Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

"Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare returns to the roots of the franchise with large-scale war and a focus on cinematic, immersive military storytelling. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will take players on an unforgettable journey as they engage in battles from Earth to beyond our atmosphere against a relentless, enemy faction that threatens our very way of life. It's grand scale war with memorable characters, stunning new environments, and hallmark Call of Duty action. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare delivers something for every Call of Duty fan with three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies."

- Official Description

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (also known as COD: IW and IW7 internally) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. Leaked advertisements for the game were initially found in late April 2016, days prior to the official trailer, which was unveiled on May 2nd, 2016. The game was released on November 4th, 2016. Infinite Warfare is the thirteenth game in the Call of Duty franchise and Infinity Ward's first to be developed in a three-year development cycle.

Set just before a devastating attack on earth, you play as Captain Nick Reyes, a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot, as you must lead the remaining coalition forces against a relentless enemy, while trying to overcome the deadly, extreme environments of space.

It is the first Call of Duty game since Call of Duty 2 not to be released on seventh generation consoles. The game, on select bundles known as the Legacy Edition, comes with a remastered verison of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, known as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.

Development
"I want people to play our new game and say, 'Wow, I haven't seen [Call of Duty] change that much since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare."

- Jacob Minkoff, design director at Infinity Ward

A space Call of Duty by Infinity Ward was alluded to in a 2013 Call of Duty: Ghosts launch interview with Mark Rubin, head lead of Infinity Ward at the time. In the interview by Metro, the interviewer asked him if there was potential for space DLC map packs or future games focusing more on space, to which Rubin replied "Yeah. It makes sense. I wouldn’t count it out. Everything’s on the table. When we start a new game every possibility’s on the table. If we think that it’d be cool to have a battle over Jupiter, sure. Why not?"

In 2014, Infinity Ward merged with Neversoft, and two key alumni from the critically-acclaimed Naughty Dog studio joined. These two people were Taylor Kurosaki, and Jacob Minkoff.

After the influx of new talent, Kurosaki and Minkoff quickly obtained leading positions on the team. In deciding on what they wanted to do for Infinity Ward's next game, Kurosaki overheard staff members discussing how cool the space mission was from Call of Duty: Ghosts. Inspired, they quickly used the mission as the basis for their next game, while at the same time starting fresh, by having it not be a sequel to Call of Duty: Ghosts.

With the addition of a space setting, Infinity Ward still wanted it to be less of a science fiction story and more of a military tale. Kurosaki stated "We want to tell first and foremost a classic war story in the great tradition of the genre that [Brian Bloom] and I are both huge fans of. This is my first foray into Call of Duty and telling a war story. I’m so taken by the rich history of the genre."

Infinity Ward also wanted their game to depart from having the main character be a "new guy", instead they wanted the character to be a "seasoned leader." They also wanted to show how harsh the environment of space and different planets can be. Kurosaki explained, "The setting of space puts even more pressure on our characters than even a traditional battlefield would allow for. In space, there is no gravity. In a lot of cases, most cases have no breathable atmosphere. Characters are thrown into conflict and resolve those conflicts. War is an incredible background, environment and foreground to navigate those waters. This is not about double and triple crosses, and double and triple agents, and chips in your head, and being a zombie fighter." Kurosaki specfically noted, "This is a story about the burden of making choices."

They also thought about the future and how they Infinite Warfare to be a sub-franchise and have the lasting legacy of the Modern Warfare series. Kurosaki pointed out, "We want to establish our own new subfranchise. Our own new branch of the Call of Duty tree. What we are developing here could certainly support multiple games. We’re trying to develop a very rich world that we’re not even close to exhausting." Kurosaki then concluded with, "If we were the next thing in that rich history in the Call of Duty of Modern Warfare, of Black Ops. If we were the next in that lineage, I’d say, ‘Mission accomplished.’"

Overview
"Today, the Front embarks on a conquest. Here and now, we will eradicate the authority and influence of the Earth! Our world is just beginning. Theirs is dying. It is not enough to break free. We will break them! Their cities will burn along with the pages of their history. Mars aeternum."

