While many will critique the Call of Duty franchise for its annual releases and for what some describe as repetitive gameplay, it is undeniable that most installments to the series have a unique identity and massive differences to their core gameplay formula. Ranging from complete changes to movement systems to more implicit changes to things like scorestreaks, there are many positive and underrated elements of prior CoD titles that are deserving of a revival.
While Call of Duty is boldly limiting itself to the same gameplay for the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 and its two-year life cycle, a lot of attention will be on the next installment of the franchise and the changes that it will have to make to truly stand out. For this uncertain future of the series, it could be wise to borrow the best elements from previous games, even from titles that have perhaps fallen into obscurity within the Call of Duty discourse.
The Perk System From Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: Ghosts can be said to have a very mixed reception when looked back upon by fans of the popular shooter franchise. Releasing in 2013, Ghosts was the first CoD title for the Xbox One and PS4 generation of consoles, impressing fans with the increased scale and detail that this afforded while failing to really establish itself among the most well-received Call of Duty titles.
While the campaign of Call of Duty: Ghosts is remembered fondly by some, so much so that players desire a sequel, the multiplayer of the title is regarded as a generally forgettable experience, bar one particularly underrated aspect of it. The perk system for Call of Duty: Ghosts sees each of the 35 perks in the game be labeled with point values between one and five, with a greater desire and utility for a perk raising the value placed on it.
Players could then have a maximum of 12 perk points to allocate, introducing a level of personal strategy and tactics behind which perks a player should select. While eight points were the standard given amount to spend, a player could raise them to 12 by removing other aspects of their loadout such as a secondary weapon, adding a much-appreciated level of customization to this particular perk system.
It is no secret that the upcoming perk system for Modern Warfare 2 has been a source of controversy to some, with imperative perks such as Ghost only being unlocked as a late-progression "ultimate" perk. This controversy has actually made some fans look back to prior perk systems such as that from Ghosts, meaning that a return to a similar system in the near future would be a very smart move.
The Scorestreaks From Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Arguably, 2014's Advanced Warfare falls into a similar category as the aforementioned Ghosts, being a title that was underappreciated during its day but is now being looked back upon in a fonder light by fans. With its ambitious space setting, all-star cast, and even talks of a sequel to Advanced Warfare spearheaded by Sledgehammer Games, it is clear that there are elements of the title that still hold up well contemporarily.
Within its multiplayer, Advanced Warfare utilized scorestreaks instead of the more traditional killstreaks. Scorestreaks were first introduced with 2011's Modern Warfare 3, and have long been the source of debate among Call of Duty fans. As opposed to the standard killstreak formula of unlocking rewards for a certain amount of kills in a single life, scorestreaks instead account for a player's efforts across all point-earning activities, meaning dedicated objective play can go toward earning a streak in the same way kills can.
While scorestreaks are thankfully an option in the new Modern Warfare 2, Advanced Warfare handled scorestreaks in a decidedly unique and underrated way. As a player leveled up in Advanced Warfare's multiplayer, they unlocked up to three "modules" for their scorestreaks. These modules were added benefits to a scorestreak that came in a variety of manners, drastically increasing the effectiveness of most streaks upon being equipped. Adding a module to a streak would increase the point value needed to unlock a streak in-game, making for a fascinating element of risk vs reward that simply is not present in other less-customizable streak systems.
The Customizable Emblems of Past Call of Duty Titles
One of the seemingly abandoned staples of prior Call of Duty titles is the ability for players to create their own multiplayer emblem via a comprehensive emblem editing system. This take on online emblems was present within the first three Black Ops titles, as well as Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare, but has not appeared in the franchise since.
This prior emblem system afforded a huge amount of customization to players, allowing them to express themselves and flaunt a creation that they had put serious time and effort into. Of course, this level of freedom also fosters room for controversial imagery to be displayed, but the increased efficacy of the systems that could be put in place today could work much better at combating the more negative aspects of this forgotten feature.
With how many consider player profiles to be much more basic and forgettable within more recent Call of Duty titles, the re-introduction of a more highly monitored version of this past emblem creation system could be perfect at revitalizing a sense of in-game community spirit. While the appeal of Call of Duty will seemingly always be present, these relatively underrated features of prior games could help boost the gameplay of future titles, while providing a sense of nostalgic familiarity for past under-appreciated installments.