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It would’ve been nice to have seen the tried-and-true formula get shaken up at least a little bit. after spending most of my free time running around the mostly excellent new maps, upgrading my weapons to highly satisfying levels, and – most importantly – shooting other people in the face, I have to say that in spite of its familiarity, Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer is dependably a good time. I feel compelled to slap it with words like “uninspired” and “unambitious,” and it seems to have carried over a few small technical annoyances from last year.
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The biggest issue is that it doesn't really do anything new and feels all too familiar – more of a refined riff on what we’ve played in Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare than something with its own distinctive style of gameplay. Mind you, I have fun with this series most years, and I wouldn’t necessarily call Vanguard a high point even among the past few games.
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I’ve spent the weekend after launch playing Call of Duty: Vanguard multiplayer, and I'm glad to say I'm having a lot of fun.
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