Call of Duty has been a pioneer in the first-person shooter gaming scene, and it has produced some iconic weaponry across its numerous installments. War games are only as good as the havoc-wreaking firearms that adorn them, and Activision has done a phenomenal job of crafting some legendary firearms through the years, from Black Ops 3's 205 Brecci to the Akimbo's Model 1887 in the 2009 release of Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was one of the higher-rated games out of the franchise upon its release in 2014, and with rumors of an Advanced Warfare sequel in the works, gamers could do with a little reminder of how legendary a few of the featured weapons were.
As is the case with any sequel, game developers are only interested in retaining the best-performing elements from a previous release, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare provides Activision with quite a few options to bring to life with a modern release. Franchise diehards would eagerly point to the BAL-27 Obsidian Steed as the front-runner for a future remake, and rightfully so, but Sledgehammer Games had some sleeper weapons like the HBRa3 Insanity that could pack a lethal punch and get gamers out of uncomfortable pinches. With the advancements in gaming technology since the 2014 release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, a sequel could further catapult some of these weapons into the spotlight.
BAL-27 Obsidian Steed
The BAL-27 Assault Rifle in Call of Duty was a starting weapon in missions like Fission and Aftermath, and had several variants for players to choose from. The Obsidian Steed, however, was without a shadow of a doubt the most popular and efficient variant of the three available to gamers. The assault rifle was so powerful that Sledgehammer Games had to nerf it to make Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare more realistic. Post-nerf, the weapon was not the best for close-range combat due to its reduced fire rate for the first four shots.
However, the reduced firepower posed no real bother to players, as the BAL-27 Assault Rifle boasts an impressive reload speed. Additionally, the BAL-27 Obsidian Steed has a three-hit kill range extending up to 30 meters and is a four-hit kill long-range weapon. Its killing efficiency makes it one of the best weapons in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
ARX-160 Hole Puncher
Call of Duty fans had used the ARX-160 in earlier installments of the franchise, but Advanced Warfare took things up a notch, highlighting its strengths beautifully, turning the assault rifle into one of the best killing machines in the entire game. The Hole Puncher variant of ARX-160 is particularly deadly at medium to long-range combat, providing gamers with fast, accurate aim despite the increased recoil featured in the weapon. Some would argue the ARX-160 Hole Puncher is the best gun in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and with its impressive Kill-Death ratio, supporters of this weapon wouldn't be far off with their claims. A sequel of Advanced Warfare would be incomplete without this monster of a rifle.
Ameli Heavy
Like the ARX-160, the Ameli made appearances in earlier Call of Duty games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War as a light machine gun. However, for Advanced Warfare, Sledgehammer Games shook things up and changed the Ameli to serve as a Heavy Weapon. The Ameli had three variants in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, of which the Heavy was gamers' favorite due to the ridiculous efficiency on display. The Heavy variant was a guaranteed three-hit kill, regardless of range.
HBRa3 Insanity
The HBRa3 assault rifle may not have been the simplest weapon for new Call of Duty players to master, but the deadly range sported on the Insanity variant made it one of the more popular weapons in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The HBRa3 Insanity required one less shot for a long-range kill, although it had drawbacks like the obstructive iron sights and its incompatibility with optical attachments. FaZe Swagg gave an incidental preview of what the HBRa3 Insanity rifle could look like in a sequel with his recreation in Warzone, and it holds promise for gamers with its firepower.
Pytaek Loophole
High-accuracy shooting makes guns instant favorites with fans, especially in Call of Duty multiplayer modes where a single accurate shot can be the difference between a memorable win and a painful loss. The Pytaek Loophole has an increased hip-fire accuracy, unlike some of its peers in the Heavy Weapon class. Along with the impressive 30% increase in accuracy, the Loophole has an enviable mag capacity of 150 rounds, although the low fire rate might turn off gamers who prefer a cinematic guns-blazing experience.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.