10 Reasons Infinite Warfare Just Killed Call Of Duty
8. The Sci-Fi Style Has Become Dull
On that note, while a lot of fans were immediately turned off by IW's departure into far-flung sci-fi territory, even those who kept an open mind may have been caught off-guard by how surprisingly dull the game's major shift turned out to be.
The series has been venturing into increasingly outlandish, even silly territory in its last three games in particular, with IW touting an over-the-top tone that at least suggests it'll be memorable and the furthest thing from boring.
Oddly, though, even though the visuals do a great job in terms of universe-building, the actual core of the game still feels over-familiar and repetitive, such that the end result is weirdly dull.
The multiplayer aesthetic is grating with its focus on just a few primary colours, while the campaign recycles the same formulaic mission types for the most part. If Sledgehammer Games' next title follows the same template, expect yet another hugely divisive reaction.
When the game's rivals are putting out near-universally acclaimed games, will gamers continue to take punts on a series that is struggling to reinvent itself?