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Call of Duty: Vanguard
Critics Consensus (Skip It)
Call of Duty: Vanguard is a solid but unremarkable entry in the franchise – one that will hold up for the year ahead, but probably not any longer. The campaign is full of epic moments, and multiplayer is slick, but there’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before.
Game Info
This is WWII combat like never before. Witness the origins of Special Forces as you play a pivotal role and change the face of history, forming Task Force One in a gripping Campaign across four major theaters of war. Become an original Special Forces Operator in an online Multiplayer rich in innovation with 20 maps available at launch. Prepare for a franchise-first, universe-expanding Zombies crossover. Immerse yourself in a fully integrated Call of Duty: Warzone experience featuring a new and massive map. This is the most connected Call of Duty ever, all powered by the next generation Call of Duty engine introduced in Modern Warfare.
0%
Recommended
0%
Average Score
Total Reviews: 103
RELEASE DATES:
GENRES:
- Shooter
DEVELOPER(S):
- Sledgehammer Games
PUBLISHER(S):
- Activision
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- Call of Duty
GAME MODES:
- Multiplayer, Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- IW 8.0
Where to Play
WHERE TO PLAY
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RATING & REVIEWS
Ratings & Reviews
103
Critic Reviews
72
Average Critic Score
Where to Play
CRITIC REVIEWS
All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.
High Score
95%
Median Score
70%
Low Score
40%
What did you think of Call of Duty: Vanguard?
Player Reviews0 Votes
0
Simon Cardy (IGN)
November 5, 2021
7/10
Call of Duty Vanguard’s highly polished campaign provides a healthy amount of fun, even if its brief length and lack of variety lead it to fall short of the classic pieces of war cinema it’s trying to emulate.
Wesley Yin-Poole (Eurogamer)
November 5, 2021
Recommended)
Vanguard won’t join the pantheon of Call of Duty games, but it’s a decent stop-gap for those waiting for Modern Warfare’s return.
Daniel Tack (Game Informer)
November 5, 2021
8/10
Vanguard is an overall solid pick with a lackluster campaign, a nascent but incredibly promising zombies experience, and multiplayer with a few critical new aspects.
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Score Ranges
Read the Reviews (103 total)
| Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33bits | Diego Sierra | 85 / 100 | 11-09-2021 | Vanguard does not provide significant news, but Sledgehammer has managed to create a solid delivery that manages to capture the best of the essence of the Call of Duty of recent years. The fun provided by the excellent design of its multiplayer mode shows that the formula is still fully valid. In the must there is a campaign mode that, although fun and spectacular, is too short, as well as a zombies mode that is not up to expectations. | Read review |
| 3DNews | Алексей Лихачев | 8 / 10 | 11-14-2021 | The best multiplayer Call of Duty in years. Too bad the campaign is forgettable, and Zombies didn’t get enough love. | Read review |
| Atomix | Rodolfo León | 83 / 100 | 11-10-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is another strong entry for the franchise. It offers a lackluster campaign, but makes up for it with a frenetic and fun multiplayer experiencie. It doesn’r bring anything new to the table in the FPS genre, but many of its elements definitely feel like an evolution for the franchise. | Read review |
| Attack of the Fanboy | Diego Perez | 4 / 5 stars | 11-05-2021 | All in all, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a solid yet unremarkable entry into the long-running franchise. On a technical level, it’s one of the most impressive games out there right now. On a gameplay level, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. | Read review |
| AusGamers | Toby Berger | 8 / 10 | 11-12-2021 | Packed to the brim with blockbuster action sequences and a couple of well-crafted stealth-directed missions, the campaign focuses on four specialists and their mission to track down Project Phoenix – a Nazi program that could potentially swing the pendulum back in the Axis’ favour. | Read review |
| BaziCenter | Javad Mohseni | 8.5 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Aside from breath-taking visuals, the campaign mode of Vanguard doesn’t have much to say, as it’s the standard short and sweet Call of Duty campaign that we’ve known for years, but when it comes to multiplayer Vanguard is a beast, offering the most content than any other COD game before with some top notch map design and super smooth gameplay. | Read review |
| But Why Tho? | Quinn Hiers | 7.5 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard brings a surprisingly engaging campaign and some amazing graphics. While some character flashbacks are better than others, and the length is a bit disappointing, the campaign is nevertheless a fun jot through the theatres of WWII. | Read review |
