| Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Infinity Ward |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Director | Jordan Hirsh |
| Producer | Jack Hara |
| Designers |
|
| Programmer | Daniel Nelson |
| Artists |
|
| Writers |
|
| Composer | Sarah Schachner |
| Series | Call of Duty |
| Engine | IW 7.0 |
| Platforms | |
| Release | November 4, 2016 |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a 2016first-person shooter game developed byInfinity Ward and published byActivision. It is the thirteenth installment in theCall of Duty series and was released worldwide forPlayStation 4,Windows, andXbox One on November 4, 2016.
Development ofInfinite Warfare began during 2014. It is the first title by Infinity Ward under the new three-year development cycle for theCall of Duty series. The game's campaign is centered around a war for theSolar System, which the Settlement Defense Front (SDF), a hostile force who are the main antagonists, are attempting to take over. The player takes control of Lieutenant Nick Reyes of the Special Combat Air Recon (SCAR). They have their own transforming fighter, named "Jackal", that they can customize as well as a central hub ship namedRetribution.
Infinite Warfare's announcement trailer was noted for its strong negative reaction; at the time, it was the second-most disliked video onYouTube. Commentators attributed this toCall of Duty fans expressing frustration at the sci-fi direction the series had taken, specifically that the game and its predecessors had futuristic settings. The game received generally positive reviews upon release, receiving praise for its gameplay, characters, and Zombies mode, but criticism for its multiplayer mode, while its single-player campaign received mixed opinions. It was named as Best Shooter atE3 byGame Informer and was nominated for several awards. WhileInfinite Warfare underperformed in sales compared to previousCall of Duty titles, it was both the top-selling game in the US and UK in November 2016.
Special editions ofInfinite Warfare were released with aremastered version ofCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, titledCall of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
Similar to the previous games in the series,Infinite Warfare is afirst-person shooter. As the game introduces a new setting,outer space, new gameplay mechanics, such aszero-gravity environments, are included.[1][2][3] Players are equipped with a boost pack, and agrappling hook, which allow players to move in these zero-gravity environments easily. As the game is set in space, players can visit different planets, satellites and asteroids in theSolar System.[4]
Assuming control of Captain Nick Reyes, a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot, players engage inaerial combat with enemies using his transforming fighter, the Jackal.[5] Aerial combat is not on-rail, as players can freely control the Jackal with few limitations. According 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 space combat and boots-on-the-ground combat is seamless with noloading screen.[7]
Players gain access to Retribution, a central hub world. In Retribution, players can view their progression, and start main campaign missions, and secondary quests called "Ship Assaults" which gives them cosmetic and customization items, upgrades to the Jackal, as well as new story details.[8][9] Reyes also has a wrist computer, which allows him to hack into enemies' gadgets and machines such as robots. It can also be used to call in reinforcements at some campaign scenarios.[4] The game also features two new difficulty modes, Specialist and #YOLO, unlockable after initial completion of the campaign. In the former mode, health regeneration does not occur without Nano Shots, and weapons can be shot out from players' hands. Reyes' movement will be hindered if his legs are shot by enemies. In the latter mode, which also implements the same features from Specialist, when players die,they need to restart the game rather than restarting fromcheckpoints.[10]
Infinite Warfare introduces a major overhaul to the class system called the "Combat Rigs". Similar to the Specialist system inBlack Ops III, there are six rigs in total, being Warfighter, Merc, FTL, Stryker, Phantom and Synaptic. All of which have different payloads, weapons, abilities and playstyles. For example, the Synaptic rig is designed for players who prefer torun and gun, while the Phantom rig is suited for players who want to playstealthily. Players can also gain access to several persistent perks, known as "Traits", which give players advantages in certain combat situations. Additionally, the game retains the chain-based momentum movement system ofBlack Ops III, allowing players to perform thrust jumps, sliding, and wallrunning.[11]
The game features hundreds of both primary and secondary weapons. Players can gain access to several types of weapons, including traditional ballistic weapons and melee weapons, futuristic energy weapons, and different kinds of grenades, such as the Seeker Grenade and the Black Hole Grenade. Players can add attachments on them to enhance their efficiency. The game also introduces a new weapon crafting system. In a multiplayer match, players earn "Salvage" points, which can be consumed to purchase Prototype Weapons, variants of existing in-game weapons. For each gun, there are four types of prototypes, classified into four groups, namely Common, Rare, Legendary and Epic, all of which grant players gameplay advantages known as the "Gun Perks".[12] Scorestreaks return inInfinite Warfare for players who have earned sufficient points in a match. Scoresteaks offer players perks such as the ability to deployUAV and counter-UAV, and the ability to summon a R-C8 robot, an armored robot designed to defend the player and kill other opponents.[13]
The game also features acooperative multiplayer Zombies mode, which has its own gameplay mechanics and story, separate from the campaign.[6] The mode is designed to be more accessible to new players, with new features such as sharing points and teambuy doors, as well as keeping the core gameplay of the mode intact, such as perks and power-ups. A new feature, Fate and Fortune Cards, is introduced similarly to the Gobblegums inCall of Duty: Black Ops III; the cards offer temporary boosts in-game to the players, but unlike Gobblegums they are activated through point earning, and players can select any of the five cards they have equipped at any time, not one at a time like the Gobblegum machine. After initial use of five cards, players can refill their card deck for a price up to two times in a match. Unlike the campaign and multiplayer modes, Zombies is not themed in space combat, and retains the normal movement system.
