Summary
As the best-selling franchise in Ubisoft’s arsenal right now, it’s no wonder why the publisher/developer has so manyAssassin’s Creedgames currently in the works. While theAssassin’s Creedfranchise has been enjoying a steady stream of less-frequent releases as of late, it seems as though that pattern is about to be broken, as Ubisoft is getting ready to drop at least sixAssassin’s Creedgames in the near future.
From big-budget open-world releases likeAssassin’s Creed Redto moreexperimental entries likeAssassin’s Creed Hexeand even mobile titles likeAssassin’s Creed Jade, theACfranchise has its plate full of anticipated releases, but there’s one upcoming release that doesn’t quite belong with the rest. Announced officially back in September 2022, but known about since early 2021,Assassin’s Creed Infinityis still shrouded in mystery.Assassin’s Creed Infinityis set to be a hub as an evolving live-service platform where players can access newACgames.Assassin’s Creed Infinitycould be great, just as long as it learns fromCall of Duty’s mistakes.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity Needs to Learn From Call of Duty’s Mistakes
Call of Duty’s New Hub Has Been Heavily Criticized
On paper, the idea of an ever-evolving hub in which players can access their ongoing library makes a lot of sense, letting players quickly swap between different entries in a franchise without needing to manually exit and enter each title. However,Call of Duty HQhas proven that, in practice, this idea doesn’t necessarily work.
Released alongsideCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3in November of last year,Call of Duty HQcollectsModern Warfare 2,Modern Warfare 3, andCall of Duty: Warzoneand brings them all together in one place. This release was met with an immediate widespread backlash, with the glorified launcher causing a litany of issues on all platforms. One of the biggest issues withCall of Duty HQis its download size.
Though each game in the collection can technically be downloaded separately, many of the games' files still end up being downloaded regardless, leading to an absolutely gigantic file size.
Anothermajor issue withCall of Duty HQis its convoluted menus and needlessly complex UI. A continuation of the last few entries' UI design,Call of Duty HQputs a handful of horizontal menus in front of the player, similar to streaming services like Netflix or Disney+. While not inherently awful, this interface does require players to manually scroll along each bar before they land on the map or mode they desire, as opposed to the much more streamlined system in previousCall of Dutyentries, where players simply select from a vertical drop-down menu.
Assassin’s Creed Can’t Afford to Fail the Same Way as Call of Duty
How it affected trophies on PlayStation is also a cause for concern. Normally, PlayStation players would be able to earn a Platinum trophy for eachCall of Dutyentry, with each game having its own separate trophy list. WithCall of Duty HQ, that’s no longer available, withCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s trophy listnow appearing as a DLC underneathCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, without its own Platinum.
WhileAssassin’s Creed Infinitycan certainly avoid the issues that continue to plagueCall of Duty HQ, that might not fix the platform’s biggest issue, and that’s the platform’s actual purpose. Currently,Call of Duty HQadds nothing of genuine value to theCall of Dutyexperience. Even if it didn’t have problems, the benefit of having all theongoingCall of Dutygamesin one place isn’t actually that beneficial to the player. IfAssassin’s Creed Infinityis looking to avoidCall of Duty HQ’s shortcomings, then it’s going to need to add some value to the overall experience, whether it’s story content or unique gameplay elements.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