| Cerealkillerz | Gabriel Bogdan | 7.2 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | You can sum up the experience with Call of Duty Vanguard in one word: Mixed. Some campaign highlights are turned down by regularly freezes in all modes, a chaotic multiplayer and one of the most generic zombie modes in years. | Read review |
| CGMagazine | Clement Goh | 7 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard falls in the predictable traps of an annual release, but pulls through with a fun campaign and multiplayer at the cost of duller Zombies. | Read review |
| Checkpoint Gaming | Omi Koulas | 7 / 10 | 11-20-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is As Expected: The Video Game. You get the polish, the excitement, the rush the series always delivers within the stylised World War 2 setting. This year, the single-player campaign is undoubtedly the standout action blockbuster, with the Multiplayer serving chaotic fun and Zombies mode failing to try something different. Pick it up if you’re already a fan. | Read review |
| COGconnected | Trevor Houston | 84 / 100 | 11-04-2021 | Vanguard doesn’t stray too far away from the classic Call of Duty formula we have come to expect from the franchise over the past several years. In many ways, it’s a little more of the same. That said, Call of Duty: Vanguard is an incredibly robust package offering up tons of content for the buck. Zombies mode is far more enjoyable and varied, the single-player campaign is a visual stunner, and 20 MP maps at launch is nothing to sneeze at. If you have passed over Call of Duty over the last several years, it might be time to come back. | Read review |
| Daily Mirror | Eugene Sowah | 4 / 5 stars | 11-10-2021 | Vanguard feels like so much like the previous Call of Duty games and even the WWII setting isn’t enough to elevate it. While a strong entry in the franchise, there really isn’t enough here that sets it apart, however, it does feel that much more accessible and what is here has been polished till it shines. | Read review |
| Daily Star | Tom Hutchison | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-09-2021 | It’s a great shooter game, CoD always is, but its not the best in the series and the overly used WW2 backdrop is wearing thin. | Read review |
| Destructoid | Noelle Warner | 8.5 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | In the long history of the CoD series, it’s fitting that Vanguard stayed true to form with the World War II setting, because when all is said and done, I think it’ll be considered among the greats. If it’s already this fun to play now, I can’t wait to see how it evolves in the coming months with any updates Sledgehammer has planned. | Read review |
| Digital Chumps | Ben Sheene | 9.5 / 10 | 08-29-2019 | Call of Duty: Vanguard continues the high standard set by 2019’s Modern Warfare, providing a grounded, classic Call of Duty campaign, coupled with a deep multiplayer experience rich with progression and an inviting Zombies mode that welcomes all skill levels. | Read review |
| Digital Trends | Otto Kratky | 2.5 / 5 stars | 11-12-2021 | While it adds some interesting new features to the Call of Duty formula, Vanguard’s mixed bag of changes makes it a forgettable entry. | Read review |
| Easy Allies | Brad Ellis | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-16-2021 | While there is some fun to be had, Call of Duty: Vanguard never goes beyond expectations. | Read review |
| EGM | Michael Goroff | 6 / 10 | 11-07-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard sometimes strains under the pressure of fulfilling its obligations to the all-consuming Warzone platform that the series has become. Vanguard’s Gunsmith and Operators might dictate the game’s World War II fiction in weird and hilarious ways, but it can still offer the same thrills you’d expect. Still, there’s no denying that Vanguard feels like a watered down entry for the franchise, which is now more motivated by microtransactions than by telling a compelling World War II narrative. | Read review |
| Eurogamer | Wesley Yin-Poole | Recommended | 11-05-2021 | Vanguard won’t join the pantheon of Call of Duty games, but it’s a decent stop-gap for those waiting for Modern Warfare’s return. | Read review |
| Everyeye.it | Francesco Fossetti | 7.5 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard is a particular episode, a collage of experiences that do not all present the same inspiration and quality. | Read review |
| Expansive | Tom Hynes | Recommended | 11-13-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard’s campaign, all told, is pretty much standard fare. It’s by no means the best nor worst, but while it strives to do something different, it inevitably continues to just play things safe. | Read review |
| FingerGuns | Miles Thompson | 8 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Offering a trilogy of solid content offerings with campaign, multiplayer and zombies, Vanguard is a valiant attempt from Sledgehammer which maybe plays it a little too safe in the end. Despite the messy, disjointed design choices for online, Vanguard still proves to be a satisfying experience. It may not lead the line of CoD entries as its name suggests, but it nestles nicely in the middle of the pack. | Read review |