Infinite Warfare takes place in the distant future after Earth'snatural resources are exhausted due topopulation growth and industry. Nations unite to form the United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA), overseeing trade, travel, andspace colonization. Earth's residents depend on colonies elsewhere in theSolar System for resources, attracting radicals who aim to control these outposts, thereby risking conflict. The Solar Associated Treaty Organization (SATO) defends Earth and UNSA. Before the game, a hostile faction called the Settlement Defense Front (SDF) emerges onMars, a totalitarian group of former UNSA colonies. After years of conflict, relations worsen, risking war across the Solar System.
As the newly appointed captain of the UNSA WarshipRetribution, Commander Nick Reyes (Brian Bloom), aTier 1 Special Operations pilot of the Special Combat Air Recon (SCAR), is tasked to lead a crew to defeat the Settlement Defense Front on Earth, as well as journey toouter space and across other planets in the system using space-based fighter craft, referred to as Jackals, to stop the Front from taking over the entire Solar System.[9] Assisting Reyes in the fight against the SDF are his mentor Admiral Fredrick Raines (John Marshall Jones), Reyes' wingman and best friend Lieutenant Nora Salter (Jamie Gray Hyder), his robot sidekick E3N "Ethan" (Jeffrey Nordling), and the SATO Marines including Staff Sergeant Usef Omar (David Harewood), Corporal Sean Brooks (Jason Barry) and Private Todd Kashima (Eric Ladin). Other notable allies includeRetribution Navigator Victor "Gator" Diallo (Omid Abtahi),Tigris warship captain Maureen Ferran (Claudia Christian), andRetribution Chief Engineer Audrey "Mac" MaCallum (Claudia Black). Facing Reyes and his allies in battle is the commander of the starshipOlympus Mons, and leader of the SDF, Rear Admiral Salen Kotch (Kit Harington), and his senior commander Akeel Min Riah (Jim Pirri).[14]UFC fighterConor McGregor makes a cameo appearance as SDF Captain Bradley Fillion, whileFormula One driverLewis Hamilton appears asRetribution Electro-technical Officer Carl Hamilton.
Sometime in the distant future, a UNSAspace forces team is sent to a secret UNSA weapons research facility onEuropa where a prototype weapon is being developed, resulting in the SDF seizing the installation. The UNSA team recovers the prototype and initiates the facility's self-destruct, but are captured by the SDF and subsequently executed by Admiral Kotch.
On Earth, Reyes tells Admiral Raines that the SDF attack is a declaration of war, and UNSA should respond, but Raines refuses because the leaders want to avoid escalation, especially during Fleet Week inGeneva, where all the UNSA ships are gathered. Reyes joins Salter and tests the experimental E3N for evaluation. Suddenly, SDF hijacks UNSA AATIS cannons and fires on the fleet, while an SDF force invades Geneva. Reyes fights to the AATIS control tower, disables the cannons, and captures Riah, the SDF spy. He then joins the surviving ships against the SDF fleet until the SDF flagship,Olympus Mons, arrives and destroys the ships before retreating with only two ships surviving: the carrierRetribution, where Reyes is, and the destroyerTigris.
