The campaign and multiplayer in general has been for a little while now and it’s difficult to be fair with the game right now. Meaning there is some content missing from the multiplayer end of things, as well as hella bugs that need squashing. I’ll tell you what I like about the game before I move onto my dislikes. One thing for sure about the campaign and MP are graphics. The graphics are pretty amazing this time around. Not to say past games didn’t have good graphics and next gen hardware (current gen?) definitely helps, but even the MP looks really good. They outdid themselves with the way this game looks. Movement and controls are solid while I’m not a fan of dolphin diving (only because I’m used to holding the circle button to slide, everything is working perfectly when it comes to my controller. I feel like the pacing (movement) is at the right spot for me. Audio has come a long way since MW 2019, but still needs a little tweaking. Sometimes the only thing you can hear is the gunfire or a V-Tol jet hovering above and while I understand that is realism, sometimes a bit too much. I have adjusted my headset and I’m game settings, but I can’t quite get it where I want it to be. Infinity Ward has already deployed a small hot patch for audio adjustments, but I think they’re probably working on further tuning it. I’m hoping, anyway. I’m pretty sure the TTK (time to kill) has decreased slightly. I find the core multiplayer player matches to be almost on par with hardcore game modes when it comes to TTK. I prefer it this way myself. I’m a pretty accurate shot and find it frustrating when I drop 4 hit markers on an enemy and they manage to turn on me and drop one into my dome for the headshot kill. 2-3 bullets is about what it takes to get a kill and I’m pretty satisfied with that. There are a handful of game modes to choose from and that includes the mode Invasion which is large scale MP against real players and AI. It’s a great mode to level up your weapons and unlock attachments and with the way things unlock in this game, it’s a good mode for using weapons you’re typically not good with it can’t stand using. It’s a little slower paced than your traditional MP matches, you can jump in and take your time or do whatever it is you’d enjoy doing the most with little pressure. All in all the multiplayer is a lot of fun and while I have never really been a fan of the campaigns myself, it’s nice to get rewarded for completing it. I will say I enjoyed how challenging the campaign was this time around. It has definitely been made to be a little more difficult than past cod titles and I thought it … Read More
Is the end of CoD on PlayStation?
There is a lot going on with the game industry right now, and if you’ve been living under a rock lately (which is actually possible), you probably already know that Microsoft is purchasing game publisher giant Activision for close to $70 billion USD. I’ll be the first to admit that I never saw this coming. I mean, I’m not usually surprised when a development studio gets purchased, but Activision? I’m still a little floored by this announcement. The biggest thing I’ve been hearing about this acquisition is concern that Call of Duty will no longer be put on PlayStation consoles. There is a lot of back and forth thinking on this topic. On the one hand, people have pointed out the loss of sales the franchise would have if it was no longer available on PlayStation. On the other hand, it would most likely help boost the number of Xbox consoles sold by Microsoft. Either way, Microsoft is going to be in control and there isn’t anything we can do about it except to speculate about the future. CoD has always been a favorite game of mine, but over the years it’s gotten to a point where many feel like the series has gone downhill. It’s really a rollercoaster ride. One year it could be a great entry and the next it could be Vanguard. It’s hard to put faith into it these days. It feels played out and used up. Hopefully, this Microsoft acquisition will improve the series, but this does sting a little. I am fortunate enough to have both a PS5 and Xbox Series X, but I always prefer my PlayStation as the go to console. It’s been said that the next three CoD titles will be on PlayStation, but I take it with a grain. We thought Starfield was still going to be on PlayStation, but it was yanked and will be an Xbox/PC exclusive. It seems strange to me that after we finally got cross-platform play on consoles, that they would take the franchise away from PlayStation players, especially since we’ve seen MLB The Show become available on Xbox consoles. All of the above said, if Microsoft does end up pulling CoD from PS consoles, I don’t think it will really matter. People won’t leave Sony over CoD. I don’t buy the PlayStation brand so I can play CoD, I buy it for the exclusive titles. Same reason I have an Xbox on the side. There are some games I want to play, but they’re only on Xbox or PC, and my PC is a potato, so there’s that. Personally, I think Microsoft will eventually make CoD a timed exclusive that will release on PlayStation consoles later on. This gives consumers motivation to purchase a new Xbox console and CoD in order to avoid waiting for it to drop on PlayStation. We might just see timed dlc exclusives like the old days (that weren’t that long ago, really) … Read More
Call of Duty Vanguard Review: Part One