| Forbes | Erik Kain | 9 / 10 | 11-12-2021 | All told, Call Of Duty: Vanguard has exceeded my expectations, especially after a less-than-promising pre-launch Alpha and press event. Then again, the Beta was drastically improved overall so I was already feeling more optimistic by launch. | Read review |
| Game Informer | Daniel Tack | 8 / 10 | 11-04-2021 | Vanguard is an overall solid pick with a lackluster campaign, a nascent but incredibly promising zombies experience, and multiplayer with a few critical new aspects. | Read review |
| Game Rant | Dalton Cooper | 4 / 5 stars | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard will get better with time, but the launch game is still an impressive package. The Campaign is short but sweet and the Multiplayer is a blast, though Zombies fans will likely come away disappointed. Even with Zombies failing to live up to expectations, though, Call of Duty: Vanguard still has a lot to offer fans of the franchise and is very much worth the price of admission. | Read review |
| Game Revolution | Mack Ashworth | 2.75 / 5 stars | 11-19-2021 | Sledgehammer Games is no stranger to righting wrongs, as seen with its previous Call of Duty entries, but even with additional balance tweaks and new content, I’m certain five years from now that Vanguard will be looked down upon as one of the weakest games in the series. | Read review |
| Gameblog | Rami Bououd | 7 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard isn’t the part of the revolution, but clearly does the job, offering a title that will hold up for the year ahead. | Read review |
| Gamefa | آرمان زرمهر | 6 / 10 | 11-13-2021 | Despite the relatively engaging campaign section and attempts to provide a different experience and narrative from World War II, unfortunately it does not achieve this goal due to its weakness in designing some steps and maintaining their attractiveness. | Read review |
| GamePro | Tobias Veltin, Chris Werian | 73 / 100 | 11-09-2021 | CoD Vanguard is a solid shooter in all respects, but it doesn’t make anything special. | Read review |
| Gamerheadquarters | Jason Stettner | 7.8 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard is a solid package featuring an enjoyable campaign experience, fast paced expansive multiplayer and a rather drab zombies mode that actually lessens the overall value. | Read review |
| Gamersky | Unknown | 8.2 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard maintains the consistently high level of production in the Call of Duty series, with an excellent cinematic narrative and unparalleled shooting feel, giving players an audio-visual experience in person on the battlefield. | Read review |
| GamesBeat | Dean Takahashi | Recommended | 11-04-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is a balanced game across the vectors of historical interest, good gameplay, variety, and a strong narrative. It ties everything together in a competent way that makes sense. That doesn’t mean it’s a spectacular game on the order of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which was a breakthrough game for the franchise because of its thoughtfulness and disturbing material. This is a good installment, but the stutter in combat makes me wonder if it’s as polished as it should be. | Read review |
| GameSpew | Richard Seagrave | 8 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Does Call of Duty: Vanguard advance the series in any meaningful way? Of course not, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic package for Call of Duty fans, or a good entry point for those seeking a way in. The campaign here is brief but captivating, managing to make you feel for its band of heroes despite your short time with them. Zombies has some interesting twists that keep you on your toes. And multiplayer is more of the same but with tweaks that some will love and others will hate, as usual. All in all, this is one of the best Call of Duty releases to date, and we’d love to see more of Vanguard’s exploits in the future. | Read review |
| GameSpot | Phil Hornshaw | 7 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | Tweaks in multiplayer and Zombies advance the Call of Duty franchise overall, and an emphasis on distinct characters makes Vanguard’s story fun, but it doesn’t always mix well with the series’ gameplay. | Read review |
| GamesRadar+ | Leon Hurley | 4 / 5 stars | 11-08-2021 | A solid installment for the series with a satisfying story and great multiplayer balance. | Read review |
| Gaming Nexus | Rob Larkin | 6.5 / 10 | 11-22-2021 | It follows the formula of a Call of Duty game, but delivers each element just a bit worse than it’s predecessors. Call of Duty: Vanguard is a game that will surely grow and improve over time, but what we have at launch is something that at least fails to cater to what I was hoping for in any aspect of the game. The single player campaign is ridiculous even if it does deliver some moments of high action; the multiplayer is a mess, at least for someone with my skillset; and zombies is simply unfinished. It’ll get better, but what we’ve got right now just isn’t all that good. | Read review |
