Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a military science fiction first-person shooter video game published by Activision. Sledgehammer Games developed the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, while High Moon Studios developed the versions released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Raven Software developed the game’s multiplayer and the Exo-Zombies mode. Advanced Warfare is Sledgehammer’s first Call of Duty title where they are the primary developer, following the supporting work they did on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 alongside Infinity Ward in 2011. The game was released on November 4, 2014, but a special edition titled the Day Zero Edition, which came with bonus in-game content, was released on November 3 for people who pre-ordered the game. The game was not released on the Wii U, making it the first title in the series since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to not be released on either the Wii or Wii U.
Before the development of Advanced Warfare, Sledgehammer were originally working on an action-adventure game titled Call of Duty: Fog of War, which was going to be set during the events of the Vietnam War. Development for Advanced Warfare began in late 2011, shortly before the release of Modern Warfare 3. The game became the first entry in the Call of Duty series since Call of Duty 2 to feature a game engine that has had its majority re-written and built from scratch. For the game’s single-player campaign mode, Sledgehammer employed veteran actors Troy Baker and Kevin Spacey in lead roles. The game’s story, featuring a futuristic setting which is set between 2054 and 2061, follows Jack Mitchell of the United States Marine Corps and his interactions with Atlas, a private military corporation that sells its services to the highest bidder.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was released to a positive critical reception and was declared an improvement over its predecessor, Call of Duty: Ghosts. Many critics praised the visuals, which were called “excellent” by some, the single-player campaign, which some critics saw as the best in the Call of Duty series, the fast, dynamic, and exciting gameplay, and the content-rich multiplayer. The game won several awards and was considered a commercial success.