Welcome to part one of the Call of Duty Vanguard review here at PS5 Gamers! I’m breaking this down to three parts because each mode is a separate experience and some are clearly better than others. We’re going to start with the worst of the game modes. In my opinion, that would be zombies. I usually compare my Call of Duty reviews to the last 2 titles that have been released, but this has got to be the worst zombies experience in CoD history. It’s hard for me to believe this game was in development for 4 years. I have sunk a lot of hours into zombies for this review and I’m gonna straight up day it sucks! I play with friends, I play with ransoms and solo matches to boot, but it isn’t satisfying to me and many other players I have spoken with about it are in agreement with me. The graphics aren’t that great. The other two modes seem to look a little smoother and polished. I feel like zombies mode was a last minute toss in that has a less than stellar storyline. Zombies aren’t difficult to handle. They seem as dumbed downed as ever and I don’t expect my zombies to be smart, but this is just lame. A lot of times the zombies would start chasing me and then bump into each other and seem to get stuck in place. While that makes for some easy multi kills and easy points, it takes a lot of the thrill away from rounding up a large group and fighting them fairly. Moreover, even without them glitching together, the zombies are too slow and simple. Sure, reaching high level rounds makes them more aggressive, but damn it all, the mode is boring. The controls are fine and I didn’t notice much clunkiness, so I can’t complain about that. The graphics just look like trash to me. This game mode would look amazing on my PS3 back in the day and that’s pretty sad and a little frustrating. I don’t think sledgehammer makes that great of games anyway. They’ve always been ok, but nothing more than that. Audio is pretty good, so there’s little to discuss there. It’s crisp and I can hear the zombies and other sound effects very well. Keep in mind I’m using the PS5 headset with 3D audio, so it’s definitely a lot better than standard tv speakers. While the story is a prequel to the zombies from Black Ops Cold War, which was a decent experience, this one just stinks and it feels unoriginal. Maybe it’s unoriginal to me because it’s a prequel, but there wasn’t much effort put into this one. I don’t write video game scripts, but I could have done a better job than the writers did with this one. I probably won’t play anymore zombies unless a buddy begs me to help them through the higher rounds, but they’re really … Read More
Vanguard: First Impressions
Those of us on PlayStation consoles got a chance to play the Call Of Duty Vanguard alpha over the weekend and while it didn’t offer much selection (it was only an alpha after all), it did give us a birds eye view into what we could expect in November. There are mixed feelings from a lot of players out there and I am no exception. I am not concerned with the graphics of the game. A lot of polishing and some bug fixes isn’t going to change a lot of minds on this one. I’m talking about the advanced weapons in a WWII game. Red dots and holographic sites that are way too advanced for this title. Part of me doesn’t care. I don’t really play cod for its “realism” as much as I play it for what’s not real. It is a video game after all. But what about the players that want to play something true to it’s time? Vanguard is a made up story and we know that, but some folks want the game to be accurate in regards to weaponry. I’ve listened to their arguments and they have some valid points to make based upon their own personal feelings. While I can see where they’re coming from, it won’t change a thing. It is to my understanding that the weapons are advanced in order for them to be usable in Warzone, although I can’t really see that being the case. If the weapons needed to be advanced for Warzone, they could add the attachments into the game separately from Vanguard. I’m no programmer, but I feel like that would be the solution, wouldn’t it? They could integrate both titles without sacrificing one for the other, right? Let me know your thoughts on that, because I am curious about what you think. Maybe I’m giving too much credit to developers? I dunno. Anyway, advanced weaponry aside, we played Champion Hill and it was alright. 2v2 and 3v3 isn’t really my thing. I like larger player counts, but my bias didn’t affect my judgement. I thought they had some cool ideas for what I played. Picking up cash on the ground and hitting the right D-pad button to upgrade my guns was interesting. No building my own loadouts. They gave me what they wanted and I had to work with it. Between rounds we could purchase armor plates, different weapons and support items, etc. It didn’t feel like a call of duty lobby to say the least and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Playing the alpha doesn’t tell me enough about the game on whether or not I should get excited for it. I have a habit of getting excited for CoD and being disappointed after release. Hopefully Vanguard turns out to be something really special, because the Cold War (IMO) was lackluster and missed the mark by a long shot. Are you excited for Call of Duty Vanguard? Let me … Read More
My Call of Duty account was stolen and here’s how I got it back!