| GamingBolt | Matt Bianucci | 7 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | What you know to be true about Call of Duty continues to be true in Vanguard, though there are some surprisingly earnest characters in the campaign and an expectedly addictive suite of multiplayer maps and modes. | Read review |
| GamingTrend | David Burdette | 90 / 100 | 11-04-2021 | This culmination of all things Call Of Duty has resulted in something the entire series can look to, a blueprint on how to build a meaty and superb first person shooter experience. | Read review |
| Generación Xbox | Juan Lorente | 7.3 / 10 | 11-17-2021 | However, very black spots such as a wasted Zombies mode, weapons that barely differ from other CODs and other minor problems such as an AI that barely evolves tarnish this Vanguard enough. Game recommended for all those unconditional fans of the saga or those who enjoy the Second World War. | Read review |
| God is a Geek | Mick Fraser | 8 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard’s campaign is meaty, the Battle Pass will keep you going a while, and Zombies is wonderfully addictive. | Read review |
| GotGame | Dragos Dobre | 8 / 10 | 12-28-2021 | All in all, Call of Duty Vanguard is an amazing singleplayer experience, with a more than decent multiplayer component. It plays and feels better than its competitors, especially Battlefield. The only other hard-hitting title out there right now is Halo: Infinite, but that’s offered for free for anyone and it’s really hard to compete with that. I would recommend you get it just for the story and maybe wait for a few weeks before jumping into multiplayer if you want to get the Battle Pass too. | Read review |
| GRYOnline.pl | Unknown | 7.5 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | The latest Call of Duty: Vanguard is a correct shooter in single and a replay of entertainment in multi. It does not surprise either on the plus or on the minus, which makes it a slightly pale, easy to forget scene. | Read review |
| Guardian | Keith Stuart | 3 / 5 stars | 11-10-2021 | A band of inglorious stereotypes go on a covert mission to uncover a Nazi plan in a traditional instalment of the series | Read review |
| Hardcore Gamer | Kevin Dunsmore | 4 / 5 stars | 11-04-2021 | Sledgehammer Games clearly had high ambitions when approaching their third solo Call of Duty project. | Read review |
| Hobby Consolas | David Martinez | 87 / 100 | 11-05-2021 | Even failing at “showing World Wart Two like never before”, Call of Duty Vanguard is a great FPS. Campaign is full of epic (and some dramatic) moments, multiplayer is fun and fast, and includes 16 maps (twice as the previous Call of Duty game) with plenty of modes and progression elements, and the new zombies mode is incredibly fun. | Read review |
| IGN | Simon Cardy | 7 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard’s highly polished campaign provides a healthy amount of fun, even if its brief length and lack of variety lead it to fall short of the classic pieces of war cinema it’s trying to emulate. | Read review |
| IGN Italy | Angelo Bianco | 8 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is certainly a good return to World War II by Sledgehammer, especially in terms of multiplayer modes: many maps, customizable weapons with numerous options and a progression system to applause. On the other hand, the single player campaign is just enough, far from being considered epic, while the Zombies mode needs to be expanded as soon as possible. | Read review |
| IGN Middle East | Omar Salah | 7 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Vanguard tries to satisfy all tastes with the usual individual, collective and collaborative content in each version with very limited changes. | Read review |
| IGN Spain | Álex Pareja | 6 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | Overall, it feels like a game that doesn’t want to disturb and has no soul of its own. | Read review |
| Impulsegamer | Sean Warhurst | 3.9 / 5 stars | 11-16-2021 | Although a solid offering overall, one can’t help but feel that the series has taken a step backwards in terms of the content available as well as the era depicted; instead of expanding upon the almost non-linear structure of the Cold War campaign we instead get a safe reversion back to the standard model and the Zombies mode is barebones as all get out no matter how you slice it. | Read review |
| Jump Dash Roll | Derek Johnson | 7 / 10 | 11-11-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard does little to change up the Call of Duty formula, but it’s still a fun way to kill the nine months until next year’s title releases. | Read review |
| JVL | Kikitoès | 7 / 10 | 11-16-2021 | Again, Call of Duty has some very good things to offer but also has big problems, starting with its laziness. The franchise does not seek to review its formula and always serves us the same drum, effective certainly, but that we see coming from miles away. This year, we have the right to an honest campaign but too short and so uninventive that it will not mark the spirits and turns out to be perfectly dispensable. | Read review |
