In the second installment of the Gaming Spotlight series, junior Dylan Margolis reviews the new Call of Duty battle royale, Warzone.
Released March 10, the most recent Call of Duty game, Warzone, provides a new take on the battle royale, an extremely popular video game type.
The new battle royale features elements of the classic Call of Duty formula but adds something new.
During a battle royale, about 100 people fight on one large-scale map until only one person or squad is left alive. Throughout the game, players loot the map by opening randomly generated crates to get weapons.
As the game progresses, the map’s area shrinks, causing more and more fights. Games last just 20-30 minutes, making every round seem meaningful and adding to the battle royale’s popularity.
Warzone stands out because of its treatment of players’ deaths.
Instead of the game ending, players get sent to the gulag to possibly gain redemption. In the gulag, they are placed against another recently deceased player. Both players have only a handgun or a shotgun and a couple of throwable items like a C4 or flashbang.
Thus, each game can take more time and provide a fun, intense match. Players can use a ton of different strategies to succeed in the gulag.
Moreover, players find three different types of contracts throughout the map — bounty, scavenger and recon.
Contracts provide both in-game money and extra entertainment during the match. The bounty contracts, which tell players the general location of a team near them, are by far the best in the game.
Regardless of their type, contracts help the game flow well and give players something to do when they can’t find someone to fight.
Additionally, players can purchase a loadout drop, which diminishes RNG (random number generation) or someone just having a better weapon than you so they can kill you faster, making it more about skill.
With a loadout drop, players can choose a customized loadout with weapons and attachments that fit their style. This way, players can use their favorite weapons every round.
The game is also cross-platform, meaning people on PS4 can play with others on Xbox or PC. This is great because I can play with a bunch of people that I otherwise couldn’t.
The game’s only flaw is its inconsistent audio. Everything gets extremely muffled, so players can’t hear the footsteps of enemy players very well.
Ironically, the game won The Game Award for Best Audio Design in 2017.
Warzone is free, so there is no reason not to give it a try.
Rating:
—By Dylan Margolis
Originally published in the May 26 edition of the Octagon.
