Open Combat Missions often contain drivable vehicles, whether it is the armored SUV of the hostiles you just eliminated, or an idle four-wheeler with the keys already in the ignition.
And if you want to launch a C4-rigged ATV into an enemy helicopter, then there’s nothing stopping you except the noise and general chaos that this tactic may result in.
In short, Open Combat Missions are not linear. They can be approached from numerous angles, including altering strategies at any point during the mission.
The longer story? Not inclusive of the moment-by-moment choices to be made within these missions, here are ten true-to-the-franchise actions and strategies to use in an Open Combat Mission, though the true number of options present to you is almost limitless, and only restricted by your tactical planning.
These all are not exclusive ideas; think of these as examples of what you can do in Open Combat Missions (in any combination or order you wish) to complete objectives.
Just like in “Operation 627,” remaining off the radar in Open Combat Missions is often a viable strategy.
In most cases, enemies are unaware of your presence. If you draw attention to yourself, such as firing an unsuppressed weapon or walking right up to them, they can either become suspicious or immediately enter an alert state in order to hunt you down (and those actively firing, or foes you’ve previously tagged show up as red markers in places like the Tac Map).
It’s possible in some (but not all) missions to remain completely off the grid during the mission… But you’d better believe it’s difficult to pull this off, especially on Veteran Difficulty!
Full-on, all-out assaults are common in Call of Duty’s history, and you can pull them off in Open Combat Missions, too.
High-energy, high enemy count, and highly-explosive, going with a Weapons Free approach may not only be a viable strategy, but necessary to mission success.
With that said, on this Campaign’s hardest difficulty settings – much like in Campaign’s past – be prepared to even the odds when you are outnumbered and outgunned by dozens of enemy soldiers, vehicles, and Sentry Turrets, by employing one, a combination of, or as many of the following methods of mission completion:
Not only do you typically have a Primary and Secondary Weapon, Equipment (Lethals and Tacticals), and on-Operator gear like binoculars or NVGs, but another part of your Loadout – and new to this Campaign – is additional equipment:
Here, just like in Call of Duty: Warzone™, you can stow away loadout items like Field Upgrades, Self-Revive Kits, and Equipment pieces for later use, allowing you to use certain strategies more often like…
Rather have the enemy’s gun instead of your own?
Feel free; just like the more familiar Campaign missions, your Open Combat Mission Operator can use all kinds of armaments, including those dropped by enemies.
New to Call of DutyCampaign missions, it’s possible to find loose loadout items, item boxes, or even the ability to swap to another loadout mid-mission via special loadout crate.
Some of these resources will be in obvious locations, others – especially those that can lead to some interesting strategies – are a bit harder to uncover.
However, your efforts will be rewarded with additional versatility for completing the objective.
Most Call of DutyCampaign missions involve boots on the ground combat, so if you rather go the traditional route in Open Combat Missions, very little is stopping you from standard Operator movements…
Or you can slide cancel all over the mission, but don’t expect Tactical Sprint to recharge whenever you do it.
Whether its jumping off the Gora Dam or mantling onto balconies, Open Combat Missions offer plenty of verticality and unconventional movement options.
If there is a body of water in an Open Combat Mission, you are free to dive into it and swim.
This could be a vital component of an overall stealth strategy or, perhaps, an alternate path to an objective.
Open Combat Missions often contain drivable vehicles, whether it is the armored SUV of the hostiles you just eliminated, or an idle four-wheeler with the keys already in the ignition.
And if you want to launch a C4-rigged ATV into an enemy helicopter, then there’s nothing stopping you except the noise and general chaos that this tactic may result in.
It could be as simple as a throwable flammable gas canister, or as complex as calling for an air-to-ground missile – there is plenty more than personal armaments and vehicles to use for some serious firepower.
Essentially, Open Combat Missions are based in ideals of player choice and challenge. You’ll be intentionally challenged by enemies in a variety of different ways, in part because “if you get no resistance as you’re going through, then there is no reason to try different strategies.” Pitts explains.
Though the resistance your adversaries bring is as impressive as it is varied, there is still a great deal of room to improvise your way to victory: “You may even decide to challenge yourself on some of these. Like, ‘What’s the fastest I can do this?’ or ‘Can I just bring a knife to a gunfight?’ and really push the bounds of what you can bring as a player.”