| LevelUp | Luis Sánchez | 6.5 / 10 | 11-18-2021 | Is Call of Duty: Vanguard a good game? It depends. If it is your first Call of Duty, it will be one of the best experiences in your life. However, if Vanguard is your nineteenth Call of Duty you will find a visually impressive, yet hollow, campaign, a multiplayer that soon becomes routine, and a disappointing zombie mode. | Read review |
| M3 | P-A Knutsson | 6 / 10 | 11-11-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard feels in many ways like a throwback to older Call of Duty titles. There is nothing wrong with stripped-down restarts, but in this case it feels more like time constraints have been the main reason for the simplifications. The single player campaign has few memorable moments, while zombie mode lacks a lot of content at launch. At least the online part offers plenty of content and chaotic, easily accessible high-tempo clearing – but it’s not very new under the sun. | Read review |
| Merlin’in Kazanı | Tayfun Kumaş | 70 / 100 | 11-13-2021 | Despite its impressive characters, Call of Duty Vanguard has an extremely ordinary story. Multiplayer modes are fun, but they do not feel like a new game. | Read review |
| Metro GameCentral | GameCentral | 7 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | A reliable entry full of variety and worthwhile content, that simultaneously leaves an aroma of staleness that is beginning to taint the whole Call Of Duty franchise. | Read review |
| New Game Network | Ben Thomas | 70 / 100 | 11-14-2021 | Multiplayer is the only reason to play Call of Duty: Vanguard, thanks to substantial online content and a satisfying competitive pace. Both the zombies mode and the campaign are tiresome, clichéd, and mediocre, best left out of the history books. | Read review |
| Niche Gamer | NECRO XIII | 6 / 10 | 11-13-2021 | Some could argue that wall running didn’t belong in previous entries, but they added verticality to gameplay, and made players look up instead of left and right. Vanguard lacks all originality, doesn’t improve in almost any areas, and goes down in quality. | Read review |
| NoesPaisparaFrikis | Oscar Garcia Mompean | 8.3 / 10 | 11-23-2021 | A bet on popcorn, action and fun. An ode to explosions, gunshots and getting up screaming from the couch. A formula that, despite not being liked by the current critics, continues to work perfectly | Read review |
| NoobFeed | Adam Siddiqui | 50 / 100 | 11-11-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard shows that this once great franchise is now a shell of its former self. But at least it doesn’t crash consoles. | Read review |
| Oyungezer Online | Ali Sezgin | 7 / 10 | 11-13-2021 | With its limited content, Vanguard feels more like a by-product built to support Warzone than a real game. | Read review |
| PC Gamer | Rick Lane | 60 / 100 | 11-09-2021 | CoD’s multiplayer is as dependable as ever, but Vanguard’s campaign and Zombies mode fail to capitalise on what could be interesting ideas. | Read review |
| PC Invasion | Kurt Perry | 7 / 10 | 11-12-2021 | As a huge multiplayer fan Call of Duty: Vanguard ticks all of the right boxes for me. It’s chaotic and fast paced and besides some bugs that will surely be patched out, there’s little to complain about. Unfortunately, the accompanying Zombies and Campaign modes are lacklustre and it is simply not worth buying the game for them alone. | Read review |
| PCGamesN | Ian Boudreau | 8 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | Opting for pulp fantasy over Spielbergian reverence for the era, Vanguard reinvigorates the World War II setting and charts a new path forward. | Read review |
| PlayStation LifeStyle | Chandler Wood | 8.5 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | As a complete package, from a Call of Duty developer that hasn’t yet established its own Modern Warfare or Black Ops sub-franchise, Vanguard feels like it could end up being Sledgehammer’s tentpole. Iconic characters, unique multiplayer and map design, and overall integration into the wider Call of Duty experience set the pace for not only the next year, but whatever comes next from Sledgehammer. | Read review |
| PlayStation Universe | Ernest Lin | 6 / 10 | 11-22-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is not the full package fans have and should expect from a franchise that consistently tops the sales charts. There are not enough positives to overcome the fact that the amount and quality of its content is sorely lacking. This is a blast from the past in the worst possible way. | Read review |
| Polygon | Yussef Cole | Not Recommended | 11-11-2021 | As part of the suit against Activision Blizzard, two Black female employees described a workplace where they were constantly undermined and judged on a harsher rubric than their white coworkers. One employee mentioned being ” … micromanaged such that her male coworkers were known to be playing video games without any intervention by her supervisor, but her supervisor would call and check on her if she took a break to go on a walk.” Both employees eventually left the company as a result. | Read review |
