DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!
I have been playing Call of Duty since Call of Duty 2 came out. I have played the games on PC, Ps3, and Xbox 360.I am a skilled player who's KDR has not dropped below a 1.5 on any game. I am a very patient and forgiving player when it comes to games in a series that I enjoy. However, this is by far the worst FPS game I have ever played in my entire life and I have good evidence to back it up.
First off, let me start by saying I like the idea they had when they created the game. A fun new energetic approach to an otherwise repetitive gaming franchise. Very good idea. Unfortunately, they totally botched the idea. Let me explain why.
Mechanics: Terribly programmed. You can exo-boost which is fun, but they made it imbalanced. When you use your exo boost, you actually gain a significant advantage over the other players. A speed boost in a direction, makes you see an enemy player before they can actually see you. Meaning that by the time they psychologically process your presence, you are already shooting at them.
Skill Level: This may be the first Call of Duty game that I find to be completely unfair. Not everyone plays the same way. Some people camp, some people run and gun, some people play defensively or any combination of strategies. On this game, you WILL NOT SUCCEED in camping or in many situations, playing defensively. The mechanics make it nearly impossible. It takes away all freedom of choice when it comes to play style. You are forced to play a specific way, or pay the consequences of having a terrible score.
Gun Choice: One of the best things about the Call of Duty franchise is the variety of different weapons that are available to players. Assault rifles have fully automatic, 3-round burst, and single shot. This is the first Call of Duty game where they brought in 4-round burst (Whats the point of this) and there is even a 5-round burst sub machine gun. (Okay then) These new additions to the arsenal are great, except for the fact that there are only 6 GUNS PER WEAPON CLASS. Other games have 8-10 of each weapon type, while this game has only 6. And to make things worse, many of the guns are actually terrible. Assault rifles having only 3 fully automatic weapons, while 1 is 3-round burst, 1 is 4-round burst, and the other one is a single shot rifle. There is very little (if any) freedom when it comes to gun choice. And this is just assault rifles. The sub machine guns (disadvantaged because of exo mechanics) are the farthest thing from good. Light machine guns are questionably worthless because of speed of everything. Sniper rifles are okay I guess, but sniping is incredibly hard when everyone is flying around and you can't sit still for more than 15 seconds. I could type at least a page complaining about the gun choice of this game, but I will stop and focus on other subjects.
Melee: Everyone loves knifing people! Its a quick humiliating kill, and gives you a quick burst of adrenaline. Well knifing is gone, and just like everything else we love the melee has been nerfed. Instead of a quick knife you now have a slow punch, and you have NO lunge. If they aren't within 2 feet of you they are going to live.
Sounds of the game: This game has the worst sound effects I have ever heard. While there are interesting sounds like punching someone, or getting an award, you are stuck with the incredibly bad and unprofessionally made gun sounds. So far, I have not found a gun that does not sound exactly the same as every other gun (with exception of the laser). Comparing the sound effects of this game to Ghosts or anything of the Modern Warfare series will make you break your nose from continuous face palms.
Perks: Perks are my absolute favorite thing about the Call of Duty franchise. They bring in a twist to every fight, and give you the opportunity to individualize every class you make. This game unfortunately did not do very good in the perk department. There are some perks that have been in EVERY Call of duty game that are missing and frankly, need to be in every game for a solid reason. Dead Silence, one of the classic perks that makes up every Stealth class in existence, is not there. Sleight of Hand, A fan favorite for every run and gun Call of Duty player. Instead of sleight of hand, you have an attachment where your second reload is faster. I guess your first reload doesn't deserve to be quick eh? Sitrep, personally I like being able to see where sentry guns and other score streaks are placed. This perk isn't as necessary because there are no clay mores or IEDS, but it would still be nice to have the option. The perks are simply not good enough on this game.
Overall: I was very excited for this game and was extremely disappointed when I actually got it. Being the second game I bought soon after it came out, I was ecstatic about what kind of competitive adventures it might lead me on. But, after playing it for a few weeks, I regret my purchase. The mechanics are poorly implemented, the skill level is based solely on accuracy and reflex, the gun choice is absolutely pitiful, the melee is worthless, perk usage isn't that great, and the sounds of the game will make you cry. While there are positive sides to this game (very few) I would rate this game as a 1 due to its overall failure.