CoD Infinite Warfare is a game I like in concept rather than execution, while it easily plays the best out of the furturistic CoD games, I still feel like the game could be much more. I prefer it over Advanced Warfare and Black Ops 3, but the potential still feels only quarter realized. I do get some enjoyment out of this game but not without saying to myself, "this could be so much more". I'll start with the story first then gameplay.
The story much like the game itself while good in concept feels half baked. I liked the begginning of the story and it has much more nuanced politics than something like Modern Warfare 2 does and I prefer it's setting over the Modern Warfare games since intergalatic space politics stories to me has the potential to be more deep than the generic wannabe action movies of the Modern Warfare and Black Ops games, and I do really think the game starts off strong with the good guys being arrogant by starting an invasion of the Settlement Defense Front with a 4 man unit instead of invading with an army, and Salen Kotch showing the more character he ever shows throughout the rest of the game and how there is a slow build up towards the war with Sef Def, it kind of feels like a classic space opera sci fi show like Babylon 5, Battlestar Galatica, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and Mobile Suit Gundam, but then the actual game starts and while it isn't terrible and the character interactions are decent enough, I don't think the story ever reaches the heights of those opening few hours. It has side characters and content and as a result, if you only do the main missions, it feels shorter than your average CoD and it the story gets wrapped up super quickly. Salen Kotch barely gets any screen time and has some monologues and he gets taken out before the game is even finished. Nick Reyes and the supporting cast are decent characters, but the whole campaign feels like you are going on a bunch of errands and then the good guys come with a plan to beat the Sef Def out of the blue. It feels like what you get if the first Mass Effect game where it takes 5 hours and in the last hour they suddenly come up with a plan to defeat Saren and Sovereign. I also feels like it was quite a shame to have all the character fleshing out at the end credits instead of during the game itself. The story in this game I like on paper but the execution could've been much better.
Now the gameplay, it has all the same issues as the AW and BO3, good mechanics and makes attempts to add more depth to CoD's shooting, but it doesn't go far enough to be anything worthwhile. You have wall runs and double jumps, but the level design is still your traditional CoD shooting galleries and scripted sequences. The health system still makes you take shots with ADS, hide behind cover, and then regen health rinse repeat. I will admit, there is more attempts at situational depth like windows that can break and have airlocks open, zero gravity sections with a grappling hook, mech fights where you damage it's weak spot in order to do a finishing kill, but they feel too few and far between to be anything worth of note. The weapon selection system is a cool concept but eventually you will run out of of ammo and use the guns the enemies are using and there are going to be moments where you can't stick to your preferred load out at all times. The enemy variety is better than your typical CoD but still could be better, you still fight your generic CoD few bullets to die infantry and you fight robots from time to time but that's it. The enemy variety and the situational depth never combine together for anything truly standout, the shootouts generally feel like CoD2 but with a sci fi skin. The aerial combat does a decent job at breaking up the pace, it's basic but gets the job done, they are meant add more variety and they do a good job at doing that. Feedback is solid and while tailing enemies ships is automated, it does a good job at engaging people not into flight sims. With all that said, Titanfall 2 which came out the same year had much much much more going for it regarding it's campaign than this game does.
While this game isn't bad and is probably one of more memorable CoDs, it is more so due to what could've been than the actual execution itself. I still say it's worth trying out and has more going for it than the acclaimed CoDs do, I still feel like the game could've been better. It's a shame CoD dropped the futuristic direction after this game because with less publisher meddling and a more developed single player could've made for a great game.
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