Call of Duty: Vanguard: Talking Tech podcast

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Hey there listeners. It's Mike Snider here. Welcome back to Talking Tech. Brett Melina is off today. It's that time of year when we begin to get a barrage of video games in advance of the holiday season. And it's starting to get chilly too, at least where I live. So there's more time to spend inside playing video games. And that's just what I did recently, with what will arguably be the biggest selling game of the year, Call of Duty: Vanguard. I've written a couple of stories about the game, which was out on Friday for PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PCs. It starts at $60, rated Mature for ages 17 and up. And you can see those stories and my review of the game on tech.usatoday.com. I really loved the game from the start, because got right into the action from the get go.

You're part of a team of special forces soldiers, trying to commander a German train buzzing towards Hamburg. So you're dodging gunfire from Nazis, who are manning these two trains that are running parallel. And in between the tracks, there's also every once in a while, a German military truck buzzes up. So, you've got all kinds of targets everywhere that you try to advance and take over this train. Now, I don't think it's a big spoiler that our team does get captured early on in the game. But as they're interrogated, we get each one of their stories in flashback. That lets you play through each character's hero's journey. And each is different. I will say one thing though, stealth is needed in most of these missions. You don't want to just go barreling through the jungle, desert, or countryside, depending on where you are.

And you do get to see action in France, ahead of D-Day. You're in the Battle of Midway, you're in North Africa, fighting Rommel, you're on Eastern Front in Russia, in arguably the best story, that of female sniper Paulina Petrova, who eventually becomes the most feared female shooter in the Russian army. Now, after all these heroes are identified, some head honcho throws them together to go on a special mission in Germany, because some Nazis are planning some initiative to continue on after the death of the Fuhrer. So, as the end game approaches, you get to play as each of these characters, blowing up things as Australian explosive expert Lucas Riggs. You're providing overwatch as Petrova, with her sniper rifle. And you're making key decisions as British army Sergeant Arthur Kingsley.

The game development studio, Sledgehammer Games, which also made the 2017 game, Call of Duty: World War II, wanted to make an inclusive game. And I thought the inclusion of Kingsley, as a black British army officer, in Petrova as a female sharpshooter, added to the game. So, if you enjoy the game, I would encourage you to learn more about the real-world fighters. These characters are based on, you can find the source material in my stories on tech.usatoday.com, and also on callofduty.com. And in this game there's another lesser known story brought out, that of the 93rd Infantry, a real-world, U.S. army unit of black soldiers, which in the game assists Wade Jackson, the pilot, in his mission to free his tail gunner after they've been shot down and the tail gunner was captured by Japanese soldiers. Now, as you know, my video game skills are just so-so. I usually stick to single player and co-op games. My colleague, Brett Melina, who's our resident multiplayer monster, may be checking out the Vanguard Multiplayer in the days ahead.

If you get the game, there's also Zombies game, which many people who play Call of Duty like. And actually the Zombies storyline is referenced at the end of this game. So anyway, listeners let's hear from you. Have any comments, questions, or show ideas? Any thoughts about Call of Duty, or video games coming out this year? You can find me on Twitter @MikeSnider. Please don't forget to subscribe and rate us, or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, anywhere you get your podcast. You've been listening to Talking Tech, and we'll be back tomorrow with another quick hit from the world of tech.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Call of Duty: Vanguard: Talking Tech podcast