Call of Duty: Vanguard frames its WWII campaign as a captured team being interrogated in Berlin, with each flashback revealing a character’s origin. Only two missions take place in the present day, the opening train hijack and the finale, so the campaign runs almost entirely on recollection.
Playing each of the five characters with a unique ability is the campaign’s best idea, and the final mission rotates through all of them. Wade’s focus ability effectively aims at enemies, while Lucas’s grenade-aiming preview makes throws easy to plan.
The Midway flight mission stands out, a Dauntless dive-bomber sortie against the carriers with a big red marker for each target. The flamethrower and the STG44 are the weapons that impress most, with the assault rifle earning praise for its look and sound.
Movement speed is a constant complaint, with the campaign forcing a slow pace throughout. The double-press sprint is a particular irritation, when a single press would do the same job, and the stealth missions compound it by making sprinting alert nearby enemies.
The menu UI is the other sore spot, an advertisement wall for the publisher’s other titles. Sledgehammer’s recurring dog kills return, including an instant-kill dog that feels wildly unfair.
Paulina’s sniper ability is situational, mostly drawing enemy fire, while Arthur’s is cool but limited. Friendlies lack a green outline, which caused repeated friendly-fire accidents during the chaos, and the focus ability’s long recharge limits its usefulness.
Overall, the character abilities and the final mission make Vanguard’s campaign better than its reputation. The slow movement, the UI and the flashback-heavy structure are the main caveats.