| Press Start | Ewan Roxburgh | 8 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Iterating on what Call of Duty diehards know and love, Vanguard has the potential to stand up alongside some of the series’ best. Whether it be a bombastic, action-flick inspired campaign, endlessly addictive multiplayer or now-staple zombies mode, the game feels like comfort food. However, I remain doubtful that the game’s new and updated modes will do enough to win over anyone that wasn’t convinced with earlier iterations. | Read review |
| PSX Brasil | Bruno Henrique Vinhadel | 75 / 100 | 11-12-2021 | Vanguard delivers the Call of Duty experience in a very traditional and solid way, but with nothing new. Far from being a perfect title, it has several problems in the campaign, multiplayer and zombies, such as lack of direction, refinement or content. | Read review |
| Push Square | Liam Croft | 7 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is another incredibly solid but also super safe instalment in the series. Its campaign may be over in a hurry but it’s still a fairly memorable one, featuring good characters and outstanding visuals. Multiplayer is another robust package, hosting a ton of content and the promise of more to come. The less said about Zombies the better, but this is a Call of Duty game doing Call of Duty things. Whether that’s of any interest or not, you likely already know. | Read review |
| Rapid Reviews UK | Chelsea Beardsmore | 4 / 5 stars | 12-09-2021 | Call of Duty is always one of the biggest releases of the year, with Battlefield usually releasing just before it – but not this time. Call of Duty: Vanguard is the first in the series for a while to release beforehand, is it an improvement to the series? I’m here to tell you. | Read review |
| Rock, Paper, Shotgun | Ed Thorn | Not Recommended | 11-17-2021 | An unremarkable FPS story set in World War 2. Has moments of spectacle and is largely quite fun, but feels like you’re a gun on-rails, hardly a war hero. | Read review |
| Saudi Gamer | Unknown | 5 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | For the second year in a row, you can sense that the game was developed in a hurry, the menus copied from Modern Warfare and technical issues, the assignment of the Treyarch studio to develop zombies and its incomplete release, and the lack of different designs that distinguish each team from the other, are all indications that the game did not take enough time for development. Of course, the foundation of the series is always fun, the technical issues will be fixed with time, and it will be a good game until the next release. But the standard has become thinner than a mere “enjoyable foundation” and expected. | Read review |
| Saving Content | Scott Ellison II | 3 / 5 stars | 11-11-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is not a bad game, but it feels halfhearted, with most of its heart poured into the campaign. It’s something that doesn’t live up to its potential, and could’ve been better. If you’re picking this one up, do it for the campaign and stay for the multiplayer to prepare for Warzone. The Zombies mode should be avoided until more content gets added to it in the coming months. We won’t know how Vanguard’s integration into Warzone will influence the battle royale until next month. As it stands, Call of Duty: Vanguard is good enough to get you through until next month where hopefully there’s a more to return for. | Read review |
| SECTOR.sk | Peter Dragula | 7.5 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty is back in World War II with good multiplayer but weak campaign. | Read review |
| Shacknews | Sam Chandler | 8 / 10 | 11-11-2021 | While Call of Duty: Vanguard does what it does well, it’s as I wrote at the start: the expected experience. There’s nothing overly surprising here, no major shakeups to the gameplay, nothing that rejuvenates the franchise like 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, Call of Duty: Vanguard offers a solid experience for those looking for their annual fix from the franchise. | Read review |
| Slant Magazine | Aaron Riccio | 3 / 5 stars | 11-09-2021 | Vanguard, then, feels more like a tasting menu than a balanced meal. You get to sneak through ducts, scramble up walls in a decrepit department store, commandeer a dive bomber, and wield a flamethrower in order to clear out some anti-aircraft bunkers. It’s high-quality stuff, but it’s unlikely that it’ll all be to any one player’s satisfaction, and there’s no option to skip through chapters of the campaign or to get more time as Lady Nightingale. But in fairness, that’s what the very customizable multiplayer modes and offerings are for. | Read review |
| Softpedia | Cosmin Vasile | 6.5 / 10 | 11-14-2021 | After the disappointing Cold War, Vanguard was the game that many fans have put their faith in. But due to rocky start, the countless bugs the completely unbalanced multiplayer and the incomplete zombies mode, this year’s Call of Duty is just another nail in the coffin of once great franchise. | Read review |
