There is nuance and slow builds to these rather explosive set pieces. It isn’t all just machismo yelling while hip firing LMGs the entire game. Their segments introduce new concepts that elevates these characters and makes you understand why they were chosen.

Each member of the team has a specialty that we learn about within their background, and each character is fun to play. Vanguard is as over the top and ridiculous as any Michael Bay movie, but it also has way more character. While the situations are loosely based on real world events, everything else surrounding them is inaccurate, but that doesn’t take away from this core experience. Personally, I could have gone with an entire game centered on Petrova as her segments were my absolute favorite. Polina Petrova (Laura Bailey) seems to resemble Lyudmila Pavlichenko, famous Russian sniper with 309 confirmed kills, giving her the nickname of “Lady Death.” While you play this roulette of characters between jail scenes, you learn more about them and how they why they were chosen. Lucas Riggs (Martin Copping) resembles New Zealand hero Charles Upham and Wade Jackson (Derek Phillips) is an American pilot based on Vernon Larsen Micheel. The characters include British born Arthur Kingsley (Chiké Okonkwo) is based on Private Sidney Cornell.

Each member of this team also happens to come from a different part of the world, embracing the idea that this is an alliance set to take on the Nazi regime it is a “World War” after all. Each solider (including Kinsley) is based off a real time war hero whose name has been changed most likely due to the historical inaccuracy of Vanguard’s events. While each member of this team is dragged into an interrogation, Arthur will narrate a brief description of why he chose that hero, and we get to play that event. There we have this interesting Tarantino-esque story play out where Lieutenant Arthur Kingsley narrates why he chose each of his teammates. Together, they attempt to put an end to the Nazi’s newest mysterious weapon, “Project Phoenix.” After the rather boring intro mission, the team is captured and most of the members are sent to a jail conveniently located under a Nazi S.S. While Call of Duty: Vanguard doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head when it comes to historical accuracy, it sure is an enjoyable, bombastic time.Īs I previously mentioned, we go back to the World War 2 setting where we play as a series of war heroes that have come together like some sort of wartime Avengers. Just like the Gregorian calendar that we base our entire life around, Call of Duty cycles back to the World War 2 setting where we get to revisit the concept of kicking Nazi ass, and it has never looked this good before. It is that time of the year again the bitter cold starts rolling in, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is constantly played on repeat in most convenience stores, and another Call of Duty is released. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here

Call of duty ed vanderhart