Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare 'Recovery' Video Shows Off Volcanic Map

We realize that your first-person shooter dance card is likely full these days courtesy of Destiny, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning for additional bullet-riddled antics occurring in the not-too-distant future. Believe it or not, it’s time to start getting prepped for the next Call of Duty game, and said preparations begin with a behind the scenes look at one of the upcoming multiplayer maps nestled alongside a dormant volcano.

IGN’s Ryan McCaffery recently got some hands-on time with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Sledgehammer Games’ latest offering in the legendary shooter franchise. Specifically, McCaffery was showing off the new multiplayer map, “Recovery,” which takes place on the outer rim of Diamond Head, a Hawaiian volcano that, until recently within the game world, has remained dormant. Things will likely get a bit shaky in multipayer matches, though, as Diamond Head looks like it’s about ready to blow at this point.

So, what can we take away from this most recent footage? Well, for one, it looks like Sledgehammer has been paying attention to other genre staples and is looking to change things up with some more dynamic gameplay.

One of my favorite things about the Killzone series is how many of its maps feature live events. Whether it’s the occasional explosions, rushing water or moving trains, the maps typically feel more alive than in your average shooter. If Recovery can serve as a gauge for what we can expect out of Advanced Warfare, it seems like Sledgehammer is looking to make its environments a little more lively. I mean, you can’t get much more likely than spraying ash and explosive lava, right?

Another big takeaway is the fact that the team looks to be capitalizing on that new mobility players will have at their disposal. As its name implies, Advanced Warfare takes place in the future, and its soldiers of tomorrow come equipped with exoskeletons that allow them to boost their jumps, drop greater distances and the like.

We’ve seen success in more vertically inclined shooters like Titanfall and, very recently, Destiny, and IGN’s video makes it look like there are plenty of places where a heftier jump will allow players to get more creative with their traversal and tactics.

Finally, the map looks as dense as you would expect. There’s loads of stuff piled up in the Recovery map, including your typical obstacles, various smaller buildings and storage containers, and even a few open areas that will prove enticing to snipers.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare reports for duty on Nov. 4.