| SomHráč.sk | Denis Burčík | 60 / 100 | 11-11-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard’s singleplayer campaign is simply too short to get a recommendation. The multiplayer fares better, however it doesn’t really offer anything new. Unless you have to play every Call of Duty game ever released, feel free to skip this one. | Read review |
| SpazioGames | Marino Puntorieri | 7.6 / 10 | 11-09-2021 | Despite an immense amount of content, Call of Duty: Vanguard feels a bit like a step back for the franchise: a couple of guns need to find a better balance with the upcoming updates and the campaign is fascinating but extremely short and unripe. The game is genuinely fun, of course, but it’s not the best Call of Duty to date. | Read review |
| Telegraph | Dan Silver | 3 / 5 stars | 11-16-2021 | A short but solid campaign and minor multiplayer tweaks suggest Warzone is still the main priority | Read review |
| The Angry Joe Show | Joe Vargas | 4 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | Video Review | Read review |
| The Games Machine | Alessandro Alosi | 8 / 10 | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard clears the bar thanks to its convincing multiplayer, rich in content and with some new features such as the Battle Rhythm and wider environmental destruction, which reinforce an already solid gameplay. There is no innovation or revolution for the franchise, and those who have played the most recent games in the series already know what awaits them, but perhaps the secret of its commercial success will be precisely this. | Read review |
| TheSixthAxis | Jim Hargreaves | 9 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | The stars have aligned for Call of Duty: Vanguard. For the first time, this truly feels like a full package without any caveats. Sure, some parts are naturally stronger than others but there isn’t a weak link in sight. After back to back triumphs, Call of Duty is now on a killstreak. | Read review |
| Too Much Gaming | Carlos Hernandez | 7 / 10 | 11-18-2021 | The problem with Vanguard is that it’s difficult to recommend with multiplayer being its strongest asset, which is something Black Ops Cold War and the Modern Warfare reboot provided well enough, as there isn’t a big enough change in the gameplay formula to warrant a switch. In the end, Vanguard simply asks if you prefer the World War II setting enough to buy it at full price. If not, I think you’ll be good with whatever Call of Duty title you have right now. | Read review |
| TrueGaming | Unknown | 8.5 / 10 | 11-05-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard offers us a mix of interesting stories, very fun group play phases and much-welcomed zombie innovations, already an experience not to be missed for fans of the series and first-perspective shooting games. | Read review |
| TrustedReviews | Gemma Ryles | 3 / 5 stars | 11-17-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard does have its moments, even if they are quite few and far between. The campaign goes back and forth between innovative and entertaining, to repetitive and bland, while the Multiplayer and Zombie modes don’t bring anything new to the table other than how impressive they look. | Read review |
| Twinfinite | Chris Jecks | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-11-2021 | For those looking for more of the same, Call of Duty: Vanguard does exactly that. It’s the same, great-feeling FPS with a fresh lick of WWII paint complete with all of the weapons, locales and caveats that come with it. It’s not a revolutionary entry for the series, but it’s not a particularly poor one, either. | Read review |
| Unboxholics | Κυριάκος Στεργιάδης | Not Recommended | 11-10-2021 | Call of Duty Vanguard is a good ol’ but rusty and tried train ride of what is a CoD experience. There’s nothing particular new or bombastic and memorable about its WW2 campaign which almost feels like a dejavu of the WWII campaign that Sledgehammer developed. There are also instances of the multiplayer being a frustrating experience due to the lack of dedicated servers which in 2021 is utterly unacceptable. Time will tell if Vanguard is one of the most forgettable entries of the franchise. | Read review |
| VG247 | Sherif Saed | Not Recommended | 11-10-2021 | Judged on its own terms, Call of Duty: Vanguard offers a solid, albeit predictable campaign, an engaging multiplayer with deep progression systems and satisfying gunplay, and a Zombies mode that will only serve as a minor distraction in its current state. | Read review |
| VGC | Jordan Middler | 3 / 5 stars | 11-05-2021 | At launch, Call of Duty Vanguard feels like a solid step-up from Black Ops Cold War, but falls short of the benchmark that was Modern Warfare 2019. | Read review |
| VGChartz | Lee Mehr | 4 / 10 | 12-08-2021 | Thanks to a surfeit of undaring options, solo and multiplayer, Sledgehammer Games’ latest sports the most ironic subtitle of the year. | Read review |
| VideoGamer | Josh Wise | 7 / 10 | 11-10-2021 | Its narrative is fractious and slight, compared to Sledgehammer’s previous work, but the chance for a chaotic, target-rich experience with friends exerts a stronger pull than usual. | Read review |
