’t have to, because you’re basically issuing the other team an invite to your location. These are the times it absolutely pays to play Advanced Warfare like an old Call of Duty game.
If you get winged, retreat behind cover or go prone until you heal. Find a safe spot and let your attacker come to you. Chances are they’ll be so excited at the prospect of finishing you off they’ll get clumsy and fall into your trap.
The same goes for reloading – never, ever do this in the open when locked into a one-on-one exchange with a rival. Find cover that’s preferably away from somewhere obvious, and then change your clip to avoid being killed mid-reload. This will give you ample time to react if your pursuer comes after you.
Lastly – and this is a tried and tested rule. Never take the easy, shortest route to where the enemies are if you know it’s swarming with them. Those extra few seconds spend double-jumping and boosting the long way around won’t kill you, but rushing in like a clown will.
Following these rules and Exo tips will get you one step closer to topping up that K/D ration and unlocking challenges like a pro, but we’re just getting started. Stay tuned for more Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare guides throughout this week.
