Reviewing the comments I made in my Hands On article for Call of Duty: Warzone, which today celebrates its one-year anniversary, is a strange experience. Although I thought that what Infinity Ward had to offer at the time was completely good in its own right, I was concerned about its overt simplicity and lack of focus on serves at the start of each game. I then signed this article stating that “this is not a Battle Royale offer that we can consider keeping”. Except that, a year later, I’m still playing – more than ever in the past few months, in fact. The game has already helped me overcome a drought in the PlayStation 5 launch window, and I’m sure it will do so again in the future. What has changed in the past 12 months to make me come back for more? Strangely, not much. This main loop has remained the same, but there is much more around it.
I’ve always been a fan of the Battle Royale genre, with Blackout mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 kicking off my obsession before Fortnite and Apex Legends also had their moments in my spotlight. I love the tension that comes with reducing the player base in the game to just one person or team – it’s a lot more exciting than the normal Team Deathmatch options found in the Call of Duty titles, in my opinion. You can finish someone’s game in a matter of seconds, while another team can do exactly the same thing to you. Call of Duty: Warzone continued this strong with some changes in the concept, but it was nothing what dramatically different. It is not yet to this day, to be fair.
What made me so ecstatic about Call of Duty’s view of things, then? It is difficult to point out one thing, to be honest. The excellent shooting is an integral part of any Activision branded product, so I like to focus on the incredible amount of content that has been added in the year since launch. I almost always feel like there’s something new to try, either through a new weekly alternate mode or through the giant free DLC drops that bring new weapons and map updates to the equation. In fact, I’m at a point where I rarely play on the original Verdansk map today, with the updated Rebirth Island satisfying my tastes, as its unique Resurgence modes allow me to reappear after a short period of time.
Then there is the goal of the weapon, which looks like a totally different game. Keeping up to date with what is currently up is a challenge, as so many weapons became viable after the death of DMR 14, so much so that the variety of shipments is up. That meant I had to say goodbye to the now outdated Kilo 141, but I found a new home in the combination of FFAR 1 and Mac-10. All of that can change in a week, when a streamer is faced with a new goal, however, and that is the beauty of it all. It is almost as if the community creates its own content changing the idea of what is best for a new direction. These weapons and accessories have always been there, of course, but they are given a new life when someone hits the gold with the right combination of weapon extensions.
I don’t have any big breakthroughs to share as Call of Duty: Warzone celebrates its first anniversary, plus it’s definitely worth a try if you’ve had an idea for the Battle Royale genre. It is my obsession nowadays, whenever I have nothing left to play, with the fight for the top of the leaderboard repeatedly feeding me for countless nights. I don’t even need to pay to play, since Call of Duty: Warzone is free and I have little interest in the cosmetic items that your Battle Passes have to offer. So, in recalling my first impressions again, at least I got it right a year ago. “Call of Duty: Warzone will probably do well on its own.” It did better than that – it is now the default for Battle Royale titles in the future. I’m going to raise a glass for that tonight.
Do you play a lot of Call of Duty: Warzone? How have you enjoyed the Battle Royale shooter? Share your opinion in the comments below.