When Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was first revealed in May 2016 it appeared as though the majority of the gaming community had a knee jerk reaction to the setting. Apparently, heading to the future and space weren't the most popular of choices – at least judging by the reaction on the reveal trailer's YouTube.
Now that the game has released we can actually form an opinion on the game, as opposed to simply hating on it without having even played it.
According to reviews, the game's multiplayer is basically a straight rip from Black Ops 3, but that's not what makes Infinite Warfare stand out. When it comes to Infinite Warfare, the most ignored part of the entire game franchise is the most innovative and fun part of the game: the campaign.
The campaign itself isn't without it's issues, but paired with the Zombie mode – it's pretty stellar. Review sites are placing the game between seven and nine on a scale out of 10.
GameInformer
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare features a compelling single-player experience with plenty of optional missions for those looking for more, and robust multiplayer modes for players of every style, whether you’re leading the scoreboards in kill confirmed or goofing around with friends taking on an alien invader in an over-the-top amusement park.
9/10
Destructoid
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does just enough to stay above the curve and somewhat make up for the appropriately soulless Ghosts. The zombies team did an incredible job with Spaceland, and the multiplayer still ticks all of the right boxes with an ample locomotion system that has since been surpassed by Titanfall. But if you were expecting anything totally new, including the non-inventive space campaign, look elsewhere. Or, look directly to the inside of your slipcase and enter the code for Modern Warfare Remastered.
PlayStation LifeStyle
The three-year, three-developer cycle is supposed to take away some of that yearly iteration franchise fatigue, and though the campaign takes many zero-g leaps to shake up the traditional formula, multiplayer and Zombies both feel plucked straight from last year and are almost out of place against the backdrop of Infinite Warfare’s new campaign. It’s ironic that the best part of Infinite Warfare — the classic war story — is also the reason many have turned their noses up due to the setting being in the future and in space
Outside of the innovative campaign, Infinite Warfare plays it safe by cloning and tweaking what’s worked in the past with multiplayer and Zombies, which makes neither really seem like products of Infinity Ward. Gameplay imbalance in multiplayer, with arguably more powerful weapon variants available in loot boxes, is a real concern, as is current map design and spawn logic promoting far too many instances of being shot in the back. Depending on where you place your weight, there’s a dichotomy of value from this package. The campaign and Zombies are definitely worth playing, but the multiplayer is as likely to leave people feeling frustrated as it is to see a fair and fun match, especially with so many other shooter options that have upped the ante out there.
7/10
GameSpot
By venturing beyond Earth–and not just to other planets, but to space itself–Call of Duty found a canvas to produce its best story in years. It reinforces the notion that a game's narrative is only as good as its characters. Given the campaign's accomplishments in space combat, it's puzzling that no effort was made to replicate its zero-G sensations in Infinite Warfare's multiplayer. Consequently, the well-crafted Zombies mode is a more attractive, time-consuming proposition for those looking to play with friends. While no Call of Duty game has matched the comprehensive excellence of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the exploits of Reyes and Ethan are at least as memorable and moving as any deeds from “Soap” MacTavish and John Price during from the series' heyday.
8/10
Polygon
There’s no doubt that Infinity Ward made a wise call in ditching the Ghosts franchise. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare offers one of the best campaigns the series has provided, with stellar writing and varied environments. While that level of ingenuity didn’t transfer over to multiplayer and Zombies, taken as an entire package, Infinite Warfare is a standout effort whose biggest sin is not trying to reinvent the wheel at every turn.
8/10