Call of Duty: Vanguard Reviews

Call of Duty: Vanguard is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
M3
Top Critic
Nov 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.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Nov 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.

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7 / 10
Nov 8, 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.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 8, 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.

Review in Italian | Read full review

84 / 100
Nov 4, 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.

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Unscored
Nov 5, 2021

But does it sound like the next great “Call of Duty” title? That question is a lot like asking about the latest version of the iPhone. The early signs are promising, but the answer to that question really depends on whether the carnival rides that the game offers continue to be entertaining weeks or months from now. However, if you’re looking for what “Call of Duty” offers at its core — big explosions and endless hours of multiplayer — this first experience shows “Vanguard” is off to a strong start.

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73 / 100
Nov 9, 2021

CoD Vanguard is a solid shooter in all respects, but it doesn't make anything special.

Review in German | Read full review

Unscored
Nov 23, 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.

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Nov 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.

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7.3 / 10.0
Nov 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.‎

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Nov 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.

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Nov 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.

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3.5 / 5.0
Nov 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.

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Atomix
Top Critic
83 / 100
Nov 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.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Nov 9, 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.

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7.5 / 10.0
Nov 8, 2021

Call of Duty Vanguard is a particular episode, a collage of experiences that do not all present the same inspiration and quality.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Nov 8, 2021

Overall, Call of Duty: Vanguard is another solid entry to the CoD series. Sledgehammer has worked almost entirely by the rulebook, but has made enough improvements to deliver a template that can carry the series forward for another year. There’s a promising lineup of post launch content on the way too, leaving the future looking relatively bright for the future of Call of Duty.

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EGM
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Nov 7, 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.

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Gameblog
Top Critic
7 / 10
Nov 5, 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.

Review in French | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 5, 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.

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