Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare comes with a refreshing kick

A scene from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Photo / AP

The latest iteration of Call of Duty from Infinity Ward offers some much needed fresh ideas for the franchise.

The zero-gravity space combat and epic dogfights are welcome additions to otherwise worn out tropes of the shooter but sadly get left behind in the multiplayer which, when it comes down to it, is really just more of the same.

The online elements of Infinite Warfare are stale by comparison to other shooters this year such as Titanfall 2, Battlefield 1, and Overwatch which presented innovative ways to play online.

Furthermore, a foray into online Call of Duty still comes with the risk of getting called a "homo" by a 13-year-old.

Infinite Warfare's campaign, on the other hand, is interesting, exciting and new. Jon Snow does a good job of playing the villain who cares little for human life, and some robot to human bromance provides a surprisingly emotional twist.

One of the best features is the aerial dog fighting which, while fairly simple, provides some of the tensest moments in the game. Taking down a huge destroyer while dodging in and out of debris is a blast.

The pacing wavers throughout the six-to-seven hour journey and the option to select missions a la Mass Effect doesn't give much incentive. Some goals were confusing and unclear and it was often hard to tell apart teammates from enemies.

A screen shot from the game, Call of Duty Infinite Warfare.

Although Infinite Warfare co-opts Titanfall's wall-running and slides, the movement feels restrictive and clumsy. It feels like there's a 50 per cent chance a wall-run will actually work, and the control scheme doesn't easily allow for flowing slides.

Infinite Warfare is a decent shooter, but with other titles like Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1 out there, it might not be worth your time.

Rating: M
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Verdict: Same old formula with a refreshing kick