Tuesday, 21 September 2021 16:34

How the Call of Duty: Vanguard Beta Performed on Xbox

Written by Dalton Cooper
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Call of Duty: Vanguard wraps up its latest beta testing period, which finally let users on both PC and Xbox try the upcoming first-person shooter.

A couple of weeks ago, Call of Duty fans on PlayStation had exclusive access to the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta, giving them the chance to try out new modes like Champion Hill and play on a few of Vanguard's traditional multiplayer maps. While there were certainly some fan complaints, it seemed as though the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta was well-received on PlayStation, for the most part. For the past five days or so, PC and Xbox players were also given the opportunity to try the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta, and while it seemed a little more rough around the edges, it should leave fans feeling optimistic about the game.

The Call of Duty: Vanguard beta on Xbox started off with some troubles, specifically for those who were trying to play the game in 120Hz. Since 120Hz is one of the selling points of the next-generation consoles, it makes sense that someone with an Xbox Series X would want to play Call of Duty: Vanguard at 120Hz if given the option, but this resulted in a slew of graphical defects that made some matches virtually unplayable.

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The Call of Duty: Vanguard graphical defects on Xbox were present when playing in 60Hz mode as well, though not nearly as prevalent. There were some other graphical problems encountered in the Xbox beta that we didn't notice in the PlayStation version, particularly when it came to the new Champion Hill game mode.

While playing the Call of Duty: Vanguard Xbox beta, some fans encountered an issue on the Champion Hill mode that essentially allowed them to see through walls in specific parts of the map. One section of Champion Hill, where the hangars are, lets players climb a small watchtower to get a free life token. This provides a decent vantage point so players can see snipe enemies or get the drop on them, but the problem was that sometimes the rocks and objects players were using for cover would simply disappear.

This problem did not occur in every Call of Duty: Vanguard Champion Hill beta match, but it happened enough that it would be understandable if some fans were concerned about it. However, it seems likely that this is exactly the kind of problem that developer Sledgehammer Games would be looking for in a beta test like this, and so it would be surprising to see if it was still an issue once Call of Duty: Vanguard launches in a couple of months.

Despite the technical issues that the Call of Duty: Vanguard Xbox beta experienced, it still delivered an entertaining time for fans, with fun game modes and well-designed maps. It's clear that Call of Duty: Vanguard stands a decent shot at delivering one of the more compelling Call of Duty multiplayer experiences in recent years, though the jury is still out as to whether or not it will match or surpass the 2019 Modern Warfare game.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Champion Hill

There are some other issues with Champion Hill that don't apply strictly to the Xbox version that may need to be addressed before launch as well. While we didn't run into nearly as many technical issues or graphical defects while playing the Call of Duty: Vanguard PlayStation beta, Champion Hill itself has a fundamental flaw that may keep it from reaching its full potential, and that is its use of scorestreaks.

For those unfamiliar with the Call of Duty: Vanguard Champion Hill mode, it plays somewhat like an evolution of Modern Warfare's Gunfight, but uses a multi-match tournament structure and swaps the identical loadouts for customizable ones. Players start with a certain amount of cash and can get more money by performing well in matches, which they can then use to buy increasingly better weapons, perks, and scorestreaks.

Typically what happens is that, by the end of a Call of Duty: Vanguard Champion Hill match, there is one team that is excessively overpowered when compared to all the others. So while all of the Champion Hill teams start out on an even-playing field, the balance starts to tip heavily to the point where the final matches are less about skill and far more about what the team can afford to purchase for the next round.

It seems like this balance issue could be fixed by removing some of the more egregious Call of Duty: Vanguard scorestreaks that players can purchase in Champion Hill. For example, the Vanguard Flamenaut scorestreak gives an incredibly unfair advantage to whatever team manages to wield it, resulting in a lopsided fight where those opposing it basically have to hide until the Flamenaut disappears or else repeatedly march to their deaths, with little chance at effectively fighting back against it, especially when needing to focus on its teammates as well.

Betas like this are an opportunity for developers like Sledgehammer Games to figure out what works and what doesn't, applying that feedback to improve the final release once launch day rolls around. So while the Xbox Series X version of the Call of Duty: Vanguard was arguably less impressive than the PS5 version, chances are good that both versions will be up to snuff come November, with the bigger issues ironed out. Many Call of Duty fans have left the Vanguard beta feeling optimistic about this year's game, so it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Call of Duty: Vanguard launches November 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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