With a consistent near two decades of annual releases for the franchise, it is no wonder that installments like Call of Duty Infinite Warfare fade into relative obscurity over time. With the Call of Duty discourse wildly shifting to different aspects of whatever the latest title happens to be, a lot of the more positive aspects of prior games perhaps do not get the recognition that they deserve.
While Call of Duty Infinite's multiplayer and zombies modes were met with mixed reviews, the campaign of the title was decidedly ambitious, arguably being one of the most unique campaigns in the entire franchise. Be it down to the outlandish space setting or the many famous faces that make up the cast of the title, the campaign of Call of Duty Infinite has something to offer that a lot of other CoD campaigns simply can not compete with.
The Setting of Call of Duty Infinite's Campaign
The most overt stand-out factor of Infinite Warfare's campaign is undoubtedly its ambitious setting. Infinite Warfare's campaign takes place in the distant future, in which humans have developed highly advanced space traversal capabilities as a result of overpopulation and resource depletion on Earth. With the major countries of Earth overseeing space-faring resource mining expeditions to further prolong life on the planet, the United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA) was formed.
Playing as Special Operations pilot Captain Nick Reyes, players in Infinite Warfare fight under the banner of the Solar Associated Treaty Organization (SATO), who act as a militaristic defense coalition for the UNSA. However, the safety of Earth's coalition is being threatened by the growing forces of the Settlement Defense Front (SDF), a Mars-based hostile force of ex-UNSA colonies who wish to herald in a more totalitarian future for the human race.
This setting allows players to enjoy the best of both worlds when it comes to Call of Duty mechanics, possessing boots on the ground battles with setting-inspired, gadget-based combat. As well as having jetpacks and grappling hooks that can aid the player in zero-gravity environments, Call of Duty Infinite also had a heavy focus on space pilot combat in which the player would often engage in extraterrestrial dogfights against SFD forces and strategic installments. With a lot of these gameplay elements being a first for the Call of Duty franchise at the time, the setting of Infinite was a huge benefit for the campaign in the variety of gameplay that it directly fostered.
Call of Duty Infinite's Cast
Another massive bonus to Infinite Warfare's campaign was the prestigious and commendable cast that make up the game's characters. While Call of Duty as a franchise is no stranger to casting famous actors within its campaigns, none came quite as close to the performance of Infinite Warfare's antagonist.
Infinite Warfare's antagonist is Rear Admiral Salen Kotch, who is played by Kit Harington of Game of Thrones fame. The title's 2016 release date means that it arguably released during the peak of Game of Thrones' global popularity, making it all the more impressive that Activision was able to hire the actor for Infinite Warfare's campaign. The character of Kotch stuck with many players, commanding an ominous on-screen presence that was largely aided by the performance of such an acclaimed actor.
As well as high-profile celebrities playing massive roles within Infinite Warfare, there was also supporting roles within the campaign that were performed by popular figures from other entertainment industries. For example, notorious UFC fighter Conor McGregor famously appeared in Infinite Warfare's campaign as Captain Bradley Fillion, a minor support character in the game. These kinds of appearances raised the appeal of Infinite Warfare to a wider audience, while the use of proven actors such as Kit Harington added a commendable level of depth and believability to the core narrative.
The Game Mechanics of Infinite Warfare's Campaign
As well as the unique cast and setting of Infinite Warfare, the title's campaign had a litany of unique game mechanics and storytelling devices that set it apart from a majority of other Call of Duty titles. Perhaps the most unique factor of Infinite's campaign was the implementation of a central hub overworld located aboard a ship named Retribution.
From Retribution, players are able to choose what primary and side missions that they partake in with a much more relaxed non-linear chronology, giving an uncharacteristic level of singleplayer freedom to the franchise. Players could also add upgrades and a comprehensive level of customization to their smaller assault ship used in space combat from Retribution, and delve into important worldbuilding lore via database access.
During secondary missions known as ship assaults, players could also seek out and eliminate high-value SFD targets to unlock practical and cosmetic customization options to their equipment, while adding a sense of accomplishment in whittling down the high-ranking members of the main antagonistic force of the game. With how linear Call of Duty campaigns usually are, the level of customization and narrative freedom given to players was almost entirely unique to Infinite Warfare, making its relatively lackluster legacy all the more harsh.
The hub, the wholly unique and outlandish setting, and solid cast of the title only further all work together to enhance the appeal and engagement of the campaign. While Infinite Warfare's campaign received some praise upon the title's launch, its existence within a period of relative stagnation for the wider CoD franchise has unfairly seen the game's story fall into obscurity.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
