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Reading time: 4 min Maxime Claudel Maxime Claudel Reading time: 4 min Maxime Claudel Maxime Claudel Nothing is going well in the Call of Duty: Vanguard single-player campaign. From the bland scenario to the mediocre staging, passing through the unremarkable gameplay, the war game is full of faults.

Like many others, the Call of Duty saga only interests me for one thing: the single-player campaign. Each year, it is normally the assurance of living an experience reminiscent of a roller coaster. For five to six hours, we play without thinking and we let ourselves be carried away, like a blockbuster at the cinema. Alas, in 2021, this appointment will be missed. Because Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign mode is a complete failure. I don't even remember having experienced such a mediocre solo for years.

Available since November 5 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Xbox Series X and PC, Call of Duty: Vanguard is developed by Sledgehammer Games. Alternating with the other studios busy with Activision's flagship saga (alongside Treyarch and Infinity Ward), he is responsible for occupying the field for at least twelve months. And, in recent years, Sledgehammer Games has delivered some truly successful campaigns, in the wake of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (carried by actor Kevin Spacey, as the villain). Even his Call of Duty: WWII was convincing in this devilishly effective recipe. For its third episode, the developer is magnifying in large widths.

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Source: Screenshot PS5

Everything wrong with Call of Duty: Vanguard's single-player campaign

Call of Duty: Vanguard begins with a mission on a moving train. Very quickly, we realize that something is wrong. In terms of storytelling, the shooter does the bare minimum, knowing that the mise en scene – normally the strength of Call of Duty – proves nondescript. Therefore, we never feel involved in Vanguard, which allows us to embody several members of an elite unit responsible for overthrowing the Third Reich during the Second World War.

The historical context, already discussed several times in the saga, does not help. We already know this dark period by heart and the plot deployed here is not very striking (we have already forgotten the names of all the heroes).

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Source: Screenshot PS5

Then there is the issue of graphics. Two years ago, Call of Duty began a technical revolution with a brand new engine. At the time, the Modern Warfare episode was stunning. Today, the technology already seems outdated, especially on the most recent consoles (we played it on PlayStation 5). At no time were we overwhelmed by the quality of the rendering. To make matters worse, Call of Duty: Vanguard is paralyzed by several technical issues betraying recessed finishes. We saw a little rabbit disappear after crossing a path (me too, I would have liked to disappear). We saw a pixelated haze like never before. We suffered slowdowns going as far as screen freezes. If not pretty, Vanguard could have at least been solid. Even the artistic direction, which is not very inspired, since it is necessary to get closer to reality, is missed (the fault of poorly controlled lighting).

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Source: Screenshot PS5

The clashes resemble pigeon shooting events

As for the gameplay, there is nothing notable to highlight — except for the feel of the weapons, which are still as irreproachable, and the few skills attached to the various characters that can be played (example: one of them can give some orders to attack positions).

The result is a sum of conventional sequences, at best passable, at worst really questionable (the level in an airplane is horrible to play). Especially since Sledgehammer Games makes no effort to develop the artificial intelligence of the enemies, which transform the clashes into pigeon shooting events. Which isn't very rewarding.

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Source: Screenshot PS5

There are only two missions that save Call of Duty: Vanguard from disaster: those related to Polina Petrova – a Russian sniper who seeks to protect Stalingrad. This heroine, in addition to being very charismatic, is inspired by Lyudmila Pavlichenko (a woman credited with 309 enemies killed and who is logically part of the Heroes of the Soviet Union). It is entitled to the best scenes of the game, both in the situations proposed (there are more aerial sequences on roofs, under heavy fires) than in the way the levels are arranged (more research in the architecture) or still the stakes (more privacy). As if Sledgehammer Games had focused all of its intent on two chapters. In the end, they only represent a parenthesis in an immense Calvary. And if you buy Call of Duty every year for its single player mode, we will advise you to pass your turn.

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