I’ve had some time to really get into Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and what I have come to conclude is that this is quite possibly one of the best Call of Duty titles I have played in a long time. Sure, Black Ops brought a few more mechanics to the series, but Advanced Warfare really brings me back to Modern Warfare 2, which just so happens to be the first in the series that I ever played.

Those who have been following Call of Duty for some time now may feel a little apprehensive about embarking on a new set of missions in the near future. And honestly, I couldn’t blame you. As many game publishers understand all too well, one not-so-well-received game in a series can often do a lot of damage to its reputation.

For a game such as Call of Duty, this can be critical, especially when it is released on a yearly cycle. A change-up with a different developer is just what the series needed. Sledgehammer have taken a well-known brand and added their own flair. Where Treyarch took the series into the future in Black Ops 2, Sledgehammer too have decided to skip a few decades, but have instead focused on a technology that is already being widely developed: the Exosuit. That’s not to say they have stuck with realistic technology, but rather used it as a muse to develop a more grounded futuristic setting.

Used as support for US soldiers, the Exosuit adds a few new game mechanics which have opened up some new ways to traverse the landscape. The fabled double jump is now a reality in the Call of Duty series, allowing you to reach higher locations to get a better sniping vantage point or to simply leap over smaller debris that gets in your way. The double jump works well in both single-player and multiplayer, and I feel it adds another dimension to tactics whilst playing. Some areas which before would have been inaccessible are now fair game, so you need to make sure you’re keeping an eye on all angles. After all, it only takes one sniper to end you.

Using the Exosuit’s boosters, you can also slow your descent. In the opening level you’re faced with what can only be described as a “mahussive” hole in the centre of a building. Ordinarily, gameplay would be broken up to allow you to abseil down the rift in relative safety. Now, however, you jump. By activating the boosters you can slow your descent, allowing you to safely land in one piece. I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty fun. And very well done. Hold the, in my case, Square button when running off the edge and you’ll glide to the other side, allowing you to continue running. I felt this keeps the transitions nice and streamlined, and honestly it works well.

Many Call of Duty veterans will notice the control scheme of AW is pretty much unchanged. Actually, it’s completely the same. Which is great. It means players like myself, who have for the most part missed the last couple of games, can jump back in where we left off and not feel hindered by a forever-changing control system. There have of course been a few additions: the above-mentioned hover and double jump abilities, as well as the new ability to switch your grenades on the fly. I was playing on the PlayStation system, so for me I would hold down the grenade button, either lethal or tactical, and by pressing Square you’ll cycle through the different grenade types. This allows you to adapt to your situation. Enemies in cover? No problem. Throw out a threat grenade to get a layout of enemy locations. Surrounded by bots? Simple, chuck an EMP grenade. These simple additions really help change up the gameplay, and make the player think about the best opportunities presented to them. All guns blazing is not always the best way.

For a lot of the time I wasn’t at home while playing. Fortunately for me I had my PS Vita with me, and armed with the PlayStation 4’s Remote Play ability I wasn’t kept away from the action. I have to say, even on the handheld Advanced Warfare plays great and looks great. Unlike other first-person shooters I have played through the Remote Play feature, I found that I wasn’t struggling to see targets and the control mapping works well. Using the rear touch pad for sprinting and melee attacks, and the bottom corners of the touch screen reserved for grenades, I confess I did not try multiplayer with the Vita, but I do not think it would have posed much of a problem.

I noticed as well that missions don’t always play out the same way. The AI seems more alive, more human than in previous titles in the series. I happened to try one of the missions a few times; the first time I really wasn’t paying attention and stumbled into the enemies’ main area. My team, however, really had my back, taking out bogies left, right and centre. It was as if I had a few human players with me. The next time, however, I decided to take it slow, with the AI acting differently and adapting to how I played. It’s refreshing to know that AI isn’t always a burden.

Multiplayer mainly feels the same as the other titles in the series. Granted, there are some updated weapons to reflect the time period, as well as some new killstreaks. The Exosuits work well, especially with the ability to swap out different power-ups, such as increased health for a short amount of time or the ability to move faster. This, I feel, gives the player the ability to truly customise their playing style. As I mentioned above, the Exosuit’s double jump ability will allow you to reach locations that were previously inaccessible, giving you another tactical advantage or disadvantage depending on how well you utilise the new levels. I have found on numerous occasions players soaring through the open air. Easy targets. I’m not going to lie, I may be guilty of this too.

In addition to the new weaponry and killstreaks, the customisation of your characters has been widened. Like in Ghosts, you get to choose the basic look of your character and as you progress you’ll unlock new clothing and gear, some of which will expire after a certain length of time, and some of which will remain in your inventory indefinitely.

The points-based loadouts are also back, which I really like, I might add, and killstreaks are earned through points rather than kills. So playing the game properly in Capture the Flag, for instance, will earn you points towards your next killstreak. It gives those players, like me, who are not able to get kill after kill without dying, the chance to earn something epic for playing the game as it should be played, instead of camping at a spawn point during an objective-based mode.

The new co-op mode is basically a survival mode. Equipped with your trusty Exosuit, you must survive waves of enemies. Much like the Extinction mode in Ghosts, but you’re not facing waves of relentless alien foes, but instead humans and machines. I felt this mode was more fun with another player. Tackling it on my own wasn’t really my thing. That being said, the game mode is good fun to play, and with a competent team, it’s great to see just how far you can get. Unfortunately, my team, myself included, are not competent!

Looking at Advanced Warfare, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for a movie. The graphics really are that good. The first time I saw Kevin Spacey in-game I was awed by how good he looked. The motion capture team have really done justice to every character. Movements are fluid and natural. Body language is reflected perfectly, and added to the visuals you’re really in for a treat. The power of the next-gen consoles has really been utilised to its fullest. Despite the game being developed for the older systems, this does not seem to have hindered the look or smoothness on the more powerful generation.

Overall, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a fresh new entry to the series. After many felt Ghosts was a step in the wrong direction, AW is three steps in the right direction. For me, the gameplay feels more like Modern Warfare 2, which was my favourite in the series. I was sceptical at first. I felt the move towards a more futuristic style was a mistake, but it was I who was mistaken. The jump was something that was needed for the series, giving it its own characteristic within the FPS genre. Call of Duty has always been its own series, and I don’t think it is fair to compare it to other games in the same genre. Sure, the story mode might be a little short, but it really is enjoyable and is friendly for newer players. You don’t need to have played any of the other games in the series to know exactly what’s going on. If you like first-person shooters, I highly recommend Advanced Warfare. Even if you didn’t enjoy Ghosts, don’t let that put you off.