Nerds That Geek Game Review - 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare'

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

It's an interesting and tumultuous time for the Call of Duty franchise. This beloved saga, one that inspires people to line up in droves for hours on end at midnight release parties to take home the latest and greatest adventure in the series, is taking some serious heat from the fans this year, and all of it seems to be directed at the latest entry in the series, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

The disdain for this particular story started off earlier in the year with the release trailer receiving a ridiculous amount of dislikes on YouTube (3,400,689 dislikes to date) and that 'dislike' translated into disappointing sales numbers out of the gate, which left me, a long time fan of the franchise wondering...was the game worth my time or not? 

Which meant the only way to find out for certain was to pick up the game and give it a try and well, when all is said and done, I don't understand the ire that this game received because holy cow...this is one impressive ride. For starters, while all the familiar tropes and designs of the COD franchise are present, in many ways this doesn't feel like a COD game in the slightest. Much of that can be attributed to the vastly different storyline present in this game, one set far in the future where mankind has colonized other worlds and those other worlds now view Earth as the enemy. It's a story that feels like classic science fiction come to life and it's one that instantly draws you in.

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But perhaps what I appreciated most about the story, is the fact that in many ways this game pays tribute to some of the classics that come before it and every single time my character stepped into the cockpit of his fighter before being sent out into space, I was instantly reminded of Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom and that sense of nostalgia adds an extra layer to an already incredible gaming experience. 

Speaking of that experience, let's take a moment and talk about the graphics in this game as well because holy cow...they're absolutely breathtaking. There were literally moments that I found myself just standing there while the action or plot unfolded around me to simply gaze at the red spot of Jupiter or the rings of Saturn because the graphics are simply that good and there's a real thrill in being able to duke it out for the future of humanity on these alien worlds and combat is where the everyday COD fan will find their fix because all the familiar fun and controls the series makes use of are found here, making the game accessible to gamers of all skill levels. 

But, when you take into consideration the stunning plot, top notch acting and wonderful graphics, one still has to wonder why the hardcore fans of this franchise seemingly wrote this game off in their minds and well...after digging into the interwebs the consistent theme I discovered was that this game being set in the future seemed to irritate the fans. So one has to wonder if the next COD will be set in present day since hey, sales/money do talk and the fans did send a message when it comes to this release. But in the meantime, I know I'm going to enjoy this little slice of science fiction, one filled with dystopia where mankind's conflicts continue because this really is one incredible game and I hope others give it a chance and discover its wonder as well.

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