Hackers and thieves are a growing problem around the world and coming as no surprise, it’s a growing problem in the game industry. It has been a problem for some time now, but we have definitely reached a point that should push companies to further protect consumers… I’m looking at you Activision. Well, as the headline states, my CoD/Activision account was hacked and stolen from me. Fortunately, it was restored to me a day before the Season 3 in Warzone/Cold War begins, but not without a lot of hassle. Here is my story. I’m getting ready to leave the house and run some errands when my phone starts alerting me of email notifications. I don’t tend to jump when my phone notifies, but I got 4 emails in a row from Activision, so of course I checked it. The first email informed me that my password was changed successfully. The second email informed me that my account was successfully unlinked from my PSN and Xbox accounts (wait, what?). The third email was to let me know my email address changed successfully and the 4th email, well, the 4th took the cake. The 4th email was to inform me of suspicious activity on my account. Thanks Activision! Instead of locking my profile in the first place, you allowed suspicious activity and informed me when it was all over. That is frustrating to me, but it’s Activision, so there’s that. Anyway, I try to log into my account and of course, I cannot, but there is a little banner floating above the page that asks if I need to report suspicious activity and regain my account. Wow! That’s exactly what I need! This should be simple! It was simple, but at the same time, it was quite the empty experience. Last week I published an article about the lack of customer support from Activision and having my account stolen is what actually sparked the theme. I did click on the account recover banner and filled in my information as it required. When I finished, I was informed by the website and email that it would take about 10 business days to finish my inquiry. Well, that took around 14 days and I did get my account back and I immediately updated my security info after the fact, including second step verification. If you’re anything like me, 10 days sounded like a long time to wait and I really just wanted to speak to a customer representative to give me some type of reassurance and possible speed things up a little. My account was obviously stolen and I have all the info I need to prove it, as well as the hackers details as the CoD app kept me logged in and I could see their info. Sadly, there was no one to speak to. Activision ended social media support, most of chat support and the company phone number will just direct you to go back to the website … Read More
Black Ops: Cold War – The Harsh Review
Well, here are. After a month of the initial release, I can confidently share my thoughts on Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War. I wanted to wait long enough for a couple of meaningful patches to update that game and see if the improvements would give it a better review or if the patches would give anything meaningful at all. The verdict? They kind of don’t. I try to keep in mind that this title was originally being made by the developers over at Sledgehammer and that Treyarch was called in to take over 2020’s release one year before the game dropped. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if this game is made up of coding from one studio and mixed from another or if this game was built from the ground up in 12 months. All I know is, something is off about this game. I’m pretty good when I play Black Ops: Cold War. I don’t fare so well when I am obviously playing against a couple of cheaters on the enemy team, but even then, I manage to find ways to shut down the handful of jerks I come across that are using rapid fire mods, wall hacks and aimbots. Cheaters aside, I’m definitely above average with my strategies and gun gameplay. I can’t say I don’t like the game because I do. I like alright, but it is as they say, a step back. Treyarch is known for the more arcade playstyle in their games. You don’t expect too much realism with the fast pace movements, and that’s some of the charm Treyarch offers with their games. Unfortunately, the way the game looks and the long list bugs that dropped upon release and not to mention the large number of map exploits, it is clear that this game wasn’t ready and you know what? I don’t blame Treyarch. I blame Activision. Instead of taking a loss for the year and maybe even using Warzone as a backup for revenue, Activision forced this game out the door and put immense pressure on Developers involved with the game. If this was a launch PS4 title, it would seem to fit right in, but it’s a launch next gen title that was rushed out the door and took away any magic we fans might have seen with the first CoD title on a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. The campaign is ok. The story was kind of dull, but it had it’s fun moments. I completed the story on the default difficulty mode in about 4-5 hours. It felt like I was playing through a bad 80’s action movie. I know that sounds like an insult, but a bad 80’s movie is kind of a compliment since so many of us think fondly on crappy over the top films that have bad writing and even worse dialogue. I guess it’s charming in its own right. I don’t play CoD games for their … Read More
Warzone – Tips for a BR win
So, Warzone has been out for a month today and it should come as no surprise that the free to play title has reached over 50 million unique players thus far. With more Gamers downloading the game everyday, not everyone is prepared for the Warzone. I have put together some of my best tips to try and help out new and not so new players to help give you a little extra edge. Where to drop… This is an interesting topic as some players just want to drop into chaos and start a gun fight as quickly as possible and others like to drop somewhere unpopulated, so they can start looting and try to get a headstart for better weapons and equipment. Idf you’re new to the game, I would suggest taking a look at the map to see where the circle is located. Try dropping just outside of the circle and watch for enemy players to see where they go. This gives you a moment to breathe and pick up items as you decide on your game plan. Once you land… You’ve made it to the ground and it’s time to prepare for battle. Even if you didn’t see enemies dropping into the same site, stay vigilant. You never know when a squad or a solo commando will try and take you out quickly. You’ll want to ransack houses, buildings, whatever you see. As soon as you get your first armor plate, put it on for maximum health. Pick up whatever weapons you think you’ll do best with, but I highly recommend grabbing silenced weapons when possible. This will keep you off the radar and give a good opportunity for a surprise attack. https://youtu.be/39HPo4-MtfU Loudout Drops… perhaps one of the most important tips I can offer in Warzones Battle Royale mode, is grabbing a loadout drop. Loadout drops do come into the game on their own, but I like to buy one in the beginning of the match. A team that works together can easily pool the money together to buy a loadout drop early on. While I personally think loadout drops shouldn’t be a part of the game, they are and if you don’t utilize them, you are at a disadvantage. What should be in your loadout? Well, this is definitely up for debate, but I have a few suggestions that I think work well in the field. As far as weapons go, you should really go with what you are most accurate with. I use the M13 in both BR and Plunder for its incredibly low recoil. Using the perks Cold-Blooded, Ghost and Tracker are a great combo to stay off the radar and move comfortably through the map. Using Tracker can help a lot when trying to pinpoint a diligent enemy, but I also like to switch that out with Tune Up to reduce the revive time by 25%. It really depends on the players I’m partied up with. Slap a Heartbeat Sensor on … Read More