November 13, 2014
A top-down view of exo mobility, abilities, and more.
A top-down view of exo mobility, abilities, and more.
November 13, 2014
Set in the year 2054, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare builds upon the series’ legacy of fast, fluid combat by equipping players with a vast arsenal of high-tech weapons and gear, ranging from smart grenades to rifles that fire 3D-printed ammo. At the center of it all is the exoskeleton, which introduces advanced maneuverability and combat capabilities that deliver an experience unlike anything in Call of Duty history.
To help you familiarize and master Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s new movement and combat mechanics, we’ll be taking a closer look at the exoskeleton and all that it offers, beginning with the fundamentals.
Inspired by prototype technology currently in development, the exoskeleton (or exo, for short) is a lightweight tactical suit that gives players increased strength, speed, and mobility. With integrated boosters, the exoskeleton can propel players to elevated vantages and in or out of harm’s way. With increased verticality and rapid movements, the exoskeleton fundamentally alters how players traverse environments and approach engagements, while adding challenging new dynamics to new and existing game modes.
What’s more, the exoskeleton introduces new combat capabilities, including increased melee strength, an arm-mounted launcher for lethals and deployable gear, and an entirely new suite of time-limited combat abilities known as Exo Abilities.
While in the singleplayer campaign players are equipped with only the exoskeleton abilities to match the needs of a mission, in multiplayer, the exoskeleton is unleashed with the complete array of powers and unprecedented customization via the new Pick 13 system.
Advanced Warfare’s new mobility mechanics consist of five distinctive moves: Boost Jump, Boost Dodge, Boost Dash, Boost Slide, and Boost Slam. Boost Jump gives players the power to make accelerated leaps into the air, either to reach new tactical positions, quickly move out of fire, or to get a better view of the battle. Boost Jumps can be followed by a Boost Dash, which affords a brief mid-air thrust in any direction for faster map traversal and evasion. For a fast return to the ground or take out an enemy below, there’s Boost Slam, a powerful downward boost that brings you back to Earth and devastates anything or anyone unfortunate enough to be underneath you.
The exo’s new movement set isn’t all about high-flying antics — it provides invaluable tools for approaching engagements on the ground with Boost Dodge. Similar to Boost Dash, Boost Dodge delivers a sharp sideways strafe or rapid thrust backward, allowing players to grab cover or exit a particularly dangerous combat area quickly. With Boost Slide, players can swiftly slide into a crouched position after sprinting, dropping below an enemy's eye line and into cover.
However, this is just an overview of what the exo’s boost mechanics are capable of. We’ll be taking a closer look at how to best leverage each movement during combat in the weeks to come.
In addition to changing the way players move, Advanced Warfare also introduces an entirely new class of limited-time use abilities. Exo Abilities range from defensive measures, like an arm-mounted shield or integrated Trophy System, brief speed or health boosts, or even the capacity to hover in mid-air or become temporarily cloaked. Players are given one Exoskeleton Ability slot per class and it can be activated at any point during a match, once per life. Exo Abilities also consume energy from your exo's built-in battery, which is quickly expended, so use them carefully.
As part of the new Create an Operator system, Call of Duty players can custom tailor their in-game soldier from head to toe, including the look and style of their exo. Through Supply Drops and completing challenges, players can unlock new and unique exos, whether it be a simple change in color and finish or a completely different model. The exo, alongside unique helmets, loadouts, boots, gloves, and more gives each player's in-game character a distinctive personality.
