Call of Duty Advanced Warfare

Call of Duty

Rather than continue the franchise’s escalation into science fiction (see: Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare), the story leads at Infinity Ward wanted to bring things back to the here and now, rooting the game more in the wrenching decisions made by soldiers in modern-day armed conflict than in spiffy, super-futuristic weaponry. In their minds, the definition of “modern warfare” has changed significantly since the series was first introduced in 2007. Back then, the geopolitical concept still centered around nation states slamming armies into one another, invading other countries and engaging in a global conflict that culminated in “Modern Warfare 3.”In the time since, the real world has changed, with rogue elements like terrorist networks, ISIS or separatist movements inciting most of the armed conflicts of this era, fighting battles in a more guerrilla fashion than what we saw in a war like Desert Storm. Now, countries like the United States rely more on Special Forces conducting strategic actions than a full-scale mobilization of the U.S. military.

The result for Modern Warfare, according to Infinity Ward Studio Narrative Director Taylor Kurosaki, will be a gritty look at the gray area Special Forces units must operate in to fulfill their missions.

And that brings us to our protagonist for Modern Warfare ...

Captain Price is back

The mainstay from all three previous Modern Warfare titles will play a role in this one, as well. Based on comments by Kurosaki, however, this will not be the same Captain Price from the series but, rather, a retconned version where the events in the previous Modern Warfare timeline have not occurred.Modern Warfare set in today’s world,” Infinity Ward Campaign Gameplay Director, Jacob Minkoff said. "Characters from the original trilogy, Capt. Price for example, will face a more complex, realistic and morally gray world where lines between enemy, ally, and innocent are not clearly drawn.”

It’s unclear if we’ll also get to see a return/resurrection of Soap, Ghost, Roach and other Modern Warfare favorites, but the trailer ends with a tease of Price saying his team consists of “some old comrades.”