- Admiral Salen Kotch of the Settlement Defense Front

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare takes place in a future where Earth's resources have nearly been depleted, forcing governments and businesses to seek them elsewhere in the solar system. As space colonization grew, the nations of the world formed the United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA), to govern space travel, commerce and trade. The Solar Alliance Treaty Organization (SATO) is the peace-keeping body of the UNSA.

Comprised of a splinter group of insurgents that broke away from UNSA during a war of secession years ago, the Settlement Defense Front (SDF) is a fascist power. They're brutal and militant radicals, toughened by extreme off-world environments and conditions.

After a surprise attack on the headquarters of UNSA, Lt. Nick Reyes must take the helm of the Retribution, one of Earth’s last remaining warships. In a time of unthinkable adversity, he must lead the remnants of coalition forces against the relentless SDF.

Throughout the conflict, Reyes will engage with many individual soldiers, flight crew and others, as he leads his forces in battle. Until recently, Reyes was a Lieutenant, commanding Special Combat Air Recon (SCAR) Team-1, a Tier-1 special operations force trained especially for combat in space. Field-promoted to Captain, he will lead a crew of a thousand naval troops, Marines, and SCARs aboard the carrier Retribution.

Plot
"Care clouds judgment. That is why you cannot win. This place ...isn't yours anymore."

- Admiral Salen Kotch of the Settlement Defense Front

In the future, a United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA) special forces team is sent to a secret UNSA weapons research facility on Europa to investigate a attack by the Settlement Defense Front (SDF) and recover a prototype weapon before initiating the facility's self destruct. The team is able to destroy the facility, but fails to recover the weapon and are captured by the SDF, where they are subsequently executed by one of the SDF's main commanders, Admiral Salen Kotch.

On Earth, Lieutenant Nick Reyes warns Admiral Fredrick Raines that the SDF attack is tantamount to a declaration of war and that the UNSA should be preparing a counterattack. However, Admiral Raines explains that the UNSA's leaders do not want to escalate the situation, especially during the Fleet Week celebrations where the entire UNSA fleet gathers at Geneva. During the celebrations, he links up with his wingman Nora Salter as well as his new robotic subordinate E3N "Ethan". Suddenly, the UNSA's AATIS defense cannons begin to open fire on the UNSA fleet, decimating many ships as an SDF assault force invades Geneva. Reyes manages to fight his way to the AATIS control tower, where he manages to shut down the AATIS cannons and apprehend Akeel Min Riah, the SDF spy responsible for sabotaging them. Reyes then accompanies the surviving UNSA ships into orbit where they destroy the attacking SDF fleet. The SDF's flagship, the Olympus Mons, suddenly arrives and destroys more UNSA ships before it is forced to retreat, leaving only two operational UNSA ships: the carrier Retribution and the destroyer Tigris.

Upon landing on the Retribution, Reyes learns that both the ship's captain and the executive officer were killed in battle, leaving him as the highest ranking officer of the ship and its de facto captain. Admiral Raines promotes Reyes to commander and then tasks him retaking the cargo port on the Moon from the SDF. After successfully liberating the Moon, Reyes is given the mission to delay the SDF for as long as possible until the UNSA can rebuild its fleet. Eventually, Reyes manages to destroy a strategic refueling tower on Titan, crippling the SDF's fuel supply. He is then sent to investigate a disturbance at an asteroid mining station near Mercury, only to find it was a diversion while the SDF destroys the Tigris, leaving the Retribution as the sole remaining UNSA ship. Learning that Riah is carrying a beacon meant to signal the main SDF fleet to invade Earth, Reyes devises a plan to use the beacon to lure the SDF fleet right into the still operational AATIS guns. Unfortunately, the plan goes awry when Riah escapes, destroys the AATIS guns, and kills himself to trigger the beacon. The main SDF arrives and the Olympus Mons destroys UNSA headquarters, killing Admiral Raines.

