War has changed, etc
With the release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's reveal trailer, we finally got a brief glimpse at what this year's release has in store. And man does it look pretty awesome. Exoskeletons give tomorrow's soldiers superhuman speed and strength; hoverbikes give folks a stylish way to travel; and unmanned aircraft finally solve the world's rampant speeding problem. Oh, and Kevin Spacey gives a really cool speech and is obviously a bad guy.
But after combing through the trailer a dozen times, I found a few things that are easy to miss if you're not paying super close attention. What is Advanced Warfare's story about? In which regions of the world will you get to see crazy setpiece explosions? And who's that guy with the beenie hat? Find all that out and more by reading on.
Atlas is the name of a private military company
You no doubt saw the name "Atlas" pop up several times during the trailer. It's possible that Atlas is merely the company that manufactures the gear both sides are wearing, but it's more likely that it's the name of the Private Military Company at the heart of Advanced Warfare's plot.
Apparently everyone has access to exoskeletons
Both the good guys and the bad guys seem to be wearing Atlas-branded mech suits. My guess is that the main character and his pals work for Atlas up until a morally-conflicting event occurs, at which point they splinter off to form some sort of rebel group. Why? Some parts of the trailer showcase Mr. Mysterious Beenie Guy and his friends decked out in all-black Atlas gear. Later, they're wearing an Atlas exoskeleton over olive drab clothing (see above) while fighting dudes still wearing said all-black Atlas gear. Makes sense.
There are different kinds of armor
Most of the soldiers running around in the trailer have a pretty standard-looking exoskeleton. And then there's this guy, who's packing a huge, badass mech suit. Obviously, we're all hoping for a chance to ride around in this thing.
Atlas's base is filled with prisoners...
I'd hesitate to suggest Atlas would keep prisoners in their actual headquarters, but this Guantanamo-looking area could, at the very least, be a mobile base of operations. In the beginning of the trailer, you can see Atlas soldiers patrolling the grounds and aircraft taking off while prisoners sit in cages.
...but it might be located in America
Interesting thing to note: there's an American flag hoisted up on one of the flag poles. Does that mean this base is located somewhere in America? Or perhaps it's a sign that Atlas is currently working for the U.S.? Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Kevin Spacey is definitely the leader of Atlas
Yes, yes, Kevin Spacey's character is obviously a not-so-nice guy. Just listen to his badass speech about democracy, and that's made pretty clear. But, for the sake of thoroughness, I wanted proof he was involved with Atlas, not just speculation. Hmmm where might one find proof that Spacey at the very least works for Atlas. OH! How about his fancy office? Take a look at the large screen behind him, and you'll find Atlas's white and red 'A' symbol right above the image of the planet. He's even wearing a pin on his jacket with that same symbol on it. AH HA! Gotcha.
Kevin Spacey's speech is awesome
Alright, you might not have missed this, but speaking of Kevin Spacey's character, here's his entire speech in one handy place:
"Democracy? Democracy Democracy is not what these people need--hell, it's not even what they want. America's been trying to install democracies in nations for a century, and it hasn't worked one time. These nations don't have the most basic building blocks to support a democracy. Little things, like: we ought to be tolerant of those that disagree with us. We ought to be tolerant of those who worship a different God than us. That a journalist ought to be able to disagree with the president. And you think that you can just march into these countries based on some fundamentalist, religious principles, drop a few bombs, topple a dictator and start a democracy? Give me a break. "People don't want freedom. They want boundaries, rules, protection from invaders and from themselves. People need a leader who can give them both the support and the constraints to keep chaos at bay. You give them that, and they'll follow. And that's where I come in."
There are at least two playable characters
See the two guys in the image above? That one with the beenie is probably Advanced Warfare's equivalent to Captain Price. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising if you play as him every now and then, as that scene where he's climbing a building with his Spider-Man hands happens in first-person. The other guy behind him looks fairly generic, but might be who you play as most of the time. In the trailer, the scene of him riding the hoverbike goes from first-person to third, as it appears in the image.
Some battles take place in San Francisco
Judging by the fact that Advanced Warfare's reveal trailer includes many scenes of a huge, explosive battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, it's a safe bet that at least part of the game takes place on American soil. No surprise there.
You'll also fight in Nigeria
Pay attention, though, and you'll find dead giveaways to two other locations. The first is Lagos, which, according to Wikipedia, is the most populated city in Nigeria. This is made obvious by the various street signs with "KEEP LAGOS CLEAN" written on them.
...and Greece...
Then there's a scene of a woman throwing a drone out of a building; look closely and you'll see a Greek flag in the background. COULD THIS BE GREECE? ...or maybe it's just a Greek flag in someone's backyard? Actually, thanks to Google images, I'm pretty sure this is Greece.
...and you might participate in an aerial battle near Seattle
Several parts of the trailer show really cool-looking helicopters and dropships flying around, carrying tanks, and preparing for battle. Look closely, and you'll see what looks like Seattle's Space Needle in the background. Now, we're not sure if the helicopter scene in question is merely a cinematic or an actual, player-controlled aerial dogfight, but it looks super pretty and the backdrop is a familiar scene. Then again, all these vehicles could simply be flying toward the Golden Gate Bridge, which we know gets blown to bits.
Speed limits in Lagos are enforced by aerial drones
In the near future, not so far away, unmanned drones will blot out the sky like a swarm of locusts. Everywhere you go, they'll be sure to follow, watching and reporting your every move back to a central hub. Their purpose? Apparently to ensure that you follow the speed limit. At least, that's what this sign in Nigeria's Lagos would have you believe. How, exactly, does a drone enforce a speed limit anyway? Surely it wouldn't just blow you to bits if you accidentally drive 71 miles per hour instead of the posted 70mph limit? Dunno.
Exo Link display could be a gadget interface, health indicator, or just a neat visual detail
"Oh man, there's nothing quite as exciting as a blurry image with the words 'Exo Link' on it!" Well hold on a minute, Mr. Cynical. The holographic Exo Link display has some interesting stuff on it. For one, it appears to serve as an indicator for the current status of the exoskeleton. The image directly to the left of the the words "exo link" sort of looks like a mock skeleton. Maybe your equipment can actually be damaged, or maybe it's just cool visual flare. It also looks like the far left of the display has a DNA double helix image on it. Maybe these exoskeletons require some sort of Elysium-esque medical implants in order to be integrated with the human body? If so, that could track the user's actual health as well. Regardless, it looks pretty neat!
At least one battle will unfold in the Vekron Energy Station
During the trailer, you can see a bunch of soldiers riding in an elevator. In that elevator, you can see "Vekron Energy Station" engraved on the doors, as well as on a control panel inside. Then the soldiers place a really cool-looking mobile covering system before the doors open, as enemies inside what looks like a generator room open fire. I'm guessing Vekron Energy plays a fairly large role in the game, as it pops up a few times in the trailer. Aside from the energy station, you can also see a huge Vekron Energy tanker during the Golden Gate Bridge scene. Perhaps it's a resource needed to power Atlas's military gear?
There might be biological warfare involved
Guns and explosions are deadly, no doubt, but few things are as feared as biological weapons. In this image, you can see a character standing near a wall on which the words "Biolab Sector 02 Data Terminal" are written. Also, it looks like some servers are on fire, which is probably not good considering said servers are in a biolab data terminal. Is Atlas after biological weapons? Or has it been charged with protecting them? So many questions, so few answers.
Future soldier
Had you already noticed everything we pointed out? Are there any important clues we might've missed? Let us know in the comments below.
And if you're looking for more, check out the future tech of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare compared to real-life equivalents and how Kevin Spacey makes every video game better.
