Been a very long time since I played a CoD game, never played this one before. I liked it!

Story is a pretty standard cold war-era military thriller, but it's perfectly enjoyable for what it is. The hollywood action and pulpy twists kept me entertained for the short duration of the campaign, with several memorable setpieces that often exceeded my expectations for a CoD game (based on the very few that I've played).

Aside from the campaign, I have to say that I love Zombies mode. There's a reason why this mode's sound effects are still being used in internet vids and memes to this day, everything about its presentation and gameplay is just instantly iconic.

A good video game. Glad I went back and checked it out.

I liked Dawntrail a lot!

The story is admittedly pretty slow during the first half, they really take their time resetting the stakes from Endwalker and introducing you to the new locations and cultures. You spend a long time meeting the locals, stopping bandits, learning history, etc. I played through this part pretty slowly, freely exploring side activities and logging out when I felt done. The stakes were low and I felt like I could just chill and take it at my own pace. I was having a good time, but I wasn't exactly hooked on the plot.

Without spoiling anything, the second half of the expansion suddenly escalates the stakes and I was instantly locked in on what was going on. I played long sessions of the MSQ every chance I could until the credits rolled and I had a blast. They take the setup slow, but they pay it off excellently in the second half.

Aside from the story, I really liked the gameplay this time around. Normal-difficulty duties are getting pretty challenging and I'm very happy to see that. A lot of complex overlapping mechanics and a lot of quick dodging. Very fun! Music is also as good as ever.

If I had to criticize two things, it'd maybe the pacing and some bits of voice direction. Like I said, the first half is pretty slow, and I found myself starting to lose patience with it right before the halfway mark. They could have sprinkled a little more foreshadowing in the first half to get the plot hooks in a little sooner, but the payoff in the second half is still so good that it wasn't a huge issue for me. As for the voice direction, very occasionally there would be a line read that sounded like the actor was given the wrong context for the scene? Like "oh, the way you said that sentence doesn't match the tone of what you're supposed to be saying." These incidents were rare but they really stood out because the voice acting was otherwise as good as usual.

It seems like people are pretty divided on Wuk Lamat and how this expansion is more her story than yours, but I found her really endearing. It was really fun to play the part of "The Muscle" for a character that has no idea how strong you are or how high the stakes can get in a Final Fantasy story. She finds out!

All up, I liked dawntrail a lot. The entire first half is really slow, but the payoff is great and I look forward to playing the postgame stuff with my friends. This game makes me smile and I'm glad I play it.