With no other options, Reyes decides to use the opportunity to board and commandeer the Olympus Mons. He manages to battle his way to the bridge and kill Admiral Kotch. He then has the Olympus Mons travel back to Mars, where he intends to use the ship to destroy the SDF's orbital shipyard and cripple their fleet in return. While the Olympus Mons and Retribution manage to destroy many SDF ships, the Olympus Mons suffers too much damage to use its weapons so Reyes orders it to ram the shipyard. Unfortunately, the Retribution also suffers damage and drifts into Olympus Mons flight path, forcing Reyes to order the ship to divert. Both warships crash onto the surface of Mars with the shipyard still intact.

Realizing that there's no way for them to get back to Earth alive, Reyes rallies the survivors of the Retribution crew and leads them on one final, desperate assault on the shipyard. Most of the surviving crew are killed in the fighting, but Salter manages to commandeer an SDF destroyer. However, its weapons are disabled and the mooring clamps are locked. Ethan sacrifices himself to destroy the moorings while Reyes activates the destroyer's weapons and orders Salter to destroy the station, despite him being on it. Salter reluctantly opens fire, ejecting Reyes into space. His last sight is seeing the SDF shipyard explode before he is killed by flying shrapnel.

Some time later, the UNSA honors Reyes and the Retribution crew's heroic sacrifice, stating that their destruction of the SDF shipyard was a decisive victory. Salter, who is one of the four survivors from the Retribution, passes by a war memorial listing the names of all of the UNSA soldiers who died in the conflict.

During the credits, the posthumous recorded messages of some of the deceased Retribution crew may be heard.

Gameplay
The campaign is divided between core story missions which are progressed through linearly, as well as optional side missions. These missions provide weapons and assets, while also serving as a means to flesh out supporting characters. Three distinct modes of combat feature, and a player may encounter all three within the same mission. The first is standard infantry combat, which composes the bulk of gameplay. The other two are vehicular space combat, and "on foot" zero gravity combat.

The game does not feature co-op play in its campaign, but it does feature a Zombies mode as the co-op gameplay mode.

After completing the campaign on any difficulty, you unlock Specialist mode, which then after you beat it unlocks YOLO Mode.

Specialist Mode
This mode is unlocked after beating the game on any difficulty. It is intensely realistic and not for the faint of heart.
 * You can only heal with Nano Shots, there is no health regeneration in this mode.
 * Helmets are your only protection from headshots. They will take permanent damage and will need to be replaced.
 * Both Nano Shots and helmets take up equipment slots, so remember to equip them in your loadout on the Retribution before each level.
 * Master the lean from behind cover mechanic, which will be critical for your survival. Approach the edge of cover while standing or crouching, and aim down sights when you see a chevron appear on the side of your crosshairs. You will auto-pop from behind cover as you ADS.
 * If you get shot in the legs, it will impact your movement. If you get shot in either arm, it will impact your ability to use equipment or aim down sights. Note: Your weapon can be shot out of your hands.

YOLO Mode
This mode is unlocked after beating the game on Specialist, and you only live once. If you die, you will start all the way back at the beginning of the entire game.

Locations

 * Europa, one of Jupiter's moons
 * Geneva, Switzerland
 * Luna, Earth's moon
 * Luna's orbit
 * Titan, one of Saturn's moons
 * Vesta 3
 * Neptune's orbit
 * Uranus' orbit
 * Venus' orbit
 * Pluto's orbit
 * Earth's orbit
 * Jupiter's orbit
 * Saturn's orbit
 * Sun's orbit
 * Mars' orbit
 * Cydonia, Mars

Overview
"Future war. Old school fight."

- Official tag-line

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare introduces a major overhaul to the class system called the "Combat Rigs". Similar to the Specialist system in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, there are six rigs in total, Warfighter, Merc, FTL, Stryker, Phantom and Synaptic. All of which have different "Payloads" which are weapons and abilities the players can use when charged up in-game by getting kills, playing the objective etc. Players can also gain access to several persistent perks, known as "Traits", which give players advantages, such as abilites, in combat situations. These rigs are meant to suit different playstyles. For example, the Synaptic rig is designed for players who prefer to run and gun, while the Phantom rig is suited for players who want to play stealthily. Additionally, the game retains the chain-based momentum movement system of Call of Duty: Black Ops III, allowing players to perform thrust jumps, sliding, and wall running.

