Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare exoskeleton and "future tech" go on display in new trailer

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare 1

In the future, warfare is advanced. Hover-bikes, directed energy weapons, threat-detection grenades and powerful exoskeletons are just some of the tools available to those who answer the call of duty. You know what I'm talking about, right? It's the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare "Future Tech and Exoskeleton" trailer!

"The 'future tech' in the game is actually based on technology that we see today, and we've taken it further," Sledgehammer Games co-founder Glen Schofield explains in the video. "That's one of the things about Call of Duty, it's gotta be relatable, it's gotta be believable. But we are taking it to an extent that makes it also fun and new."

Fun, sure, but new? I can't say I've seen anything quite like the mobile shield gizmo before, but the exoskeleton reminds me very much of the Crysis nanosuit, which provided players with greatly heightened speed and strength, and even an invisibility cloak. It was more stylish, too, although it was probably a nightmare when the call of duty gave way to the call of nature.

Jokes aside, I'm looking forward to seeing how some of this new technology will impact online gameplay, which despite a recent emphasis on the single-player campaign is the core of the Call of Duty experience. How will the Overdrive mechanic work in a crowded multiplayer arena, for instance, and how will Sledgehammer avoid maps filled with people crouching behind portable shields? New gameplay elements invariably mean new complications, and it'll be interesting to see how they're handled.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare comes out on November 4.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.