Call of Duty‘s creators are going for the nostalgic audience by including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered in a bundle with the next installment in the modern combat shooter series: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
Coming on Nov. 4, the new Call of Duty game will get bundled with a remake of an old one to ensure that this year’s Call of Duty keeps the franchise growing. That’s a big challenge, since Call of Duty: Black Ops III set new records in the fall of 2015, and because the Infinity Ward studio’s last game, Call of Duty: Ghosts, fell flat. And in case fans don’t like the sci-fi feel of Infinite Warfare, Activision can bank on loyal Modern Warfare fans coming to the party.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was an extremely popular game, and it’s certainly one reason that Call of Duty has something like 40 million monthly active users and why it generated more than $15 billion over the last decade. I fondly remember Modern Warfare as completely shaking up the Call of Duty franchise, which had become stuck in a rut with World War II combat. Modern Warfare was the first title to make the leap to the sensitive subject matter of modern warfare at a time when the U.S. was engaged in wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
The original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare title was made by the original creators of the franchise, including Jason West and Vince Zampella, when they headed Infinity Ward. Modern Warfare is now a classic, but it was a big risk when the game came out in 2007 on the Windows PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 console.
Above: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered includes tank combat.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered will be included in the deluxe edition of Infinite Warfare when it debuts on Nov. 4. These announcements should go over well with the community of 40 million monthly active users excited about the next installments in the annual franchise, which has generated more than $15 billion over the past decade.
Infinity Ward will have had about three years to work on the new games by the time they ship in November, as owner Activision now has three studios working on the game — including Sledgehammer Games (maker of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare) and Treyarch (creator of last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III). The three studios have each created separate Call of Duty universes with their own storylines, and they alternate new releases.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will also be available as the Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition, which includes the return of the full campaign and 10 multiplayer maps from the famed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, released in high-definition imagery. Infinite Warfare and the Infinite Warfare Legacy Edition will debut on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Infinity Ward faces a big test with this game. Its last title, Call of Duty: Ghosts, debuted in 2013 to widespread critical negativity. I rated that game 80 out of 100, noting that it wasn’t as good as rival Battlefield 4, which came out at the same time. Ghosts earned an overall 78 out of 100 on game review aggregator Metacritic. By contrast, Modern Warfare had a Metacritic score of 94 out of 100.
Above: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered will appeal to classic fans.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is being executive produced by Infinity Ward and developed by Raven Software (which means that Activision is enlisting the resources of a fourth studio to handle the franchise). The game will have improved texture resolution and detail, high-dynamic range lighting, lit and shadowing VFX particles, and revamped animation and audio. The game will also have a more modern online multiplayer mode with killstreaks, XP, Prestige and more. The 10 maps include “Crash,” “Backlot” and “Crossfire.”
“The original Modern Warfare raised the bar on video games and forever will be remembered as one of the best. It’s an honor to be developing the remaster and we are committed to faithfully remastering this classic for Call of Duty fans,” stated Brian Raffel, studio head of Raven Software, in a statement.
The Legacy Edition and Digital Legacy Edition – which includes both Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered — will cost $80. The Digital Deluxe Edition – which includes Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered and Season Pass, — will be $100.
The Legacy Pro Edition – which includes Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, Season Pass, collectible Steelbook, official game soundtrack and additional digital items — will cost $120.