The game features hundreds of both primary and secondary weapons. The Pick-10 system from previous games has returned, and the 10 points will be used for picking Guns, Lethals, Tacticals, Attachments, Perks, and Loadout Options. Players will have a lot of freedom in customization, even being allowed to put up to six attachments on one weapon. Players can gain access to several types of weapons, including traditional ballistic weapons and melee weapons, futuristic energy weapons, and different kinds of grenades, such as the Seeker Grenade and the Black Hole Projector. Players can add attachments on them to enhance their efficiency. The game also introduces a new weapon crafting system. In a multiplayer match, players earn "Salvage", which can be consumed to purchase Prototype Weapons, variants of existing in-game weapons. For each gun, there are four types of prototypes, classified into four groups, namely COMMON, RARE, LEGENDARY and EPIC. All of which grant players gameplay advantages known as the "Gun Perks". Scorestreaks return in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for players who have earned sufficient points in a match. Scoresteaks offer players perks such as the ability to deploy UAV and Counter-UAV, and the ability to summon a R-C8 robot, an armored robot designed to defend the player and kill other opponents. As with the Black Ops series, Scorestreaks are not covered with the Pick-10 system.

Combat Rigs
Combat Rigs are customizable armor suits designed to enhance and withstand battles on land and in space. Each of the six Combat Rigs available in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare allows you to choose one of three payload abilities and one of three traits.

Payloads are abilities that must be activated during a match. Payloads can offer offensive abilities such as unique weapons, defensive abilities such as armor enhancements, or abilities that are simply functional such speed bursts. Earn score in a match to fill the payload meter. Once the meter is filled, you can activate and use your Payload.

Traits are mainly passive abilities that do not require activation or a meter to be filled. Traits are similar to Perks in that they offer a variety or abilities or bonuses that can be chosen based on your playstyle or game mode preference. They can also be used to further enhance a particular loadout. For example, if you run with Lethals and Tacticals, you might choose a trait that drops equipment-replenishing ammo boxes after non-explosive kills. The six Combat Rigs are meant to offer to different playstyles.

Warfighter: Combat style:  Mobile mid-range

''Assault rig outfitted for operating in a variety of situations. Its versatility suits most game modes.''

Merc: Combat style:  Heavy infantry

''Focused on heavy defense and suppressive fire to deliver max damage and clear enemy threats. Optimized for direct assault gameplay.''

Synaptic: Combat style:  Close-quarters combat

''C6 remote-operated drone optimized for speed and close-quarters combat. Tailored for a short-ranged, aggressive playstyle.''

FTL: Combat style:  Assassin

''Prototype rig equipped with cutting edge stealth military technology to gain combat advantage in combat. Mobility-based abilities ideal for objective game modes.''

Stryker: Combat style:  Tactical support

''Equipped with gear for enemy suppression and tactical combat support. Especially useful with equipment-based loadouts in game modes with capture points.''

Phantom: Combat style:  Marksman

''Specializes in concealment and long-ranged engagements. Perfect for snipers and stealth-based play styles. ''

Salvage & Prototype Weapons
For the first time in a Call of Duty game, Infinite Warfare introduces the concept of “Crafting.” In addition to weapon progression, this brand-new feature gives players the freedom to gain unique Prototype Weapons for their playstyle by using “Salvage,” the in-game crafting currency.

There are a few ways to acquire Salvage in the game, so the more you play, the more Prototypes you can craft. You can earn Salvage by ranking up in the Mission Team you are enlisted in, through Supply Drops or by “burning” any duplicate items you may receive in a Drop, and you will also be rewarded with Salvage through daily login bonuses.