| Washington Post | Teddy Amenabar | Not Recommended | 11-05-2021 | If all you’re looking for from Call of Duty is an incremental change to the multiplayer along with a slate of new maps, “Vanguard” will do right by you. I can’t deny that the multiplayer is engaging, just as it was in the game before, and the game before that one, and so on. It is evident, also, that a lot of effort went into making the game look and feel good. But as a whole package, the game is a tremendous disappointment. Untold amounts of money, technology and talent were drained into “Vanguard,” a boring, joyless and pointless game. And for what? A profit, maybe. Beyond that, nothing. | Read review |
| WayTooManyGames | Aaron Price | 8 / 10 | 11-17-2021 | Save for some small changes to each of the individual game modes, it’s obvious that most the effort in Vanguard went into multiplayer, which makes sense. Zombies has been brushed almost entirely to the wayside, and while the campaign is fairly lengthy and has a story that actually makes sense, not involving brainwashing, it’s a big win for Call of Duty this year. The hope now is that the season updates, new maps, and hopefully some new Zombies content, can help to fully flesh the game out effectively. | Read review |
| Wccftech | Kai Powell | 7.5 / 10 | 11-24-2021 | Perhaps the softest launch in Activision Blizzard’s historic FPS series, Call of Duty Vanguard shows that there’s much potential for this year’s entry to grow. However with the weakest Zombies mode in series history, a shortage of cosmetics and upgrades for anything save your primary loadout, and a Campaign that could’ve offered so much more, Vanguard is a tough sell if you’re looking for anything than your next TDM fix at the moment. | Read review |
| We Got This Covered | Eric Hall | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-15-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard is another solid entry in the popular franchise, but far from an excellent one. The campaign struggles in the story department, but a good base of multiplayer options and a fun, if underdeveloped, Zombies mode help save the day. | Read review |
| WellPlayed | Kieran Stockton | 7 / 10 | 11-21-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard unabashedly apes the style of 2019’s Modern Warfare, with a multiplayer that is fun though familiar, but featuring a campaign that largely misses the mark. | Read review |
| Windows Central | Samuel Tolbert | 3 / 5 stars | 11-08-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard’s campaign and multiplayer are serviceable enough, but nothing exceptional for the series, while Zombies is disappointingly limited in scope and ideas. | Read review |
| Worth Playing | Andreas Salmen | 7.5 / 10 | 11-16-2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard drops the ball on two fronts. The campaign is a short, disjointed, and shallow affair, and its Zombies mode is solid but too bare-bones and devoid of content to recommend at the moment. Regular multiplayer matches are where Vanguard shines the brightest, but a lot of that is due to leaning heavily into familiar territory. Vanguard struggles to make meaningful additions to the formula, and apart from new battle pacing options and a generous selection of maps, Vanguard sits comfortably on the achievements of its predecessors. That’s not a bad thing, and I enjoyed the online components throughout this review, but it’s also not a great look for a yearly release. If you haven’t played a Call of Duty title in a few years and don’t care for its single-player campaign, Vanguard is a fun and solid entry in the series. | Read review |
| Xbox Achievements | Richard Walker | 87 / 100 | 11-08-2021 | We’ll be damned if this isn’t another fine Call of Duty game. The solo campaign is excellent, multiplayer delivers on practically all fronts, and Zombies provides a neat co-op diversion. Call of Duty: Vanguard represents great value, and enough new stuff to warrant taking a look. | Read review |
| Zoomg | افشین پیروزی | 7 / 10 | 11-13-2021 | Vanguard is a work that the usual fans of Call of Duty will enjoy, but the lack of specific innovations and the lack of answers to some fictional ideas have made the game unable to be a suitable work for a wider segment of gamers. | Read review |
| ZTGD | Terrence Johnson | 7 / 10 | 11-19-2021 | The biggest problem is CoD: Vanguard feels like the least innovative Call of Duty in years. I think a lot of that has to do with Warzone, and the fact that developers HAVE to ensure that their game can be compatible with that battle royale. The fact that so much has to go into making sure it all works together; I just feel like it has to be hampering the developer’s creativity. In my opinion Call of Duty as a whole need to take a year off and regroup, come back with something as memorable as the original Modern Warfare was when it launched. If it’s a matter of money (and I doubt that it is) developers could lean into Warzone, they already are making a killing on all the microtransactions but just update Warzone like Epic does for Fortnite. Then after a year surprise people with something fantastic… I know this will never happen, but a man can dream. | Read review |
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