Vanguard multiplayer first impressions. I will cover gameplay and visuals. Then I will give you my opinion on what I think the Vanguard dev team needs to work on to put the final touches on what could very well be the best Call of Duty World War II game ever made.
Before I dive into Vanguard’s multiplayer visuals, let me give you a brief overview. The Vanguard setting takes place in World War II and features battles from all four fronts. Western, Eastern, Pacific, and North Africa. World War II took place between September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945.
Menu
Starting with Vanguard’s multiplayer menu system. On the Xbox Series S, after the game loads it feels a bit choppy then smooths out after 20 seconds or so. Feels like it’s running at 30fps etc. It works like it’s suppose to, just could be a bit smoother. Even connected via Ethernet cable on a blazing fast connection.
Maps
Shipped with a total of 16 multiplayer maps. That’s more than any other Call of Duty title launch. Out of all the maps included, almost all are done very well and look great. On the Xbox Series S, all maps run at a solid 120fps 1440p or upscaled to 4k. All maps load super fast and have punch to their color. I run Vanguard on the LG CX 65″, which I feel really helps enhance the gameplay experience.
Gameplay
Call of Duty: Vanguard Multiplayer First Impressions on gameplay, right away I noticed felt a bit faster than pervious version, including Modern Warfare 2019. In my opinion, a World War II setting should be set a tad slower paced. After all, this is not a futuristic based game. It took place in the early 1940’s, not in the future. So playing on faster paced map like Shipment, many times you will spawn just to be killed right away. Respawn positions may contribute to that. Playing on larger maps feels a bit more like it should.
Few of the guns in this old style shooter tend to feel like they need to be reworked for better balancing. Unable to put my finger on it at this point. Not sure if it’s the attachments that need work or how fast or long it takes for bullets to do damage to your opponents. Even with the overly fast paced gameplay, I would say overall my experience on most all Vanguard’s multiplayer maps is very enjoyable.
I wouldn’t call this gameplay, but there is one major complaint I have. After a match is over it brings you to an end screen where you have to vote for 3 of the best players. Whether you vote or not, they still require you to sit through it. This is the first time I have seen something like this implemented in a Call of Duty title. This should definitely be removed.
Conclusion
I briefly spoke about how good the maps looks, but let me just compare it to Call of Duty: World War II. If you ask me, I think they wanted to do another WWII style game because the first WWII was lacking in many ways. Map design, graphics, sound and campaign. Vanguard tops WWII is every area by far. So if you were a fan of WWII you will be sure to love Call of Duty: Vanguard. For me, even with the few complaints, the multiplayer is very good. If you are a Call of Duty fan and like those Would War II settings you will love Vanguard.