Upon landing on theRetribution, Reyes learns that both the ship's captain and the executive officer were killed in battle, making him the highest-ranking officer and itsde facto captain. Admiral Raines promotes Reyes to commander and orders him to retake the cargo port on theMoon from the SDF. After liberating the Moon, Reyes is tasked with delaying the SDF until the UNSA can rebuild its fleet. He can then undertake optional missions to attack key SDF targets and a refueling tower onTitan, crippling the SDF's fuel supply. Reyes and Ethan nearly perish during the latter mission, but are rescued by theTigris. Later, he investigates a disturbance at an asteroid mining station near Mercury, only to find it was a diversion while the SDF destroys theTigris, leaving theRetribution as the only remaining UNSA ship.
Learning that Riah is carrying a beacon meant to signal the main SDF fleet to invade Earth, Reyes devises a plan to use the beacon to lure the SDF fleet right into the still-operational AATIS guns. The plan backfires when Riah escapes, destroys the AATIS guns, and kills himself to trigger the beacon. The SDF arrives, and theOlympus Mons destroys the UNSA headquarters, killing Admiral Raines.
With no other options, Reyes boards and seizes theOlympus Mons. Enraged, Kotch sets his ship to self-destruct, aiming to destroy Geneva and weaken SATO. Reyes fights to the bridge, kills Kotch, and stops the self-destruct. He then takes theOlympus Mons andRetribution toMars, planning to destroy the SDF's orbital shipyard and fleet. TheOlympus Mons is heavily damaged, with weapons unusable. Reyes orders it to ram the shipyard, causing theRetribution to also sustain damage and drift into theOlympus Mons flight path. Both ships crash onto Mars, leaving the shipyard intact.
Reyes, realizing they cannot return to Earth, rallies theRetribution crew for a final attack on the shipyard. Most are killed, but Reyes, Salter, Ethan, and a few others reach the shipyard, commandeer a destroyer whose weapons are disabled and mooring clamps locked. Ethan sacrifices himself to destroy the moorings, while Reyes unlocks the weapons and orders Salter to destroy the shipyard. Salter reluctantly opens fire, ejecting Reyes into space. Reyes watches the shipyard explode before shrapnel punctures his suit, causing him to suffocate.
Later, the UNSA honors Reyes and theRetribution crew for destroying the SDF shipyard, calling it a decisive victory that wiped out the SDF. Salter, one of four survivors, salutes a Geneva war memorial listing all UNSA soldiers killed, including Reyes.
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Zombies in Spaceland" | November 4, 2016 (2016-11-04) | |
Some time before the events of the game, horror film director Willard Wyler lost his wife Alexandra to leukemia, straining his relationship with his daughter Winona. Wyler later made a deal with the demonicMephistopheles, and unwillingly became his servant, forced to collect souls by sending them intoalternate dimensions formed from his films, leading them to their deaths by monsters of his creation. Over time, Wyler felt guilt for condemning countless victims, including Winona, to their doom, and secretly forms a plan to recruit actors who could enter his films and fight back, free Wyler from his prison, and defeat Mephistopheles. After decades of elusive retirement, Wyler prepares for his comeback into the movie business. He invites four aspiring actors — Andre Wright, Aaron "A.J." Jordaniels, Poindexter Zittermann, and Sally Simpson — to his theater for an audition, but unbeknownst to them, he intends to trap the four inside one of his own movies, "Zombies in Spaceland". The four actors find themselves in an 80's theme park, dressed as archetypes of the era. As the four try to survive the oncoming zombie horde, they find unexpected help from famous actorDavid Hasselhoff, who is also trapped in the movie as hisKnight Rider characterMichael Knight. With Hasselhoff's aid, the four actors manage to fend off the undead, much to Wyler's chagrin, and discover a piece of an artifact known as the Soul Key. | |||
| 2 | "Rave in the Redwoods" | January 31, 2017 (2017-01-31) | |
As the actors attempt to escape, they instead find themselves in another one of Wyler's films, "Rave in the Redwoods", set in a '90s campsite in theRedwood National and State Parks, where they go up against hordes of undead raver teenagers andsasquatches. As the actors traverse across the campsite, they encounter directorKevin Smith, who has also been trapped here for an amount of time with his friendJason Mewes. Kevin reveals that Jason died prior to the actors' arrival in the film at the hands of the chainsaw-wielding Slasher, who lurks around the campsite. The actors help Kevin recover his memory, and convince him to help them escape the film. However, the group soon uncovers through the memories that Jason, along with various other victims associated with Wyler, was killed by Kevin who was unknowingly the Slasher all along. Kevin, as he fully recovers his memories, is forced to transform into the Slasher to kill the actors, but is defeated. | |||
