Call of Duty XP takes place in Los Angeles this weekend, and thousands of fans will hit the show in full stride, taking part in a number of activities. Amongst them is the first chance to try out the multiplayer for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which was finally unveiled after months of anticipation – not to mention worry. After all, some folks were concerned that it would be met with the same negative perception as the initial trailer. However, fans have nothing to worry about, as it’s just as exciting and engaging as it’s ever been, based on what we’ve played thus far.
The first thing you need to know about multiplayer is that it’s all about the rigs, in which you have six to select from. These rigs come with special loadouts that you can choose from, including tech, equipment, and perks. Each one comes with two special abilities that you can use at certain points in the match, once you make enough progress with kills and capturing points, depending on the mode.
The six classes are as follows:
Warfighter – this is a mid-range assault class, ideal for those that are used to the traditional rules of Call of Duty. You’ll be able to utilize a special Claw weapon to neutralize enemies, as well as an overdrive ability to really speed things up.
Stryker – If you’re into tactical support, this rig will do wonders for you, as you’ll be able to activate a gravity vortex gun to throw enemies off, as well as activating a micro-turret that will enable secondary fire as needed.
Phantom – Marksman-style players will be well suited by this class, as you can use a Ballista EM3 to really put a pounding on enemies, as well as a temporary camo ability that enables some well-needed sneaking around.
Merc – If you’re all about firepower and heavy infantry, you’ll want to go with the Merc. Once this is set, you can use the Steel Dragon to deliver the goods on opponents, as well as a bull charge to rampage through several unsuspecting foes, with minimal damage to yourself.
FTL – Those of you with assassin-style skills will want to enlist with the FTL, utilizing the special FTL jump for additional mobility, as well as an Eraser gun that completely eradicates an opponent, body and all. Like they never existed.
Synaptic – Finally, this robot warrior is an ideal choice for those who prefer close-quarters combat, with the ability to use Equalizer and Reaper weaponry, as well as transform into a fast-running killing machine, in a dog-like stance.
The cool thing about these classes is that you can actually switch abilities and certain perks mid-match, in case something doesn’t work for you and you want to try something different before losing the round. (You have to wait for your next spawn for it to take effect, but that doesn’t take too long.)
Multiplayer also sees a huge boost from a variety of weapons, as you’ll be able to use both traditional ballistic weaponry, along with directed energy weapons. This helps mix up the various styles of play within the game, along with the perks, traits and abilities that you can switch up for your individual character. With so many people looking for new ways to get traction out of Call of Duty, this will certainly be useful.
Weapon crafting is also available, as you can skin and modify your guns for peak performance, using a number of perks. What’s more, you can also get various types of items to get more out of your weapons, ranging from common to rare to legendary to epic. Of course, legendary and epic are the more preferred, and will likely be the most preferred by the Call of Duty community.
As for the traits, they vary by character, but a lot of them offer something cool, like creating a black hole that can draw opponents helplessly into it until they’re killed, or a shield emitter that provides protection not only for you, but also members of your team – ideal if you’re trying to gain a capture point on the map.
There are modes aplenty in Infinite Warfare’s multiplayer, including the core eSports modes like Capture the Flag, Kill Confirmed and Team Deathmatch, as well as a great new Defender mode, where you have to track down a drone and keep control of it for a majority of the match. We unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try out this mode, but it looks to be an excellent addition to the Call of Duty fray, based on what we’ve seen.
Oh, and, yes, there are plenty of awesome scorestreaks, including scorchers that can lay waste to opponents quickly, the sweet Warden that flies overhead and fries enemies to a crisp, and many more. Make sure you stock up on these to really give it to opponents.
As for the style of play, Infinite Warfare definitely has the Call of Duty feel nailed down. Some stuff got carried over from Black Ops 3, including wall-running (a useful ability when it comes to sneaking up on enemies) and slides. The new weapons really tie in well with these abilities, making for fast-paced style of play. But be warned – jumping into something like this and then going back to, say, Modern Warfare Remastered, there’s a good chance you might be thrown off. Infinite Warfare takes it to a whole new level.
The maps we saw looked great thus far, but we’ve only seen a small portion of what the final game will offer, between small, tightly-wound maps with closed corridors and larger areas where you can expand your style of team play. They fit right in with the Call of Duty universe, particularly Terminal, which is bound to once again be a fan favorite.
Look for more Call of Duty coverage when Infinite Warfare drops on November 4th. Relax, players, you’ve got nothing to worry about – it’s still a great deal of fun, despite the futuristic touches.