Prototype weapons come in four levels of rarity: COMMON, RARE, LEGENDARY, and EPIC, and each includes its own combination of Gun Perks and stat differences. The LEGENDARY and EPIC versions have the most sought-after perks, providing players with new ways to compete. For example, equipping a weapon with the NUCLEAR Gun Perk from certain LEGENDARY weapons will award you with a tactical nuke following a 25-player killstreak.

Multiplayer loot, including Prototype Weapons, can be obtained through Supply Drops by exchanging Keys with the quick-witted, cybernetic arms dealer who always has the latest in combat technology in stock, the Quartermaster. Players earn Keys while playing multiplayer matches and completing in-game challenges.

For a list of all Prototype Weapons and Gun Perks, please visit their respective pages.

Gamemodes & Playlists
These game modes are divided in-game by 6 separate playlists: Featured, Standard, Hardcore, Special, Competive, and Tactical.

Infinity Ward plans to update the playlists regularly, taking out certain game modes and putting new ones in frequently. An example of this is them taking out Capture the Flag, and adding in Reinforce. The plan is to put these more, unknown and new game modes in the Featured section to give them attention to player who might have never heard of these game modes before. The full-scale plan is for them to have variety.

The only gamemodes that have yet to be added to the public rotation as of 12/3/2016 are Grind, Search and Rescue, and Drop Zone.

There are also settings for certain game modes in custom games to allow a Cranked timer to appear or a All or Nothing (Game Mode) loadout to appear.

All of the game modes are available in custom games.

Tactical (playlist)
On December 16th, 2016, a new game mode called Tactical Team Deathmatch was added.

According to Infinity Ward, fan feedback was the inspiration for the playlist. The playlist removes thrust jumping and power sliding from the regular Multiplayer, but keeps wallrunning in order to allow access to key areas in some of the maps.

Weapon damage has also been rebalanced to better fit the playlist. Most notably head shot damage has been increased to add a more advanced level of engagements.

This game mode provides a slower, more strategic gameplay experience.

It went live Friday, December 16 until 10am PST Monday, December 19. Due to popular demand, the game mode will stay active until January 2017.

Maps
Multiplayer maps in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare feature never-before-seen environments, while emphasizing front-line engagements. Maps span the vast expanse of the solar system, from a sprawling cityscape of Japan and the funneled corridors of an orbiting space station, to the drilling facilities of a rogue asteroid and the caves of one of Saturn’s moons.

Downloadable Content
The Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare DLC season will deliver map packs in 2017 including all-new multiplayer maps and zombies content, all for one great price with the Season Pass, which also includes a bonus offer of 10 Rare Supply Drops upon purchase plus 1,000 bonus Salvage.

Sabotage: The first of four DLC in Infinite Warfare's DLC season. Four new multiplayer maps in Sabotage feature unique layouts, various lanes for frenetic engagements and a tons of new art.
 * Dominion – A re-imagining of the classic Afghan map from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, now set on Mars, Dominion retains all the memorable landmarks and gameplay of the original, but is enhanced to fit the new movement system.
 * Noir – A dark, grimy city map inspired by a futuristic Brooklyn at night, Noir is set against a distant future metropolitan backdrop with cafes and parks surrounding a brutal downtown warzone.
 * Neon – A virtual training center designed for urban warfare, Neon is a unique, digitized battle space where cars and other structures generate out of thin air and enemies dissolve into hundreds of pixels when they’re defeated.
 * Renaissance – A daytime city setting in Venice, Renaissance pits players against each other in the streets of Italy with sprawling architecture and buildings that cater to all play styles.

Mission Teams
Mission Teams is a new leveling system in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. In Mission Teams, you choose specific team-based missions to complete in Public Multiplayer matches. Complete these missions, and you will earn extra XP toward your Mission Teams rank.

Ranking up each Mission Team will give you rewards from that Mission Team, including Calling Cards, Camos, Emblems, unique Combat Rig customizations, and specific Prototype Weapons that are only available from the team you select.

When you begin playing, only the JTF Wolverines Mission Team can be chosen, with three other teams locked. Leveling up your Player Rank unlocks new Mission Teams and new missions.