| 3 | "Shaolin Shuffle" | April 18, 2017 (2017-04-18) | |
The actors retrieve the second piece of the Soul Key, and are immediately warped into Wyler's third film, "Shaolin Shuffle", set in the backdrop of a '70sNew York City. The group, now dressed in 70s apparel, find help from actressPam Grier, who operates a martial arts dojo in the film. Pam assists the actors in fighting Wyler's zombie horde, by giving them special martial arts skills and training. The group encounter Arthur McIntosh, a failed businessman who after consuming a mysterious chemical became the Rat King, capable of controlling sewer rats at his will. The actors and Pam battle McIntosh and manage to kill him, while also retrieving the third piece of the Soul Key. | |||
| 4 | "Attack of the Radioactive Thing" | July 6, 2017 (2017-07-06) | |
The four actors are then teleported into Wyler's fourth film, "Attack of the Radioactive Thing", set in a 1950s beach area affected by a radioactive experiment. The actors encounter horror film hostess Elvira, who is also trapped inside this film, and proceed to assist her in her plan to foil Wyler's scheme. Together, they battle against a combined force of zombies as well as mutant crab-frog fusions and a giant radioactive beast dubbed Crogzilla. The crew assemble anuclear bomb and detonate it inside the Crogzilla's belly, blowing it to bits. They then retrieve the fourth piece of the Soul Key inside the Crogzilla's eye. | |||
| 5 | "The Beast from Beyond" | September 12, 2017 (2017-09-12) | |
The four actors are then teleported into the final film, "The Beast from Beyond", as they arrive at a futuristic military station on an ice planet, where they battle against the Cryptid aliens from theExtinction series, as well as a mixture of zombies from the previous four films. After fighting against a herd of Cryptids, the four retrieve the final piece of the Soul Key, and are seemingly teleported back to Wyler's theater, where he joyfully greets them. Without letting him explain himself, the four actors furiously send Wyler back into the Spaceland movie using his own method, but ultimately realize they have become slaves to the demon Mephistopheles in Wyler's place. Mephistopheles himself appears in front of the four actors, and threatens to consume their souls; the four then arm themselves for a final battle against the demon. After seemingly winning against him, the four are teleported back to the theater, but still find themselves unable to escape. In reality, it is revealed that they are already trapped inside the Soul Jar, which contains pocket universes representing the theater as well as each of Wyler's films. Meanwhile, Wyler enlists Hasselhoff's help in Spaceland once more in an attempt to escape the movie. He reunites with the four actors and reconciles with them as all five begin to plot their next move. | |||
I want people to play our new game and say, 'Wow, I haven't seen [Call of Duty] change that much sinceCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
In 2014,Activision announced a three-year development cycle for theCall of Duty series, in whichInfinity Ward,Sledgehammer Games andTreyarch would take turns in releasing aCall of Duty video game every year so as to extend each game's development time.[15]Infinite Warfare is the third and the last game in the first cycle, and it is the first video game developed by Infinity Ward since 2013'sCall of Duty: Ghosts.[6] Development for the game dates as far back as 2014.[16] According to Infinity Ward, the development team added many new ideas to the game, and put emphasis on the game's storytelling.[17] The team chose space as the game's setting as they believed that it can introduce new environments to players. To make the game more realistic, Infinity Ward had consulted several military experts.[7][18] The team also wants to start anInfinite Warfare sub-series.[19]
In February 2016, Activision announced that Infinity Ward would be the lead developer of 2016'sCall of Duty game.[20]Infinite Warfare was officially confirmed by Activision when they announced that the company would not have a booth atE3 2016, and that their products would be shown through their partner,Sony Interactive Entertainment.[21] Activision teased the game with a video, titled "Know Your Enemy", and a new ending forBlack Ops III's "Nuk3town" map, which shows a giant airship on top of the map.[22][23] The game was leaked via PlayStation Store on April 26, and the first trailer was revealed unofficially viaHulu prior to the game's official announcement.[24][25]
In May 2016, Activision released the official announcement trailer for the game, a week after they trademarked the name of the game.[6][26] The trailer of the game was officially revealed through a live-stream onTwitch.[27] As part of the reveal, Activision ran a social media game using aFacebook chat bot, which tasks the player to decode a message.[28] Aremastered version ofCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, entitledModern Warfare Remastered, was released onPlayStation 4,Xbox One and PC alongsideInfinite Warfare, only available with the purchase of either the Legacy, Digital Deluxe or Legacy Pro edition ofInfinite Warfare.[29] The first public piece of gameplay for theInfinite Warfare campaign was revealed as a trailer during theSony press conference at E3 2016.[30][31] A gameplay video of the "Black Sky" campaign mission was revealed atSan Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2016. Also revealed was the "Terminal" map pre-order bonus for customers who pre-orderedInfinite Warfare.[32]
