No, Infinite Warfare does not directly follow the story of Advanced Warfare

Let‘s settle it plainly from the start: Despite sharing futuristic settings, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does not directly continue the story or universe established in Advanced Warfare. Outside of advanced technology concepts and military themes carried over, these are standalone titles that exist in their separate realities within the wider Call of Duty franchise.

But there‘s still nuance here on exactly how Infinite Warfare built upon elements pioneered by Advanced Warfare back in 2014. As a hardcore CoD fan since the early days of Big Red One, I‘ve analyzed both campaigns extensively along with pouring days of playtime into their fiery multiplayer.

So strap in as we explore Infinite Warfare‘s relationship to Advanced Warfare in-depth while showcasing my own passionate opinions as a competitive FPS gamer!

Revisiting the Advanced Warfare Campaign and Universe

Before analyzing Infinite Warfare, we should recap exactly what happened in Advanced Warfare and when it takes place. According to Sledgehammer Games, the grim campaign is set between 2054-2061 just decades ahead of real life.

Key events include:

• Protagonist Private Jack Mitchell losing his arm early on, receiving an advanced prosthetic
• Mitchell joining the Atlas Corporation, a powerful Private Military Corporation (PMC)
• Rising tensions between Atlas and the US Government
• The eventual reveal that Atlas leader Jonathan Irons has ulterior motives
• Irons seizing control of the Atlas orbital weapons system and attacking the United States

So in essence, this contained story paints a dark future where advanced technology and mechanized soldiers empower unregulated PMC groups to threaten the world‘s superpowers.

Exosuits and Laser Weapons as Pioneered in Advanced Warfare

From a gameplay perspective, Sledgehammer‘s 2054 setting allowed them to craft a futuristic arsenal packed with innovations:

• Exoskeleton Suits – Granting enhanced mobility and strength for Atlas troops and Mitchell
• Directed Energy Weapons – Powerful laser rifles that dominate at range
• Smart Grenades – Grenades that hover in the air before engaging targets
• Combat Drones – Robot attackers that launch missiles and laser beams

These exotic weapons and technology elevated the action well beyond previous Call of Duty games. Sprinting vertically up walls, boost slamming down from the skies, melting foes with searing blue lasers – Advanced Warfare achieved a fresh sci-fi identity for the series at large.

Infinite Warfare Ditches Story Continuity, But Expands On Core Themes

Come 2016, long-time CoD developers Infinity Ward launched their own futuristic take detached from the Advanced Warfare universe – Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Many fans wondered if this sequel would continue the story of Irons and Mitchell.

The answer? No – Infinite Warfare stands completely alone in continuity and plot. But it does build on the sci-fi foundation and themes pioneered by Sledgehammer‘s risks taken in Advanced Warfare back in 2014.

In Infinite Warfare, the setting moves to space colonization across our entire solar system rather than contained to Earth. Here‘s an overview of the very separate conflict:

• The Settlement Defense Front (SDF), a hostile militant group wants control of space from Earth‘s forces
• You play as Captain Reyes, piloting advanced starfighter jets and leading troops against SDF
• Futuristic weapons return – we see evolved energy weapons, prototype combat drones and more
• The technology has advanced beyond exosuits to Brain Implants enhancing human abilities

So while the backdrop shifts into the colonies established on planets like Mars and Europa – the high stakes warfare motif continues as factions vie for solar system dominance through the most advanced technology yet.

Direct Comparisons in Theme and Gameplay

Despite disjointed narratives, we can draw some direct gameplay evolution that Infinite Warfare realized from the earlier Advanced Warfare:

We see across the board an elevation of the core futuristic warfare technology – whether the enhanced mobility of exosuits evolving into brain implants or the directed energy weapons receiving visual/audio upgrades.

And the setting shift to space? That allowed dogfighting between swarms of advanced fighter craft across stunning cosmic backdrops!

So in many ways, Infinite Warfare took those pioneering sci-fi elements Sledgehammer bravely incorporated and doubled down by bringing the full arsenal out into the endless battlefield of space.

Critical Reception and Player Engagement Analysis

Now let‘s compare hard numbers between both titles across critical reception and player engagement. How did the games fare in reviews? And similarly, were FPS enthusiasts drawn to the offerings of campaign and multiplayer?

Review Score Overview

First, review analysis from professional gaming outlets on launch:

We see both titles fared decently with critics – Advanced Warfare in particular was praised as a welcome evolution for the franchise. Infinite Warfare faced more mixed impressions, still recognized as a graphical powerhouse but marked for inconsistencies within gameplay.

Bottom line? The daring leap into space warfare divided journalists more than the concentrated focus of Advanced Warfare.

Short and Long Term Player Counts

Now how about actual players investing hours week over week? Thanks to SteamCharts data, we can inspect peaks between both entries:

All-Time Peak Players:

• Advanced Warfare: 52,226 players (Nov 2014)
• Infinite Warfare: 25,401 players (Nov 2016)

Advanced Warfare enjoyed nearly double the highest player base early on.

But surprisingly, years later we spot an inversion where Infinite Warfare now sustains slightly higher engagement in 2022:

2022 Average Players:

• Advanced Warfare: ~125 monthly players
• Infinite Warfare: ~356 monthly players

Make no mistake, long term retention for both sit well below entries like Black Ops II or Modern Warfare 2019. But the tables did turn over time in favor of Infinite Warfare!

So in summary, Call of Duty fans responded better initially to the focused scope of Advanced Warfare, but space battles and snappy gunplay kept sci-fi lovers returning to Infinite Warfare years later.

The Verdict: Worth Playing for Call of Duty Fans?

So where does this all leave us? Should FPS devotees passionate about Call of Duty invest time into both Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare? Or are they skippable side stories?

In my opinion – yes, absolutely dive into these underrated gems! Here‘s why:

• The standout single player campaigns deliver stunning futuristic settings missing in modern CoD
• Multiplayer allows you to wield outlandish weapons across creative maps
• The titles take risks that expand the boundaries of Call of Duty gameplay

Are they flawless masterpieces? No, far from it – the criticism around certain inconsistencies holds merit. But I strongly believe Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare deserve recognition for boldly propelling Call of Duty where so few franchises dare to go – the future.

So blast off into visionary sci-fi combat today – just don‘t expect Mitchell or Irons‘ arcs to tag along for the ride! With that said, I remain eager to see Activision someday revisit these universes for a direct sequel. The foundation has been laid for something truly special down the road.

But for now, enjoy these futuristic firefights as complimentary standalone entries pushing technology to dramatizing extremes! This is Leo signing off…