Activision and Infinity Ward opted for a 2v2 match between Call of Duty influencers for our first look at true Call of Duty: Modern Warfare gameplay. Here’s over an hour’s worth of gameplay from one of their perspectives.
Gunfight’s 2v2 mode gives us a small glimpse of what Activision is calling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s “multiplayer universe.” A full reveal is coming on August 1.
A few things stand out from the gameplay footage.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a looker. The Call of Duty franchise was never an ugly game, but it has felt a step behind from other games. Even with the compressed Twitch stream footage, the new engine (more like an engine overhaul) is a much more significant visual leap than we traditionally see from yearly Call of Duty games.
The animations, movement, and recoil look more tactical than what we’re used to seeing in the franchise. Again, it’s hard to say for sure until I play it, but you can see lots of folks already making a comparison to Rainbow Six Siege. I doubt, Infinity Ward leans that far into tactical gameplay – but it’s undeniable that the animations are a step above what we usually see.
I like the smaller scope of the Gunfight mode. Usually, I’m all for games pushing the limits of what’s possible as far as player count goes. But having a mode like Gunfight on the side is also great. Maybe it’s because I play an absolute ton of Doubles on Rocket League, but I enjoy not having to worry about matching up with randoms or carrying a team. I love Battlefield, but losing a 30-minute match of Conquest because most of my team didn’t even show up isn’t fun.
Having only you and a friend playing means you can only blame yourselves if you mess up. And it gives you something to enjoy while you wait for the rest of your squad to jump on.
It would have been easy for Infinity Ward to lean all the way into Battle Royale, but they’re not. They’re taking time and dev resources to focus on modes that might not seem popular at first glance, but could be the one you end up playing the most. And with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare getting cross play, any mode should always have people playing it.
Who knows if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be good or not, but it at least looks like the franchise is willing to take more chances this year. We’ll know much more about what it’ll offer when the full multiplayer reveal happens on August 1.