In August 2016, Activision sent mysterious metal packages to YouTubers in theCall of Duty community. Each came with a combination lock and a countdown timer. A code was sent to all recipients to open the boxes once the timer reached 1 minute.[33] Each box contained a variety of 80's-themed apparel, plus a cassette player and a VHS tape, which contained the reveal trailer for Zombies in Spaceland.[34] An HD version of the trailer was released hours after, along with a reveal of the game's new mechanics, as well as the "Zombies in Spaceland" bonus preorder pack, which contains a weapon camouflage, an animated player card, as well as a "Fate and Fortune Card Pack" for use in the Zombies mode.[35] The official reveal ofInfinite Warfare's multiplayer mode took place during theCall of Duty XP 2016 convention, which was held in early September 2016.[36][37]
A multiplayer beta for people who pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 version of the game began on October 14. An Xbox One beta began on October 21, and the PC version did not have a beta.[38] The beta concluded on October 24.[38]
Players who purchased the season pass, whether it be separately or with certain special editions of the game, were to receive all four DLC packs forInfinite Warfare, released in four different waves during 2017, for a slightly discounted price (compared to that of all DLC packs purchased separately). Season pass holders were to also receive 1,000 Salvage credits, the game's in-game currency, and 10 rare qualitysupply drops at the game's launch.[39] The first DLC pack, namedSabotage, was available to PS4 players on January 31, 2017, and to Xbox One and PC players on March 2, 2017.[40] The pack includes the new Zombies map Rave in the Redwoods, as well as four new multiplayer maps: Noir, Renaissance, Neon, and Dominion (remade from the MW2 map Afghan).[40] The second map pack,Continuum, was released on PS4 on April 18, 2017, and on Xbox One and PC on May 18, 2017; the map pack includes four MP maps: Turista, Scrap, Archive, Excess (a remake of the MW2 map Rust), and one Zombies map, Shaolin Shuffle. The third map pack,Absolution, was released on PS4 on July 6, 2017, and on Xbox One and PC on August 8, 2017; the map pack features the Zombies map Attack of the Radioactive Thing and four MP maps: Permafrost, Fore, Bermuda and Ember (a remake of the MW3 map Resistance). The final map pack,Retribution, was released on PS4 on September 12, 2017, and features the final Zombies episode The Beast from Beyond, as well as four MP maps: Carnage, Altitude, Depot 22 and Heartland (a remake of the Ghosts map Warhawk).
In addition to map packs,Infinite Warfare also feature announcer voice packs, replacing the regular voice over in multiplayer with other voices. A voice pack called "UK Special Forces" was released for free to all players, featuring the voice of actorCraig Fairbrass (also known for his role as Gaz inModern Warfare, Ghost inModern Warfare 2, Wallcroft inModern Warfare 3, and Tee inInfinite Warfare). Other voice packs feature various celebrities, including rapperMethod Man, YouTuber Ozzy Man Reviews, and comedianKen Jeong.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 73/100[41] (PS4) 77/100[42] (XONE) 78/100[43] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Games Magazine | 6.5/10[44] |
| Destructoid | 7/10[45] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 3/5[46] |
| Game Informer | 9/10[47] |
| GameRevolution | 4/5[48] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[49] |
| GamesRadar+ | 4/5[50] |
| GamesTM | 5/10[51] |
| Giant Bomb | 3/5[52] |
| IGN | 7.7/10[53] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 48/100[54] |
| Polygon | 8.5/10[55] |
| Push Square | 6/10[56] |
| VideoGamer.com | 9/10[57] |
Upon release of the initial trailer, the game was heavily criticized by the community for being too futuristic. The consensus held was that this had stemmed from frustration with the current direction of the franchise, as consecutive installments released in the past few years had been set in future settings and narratives.[58][59] In response to the criticism, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg stated that he knew "that there are people in our community who are nostalgic for the 'boots-on-the-ground-style gameplay' ... [but] ... we also have millions of people in our community who want to have new innovative experiences in the game each year andInfinite Warfare is going to deliver that." He also stated thatCall of Duty: Black Ops II, whose trailer also received its fair share of dislikes, would go on to become the best-sellingCall of Duty game at the time.[60] As of June 30, 2021[ref], the trailer has received more than 3.95 million dislikes and is the25th-most-disliked video on YouTube.[61][62][63]