Teams:
 * JTF Wolverines
 * Orion Initiative
 * Sabre Team Seven
 * Wraith

Weapon Camouflage
There are 19 unclockable normal camouflauges in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. The rest can obtained through Supply Drops, Mission Teams, and by promotional items.

Beta
The Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare  Beta was available for players who pre-ordered the game early. The beta was opened to PlayStation 4 on 10/14/16 and lasted until 10/17/16. The beta was open to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on 10/21/16 and lasted until 10/24/16

Five maps were available in the Beta. The maps included  Throwback ,  Frost  and  Frontier, while  Precinct  and  Terminal  were added at later dates.

Zombies
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Zombies mode is the tertiary gamemode of the game. It is Infinity Ward's first take on the Zombies game mode since its inception in Call of Duty: World at War.

Plot
The four main characters who are actors meet up inside a theater for an audition for a Willard Wyler movie. The four actors meet Wyler and he explains to them that to get a good feel for acting in his movies they must watch one. As the four actors sit down to watch the movie, Wyler goes into the projection room and proceeds to enact a satanic ritual related to the ancient demon named  Mephistopheles  (related to the devil and hell) which then sucks the four actors into the movie named Zombies in Spaceland. Upon entering the movie the four actors become four personas from the movie based off the 80's. They are then known as A.J. the Jock, Poindexter the Nerd, Sally the Valley Girl, and Andre the Rapper. As the 4 characters progress throughout Spaceland they come across another person Wyler trapped in the film named  David Hasselhoff. 'Hoff explains to the characters that he and them will need to work together to escape Wyler's film. The 4 characters manage to acquire a piece of the Soul Key which will help them later on their journey. While we are unsure of what happens after the crew obtains the piece of the Soul Key, we do know that Zombies in Spaceland is just the first stop on Willard Wyler's film festival of horror.

After finding a piece of the soul key, our heroes find themselves decked out in some tight, fly ‘90s attire and trapped in Willard Wyler’s biggest horror film of his career along with some special guests. They’ll have to survive the campgrounds and the zombie ravers that have turned the camp into a techno fueled illusion.

Gameplay
This gameplay is very much like the Treyarch's Zombies mode, with similar perks, power-ups, utilities, and weapons. The perks are eaten rather than drank, there are different bosses, the power-ups have similar names, some traps are now free to use, and the map areas are much more interactive.

Maps

 * Zombies in Spaceland
 * Rave in the Redwoods: Included in the Sabotage DLC, it is a 1990s-slasher horror movie set in an old lakeside camp that’s been taken over for a weekend rave party.

Legacy Edition
The Legacy Edition is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows for $79.99 USD or $129.99 AUD. It includes:
 * The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered game.
 * Terminal bonus map.
 * The game.
 * Zombies in Spaceland Pack.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta. (Discontinued)

Digital Deluxe Edition
The Digital Deluxe Edition is available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $100.00 USD or $149 AUD. It includes:
 * The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered game.
 * Terminal bonus map.
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
 * Zombies in Spaceland Pack.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta. (Discontinued)

Legacy Pro Edition
The Legacy Pro Edition is available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $119.99 USD or $169.99 AUD. It Includes: The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered game includes the original 16 multiplayer maps and the full campaign for all three editions. All three versions include the free Terminal bonus map as well.
 * The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered game.
 * Terminal bonus map.
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
 * Steelbook Case.
 * A code for the Zombies in Spaceland Pack.
 * A code for the Bullethawk Pack.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta. (Discontinued)
 * The code for the official Infinite Warfare soundtrack.

Criticism
See also - Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Criticism

Trivia

 * On June 9th, 2016, the box art for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was changed.
 * The box art depicts two soldiers wielding assault rifles, whereas the previous one depicted a single soldier holding a space helmet and an assault rifle, with a Raven behind him.
 * At the end credits it says "No robots were harmed in the making of this game". This is a callback to previous Infinity Ward games that ended with "No cows were harmed in the making of this game".
 * Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare shares the same release date November 4th with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, two years later.