For the last 10 years during the holiday season there was always a new Call of Duty. Not all editions of this series were particularly outstanding, but certainly it is one of the few series that keep their place on top. After the release of Advanced Warfare nothing will change in that matter because we have finally received some refreshing changes in the game.

The story takes place in the 2050s. For the first time in franchise history there is only one playable character. The plot is about the vision of the future world in which private military corporations began to replace the national armies. The largest of these is Atlas Corporation, lead by a man called Jonathan Irons - played by Kevin Spacey. It certainly wasn't too difficult task for him because his character in the game is almost the same as the main character of the series House of Cards. In addition to this, Kevin is easily the most charismatic figure in the game because the protagonist and the secondary characters are rather flat in terms of any specific features.

The single player campaign is doesn't provide an unforgettable experience, but thanks to the diversity of what is happening on the screen, it is difficult to feel bored. This doesn't change the fact that the plot is painfully linear and unfortunately the new ways to explore maps with the help of exosuit show the weak points like invisible walls and the like. The usefulness of the gadgets depends only on the scenario provided by the developers, so if one time we can easily jump over two floors at a time, you never know if the one meter high wall in the park won't be too challenging.

The gameplay is diversified by more or less futuristic weapons and gadgets. However, there is nothing that we have not seen in other games or sci-fi movies. In the campaign, we are sentenced to predefined sets with option to purchase one or two permanent improvements between chapters. Well, you can always use the equipment collected from killed opponents. However, in the online mode we have a great range of possibilities - from gender selection through a series of point streak rewards, to the emblems and the look of your armor. As usual, there are plenty of items to unlock. The progress bar moves to the right pretty quickly, but on the other hand, the achieving all prestige levels is a laborious fun.

The game looks really great on PS4. Over the last year I have seen some more polished games in this respect, but Advanced Warfare is pretty close to them. I'm impressed with the quality of the cutscenes - they tend to look like they were recorded with a real camera and real actors. The game is pretty well optimized, although it is sometimes hard to maintain a constant 60 frames per second. I also love the attention to detail - stands with inscriptions, signs, and other crap like this - most of them have high quality textures. This adds a little charm which many AAA titles often lack. It's a shame that the destruction of the environment is limited to the minimum, but you can't even jump over things like a small wall with a Jetpack on your back, let alone destroy it.

Traditionally, the greatest emphasis is on the multiplayer mode. The most important change is the introduction of an exosuit as the base gear of each soldier. It completely changes the way we move in the game, and thus - the maps are much more complex and multi-level. In short - it works. Multiplayer is awesome and thanks to a refreshing approach to the gameplay mechanics, it might encourage players who abandoned the series in the past. On the other hand, players who prefer the classic online experience can easily play the most popular modes without the futuristic support.

Nothing has changed in terms of the matchmaking - it works instantly and after you select a mode it will find other players within few seconds. I like that! I should also mention the co-op mode which is terribly boring and seems to be forced into the game. And the zombie mode will be available only in the form of paid DLC.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare deserves a shapely 8 to 10. Despite the predictable and linear plot, the game delivers seven hours of quite diverse action and Kevin Spacey as the icing on the cake. The implementation of exosuits was a very successful step forward, which significantly messed up the gameplay, but at the same time refreshed the fossilized template of the series. And the online mode is so well organized that not only old-timers, but also new players who do not like to play the same scheme every year will enjoy.