Call of Duty: Vanguard

Call of Duty: Vanguard is a military shooter for players who want the familiar Call of Duty loop of campaign set pieces, multiplayer firefights, and quick reflex shooting. By our assessment, it does the series basics competently: the guns feel immediate, the pacing is brisk, and the production values carry the usual large-scale war movie polish. The downside is that it sits very close to other modern entries, so it does not leave the same sharp mark as the strongest games in the series. In practice it is straightforward to pick up, fast to play, and built around short bursts of action rather than anything thoughtful or slow. Against the wider field of shooters, it is a polished but familiar example of what Call of Duty has already trained people to expect. Call of Duty: Vanguard is best for players who want a new campaign and multiplayer skirmishes in a known format. It does not try to reinvent the formula, and the result is mostly competence.