Despite its pre-release criticism,Infinite Warfare was named Best Shooter at E3 byGame Informer.[64] At the 2016Game Critics Awards for the best of E3, the game was nominated for Best Action Game,[65] but lost to rival gameBattlefield 1.[66]
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare received "generally favorable" reviews for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the PC version received "mixed or average" reviews, according toreview aggregator websiteMetacritic.[41][42][43]
IGN gave the game a 7.7 out of 10 stating; "Despite its shift to interplanetary combat,Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a generally fun but inessential shooter."[53]Trusted Reviews awardedInfinite Warfare 4 and a half out of 5 stars, reasoning; "A solid campaign and the excellent "Zombies" mode will see people stick around for a good while".[67]
The single-player campaign received mixed reviews.Trusted Reviews praised it as the latest example of the improving quality ofCall of Duty campaigns in recent years, complimenting the "immersive experience" thanks to an almost complete lack ofloading screens, although they felt the narrative was "a bit thin".[67]GamesRadar+ praised the dark and realistic tone, and thought the game was a departure from the typical sense of heroism in the series.[50]Game Informer thought thatInfinite Warfare still included some of the series' usual elements but carried greater emotional weight than its predecessors.[47] The story and characters received particular praise;Polygon andGameRevolution write the characters were the "strongest" and "most memorable" in the series, withPolygon feeling the writing for aCall of Duty campaign had never been bettered.[48][55]IGN appreciated the dialogue and cast performances.[53]GameSpot also praised the characters and compared the game's structure to a film, in contrast to past instalments that felt like an episodic series.[49]GamesTM criticized the lack on interactions during the sequences in single-player.[51] Push Square called the game's single-player "stellar", though stated that multiplayer had come "crashing down" and that adding microtransactions is unacceptable.[56]
EGM, however, panned the narrative as one of the worst they'd experienced in some time; they criticized the characterization of Kotch and Kit Harrington's "lifeless acting", as well as the supporting characters' arcs that they felt were "rushed to an uncomfortable degree"; bothEGM andIGN highlighted an example when Omar expresses his dislike of Ethan, but has bonded with him without explanation by the next mission.[46][53]IGN wrote the campaign was "slow and plodding" and only marginally better thanCall of Duty: Ghosts, which they saw as a low point of the franchise.[53]Destructoid called the campaign "average", thinking only fans ofMass Effect andsci-fi would be swayed by it.[45]
Game Informer was pleased from a perception that the "frenetic" movement of gameplay in recentCall of Duty installments had been toned down forInfinite Warfare and harkened back to the series' older style.[47] WhileEGM enjoyed the variety of gameplay in space, they felt that at times it was unclear as to where the player was meant to go or what their objectives were.[46]Destructoid felt that some of the gadgets used in the game were more entertaining in multiplayer.[45] The game's multiplayer was criticized byTrusted Reviews, writing they were saddened that it was not on par with previous entries.[67]
Jeff Gerstmann said in their review forGiant Bomb that the game is "not long or replayable enough to warrant a full-priced purchase on its own".[68]
Cole Watson in their review forComputer Games Magazine saidCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare is "the most disappointing multiplayer shooter" they had played in recent memory.[44]
Infinite Warfare sold 1.8 million copies in its first week in the United States.[69] However, overall sales were down 50% compared to 2015'sCall of Duty: Black Ops III.[70][71][72] Activision was reported to be expecting sales to be down due to the fact thatInfinite Warfare was going to be a "new sub-series" and that theBlack Ops name carried brand weight with it.[73][74] Despite slow initial sales,Infinite Warfare was the top-selling game in the US in November 2016.[75][76] Activision reported in February 2017 that the game missed their sales expectations with one of the reasons cited being that the game "didn't resonate with fans".[77]
The PlayStation 4 version sold 105,764 copies within its first week on sale in Japan, making it the bestselling game of the week in the country.[78]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Game Critics Awards 2016 | Best Action Game | Nominated | [79][80] |
| 2017 | 15th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project | Nominated | [81] |
| Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project | ||||
| 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Character(Nick Reyes) | Nominated | [82] |
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