If you’ve played a Call Of Duty campaign in the last decade, Call Of Duty: Vanguard does not bring anything new to the trip. This is the familiar World War 2 fun space where you’re driven through artillery barrages and mowing down its mole-like enemies. By the time you leave, it’s all blurred into an unforgettable experience. How can you appear shellhocked, when you’ve seen it all before?
The campaign sees a group of soldiers from various allied nations teaming up to form Task Force One, an unruly special forces unit brought to life thanks to excellent animation and voice acting. great. When it all started, Nazi Germany was on the verge of defeat, but there was this secret plan to keep the Empire alive. Task Force One must unearth this plot and set it on fire.
Each member of Task Force One is inspired by real-life World War 2 heroes. They are all strong-willed and check the boxes for an ‘entertainment cast’: some boisterous, some leading, some quiet, etc. There are jokes and arguments. and each has their own set of skills. In many ways, they are reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy, only with much more mundane superpowers.
Though I wouldn’t say that the story runs quite as smoothly as a Marvel movie. As the One Inch Task Force moves toward its goal in the present, you’re steadily drawn into the origin story of each team member. Without these flashbacks, the game wouldn’t last more than 30 minutes; The past makes up the bulk of the story.
Of all the heroes, Polina Petrova, a Russian sniper, gives the most interesting story. You are transported back to the Battle of Stalingrad, where family comforts are quickly torn apart by the chaos of the German invasion. Wade Jackson, a brilliant fighter pilot, also has some standout moments in Battle Of Midway. A mix of dogfights, intense jungle encounters, and great collaboration with the 93rd Infantry Division, the US military’s “black” isolated unit.
Vanguard’s campaign is at its best as it mixes things up with parts of stealth and vehicle combat. The quiet moments also help humanize characters like Polina, her family, and ordinary people trapped in the horrors of war. There’s this little bit where you share some coffee with her family. One of those places where you move on rooftops and bump into friendly neighbors. In another scene, you follow a Nazi leader with only a knife in hand, as you dip yourself between broken bookshelves and discarded mannequins.
Speaking of which, each member of Task Force One actually has a ‘superpower’ – I’m not kidding. Polina moves faster when crouching and can climb well. Wade can activate a “Focus” mode that slows down time and automatically targets enemies. Others like Riggs can swap between different explosives, and Kingsley can command soldiers to distract or attack things. They’re okay, just not as interesting.
Sometimes the game gives you options. You can go stealthy and stab people in the back, or you can shoot every shot. But that’s to the extent that the game will allow you to push its limitations. This is a campaign as linear as possible. There are no backtracking lights or optional targets or even collections to find here. I wanted a smooth ride, but this is one of those things that you’ve tightened too. The environment is really nice, but it’s a pity that they don’t let you explore them. There were times when I was ahead of the target marker, waiting for my teammates to catch up. It’s like I took the previous train.
And even if Vanguard mixes things up, it’s doing them the way we’ve seen countless times in previous Call Of Duty games. When it wants to slow things down, your character will get caught in an explosion and wake up by a soldier pulling you to your feet. Or you may have to follow someone’s lead as you wind through some enemies. If a new relationship is budding, it will likely end with your partner getting a bullet in the chest. Mark, mark, and mark.
This is a pity, as Call Of Duty has shown it can bring interesting things in military missions. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare there’s that awesome level of Clean House, turning an ordinary home into an intense exercise in activation discipline. Black Ops’ Cold War has a branching story, with important decisions leading to different endings. Vanguard doesn’t seem to mind holding the baton, if anything, you can feel free to skip the race altogether.
Call Of Duty: Vanguard’s campaign has its moments, but in the end, it feels pretty forgettable. This is a COD cookie cutter organized by a strong cast of characters. Good if you want a few hard and messy hours in World War 2, but that’s a lot of yours.
