If there's any video game series that has been truly played out over the years, it has to be Call of Duty. Revitalised in 2007 under the Modern Warfare banner, the series has since become an annualised franchise that has enjoyed massive commercial success and decent critical acclaim, even if criticisms continue that the series is mostly spinning its wheels and failing to innovate. The multiplayer suite is what primarily brings players back, though even with the zany new modes, it's difficult to see it as anything more than an inferior version of Battlefield's more manic and technical multiplayer modes. The upcoming game, Advanced Warfare, sets in motion the new three-year development cycle of the series, with Sledgehammer Games taking the reins this year ahead of Treyarch next year and Infinity Ward the year after. Still, even with the presence of Kevin Spacey, a next-gen facelift and some nifty, futuristic tech, it's hard to build up much enthusiasm around a series that has been coasting for a long time, and doesn't show any signs of truly innovating any time soon. Will we end up buying it? Probably. But we really, really don't need it.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
