On May 1, publisher Activision and developer Sledgehammer Games introduced the world to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, an ‘ambitious’ and ‘creative’ project that will introduce ‘new core gameplay mechanics’ to the long-running Call of Duty franchise.

We saw a lot in the debut trailer that aired last Thursday, including some stuff that is an obvious departure from the more traditional Call of Duty experience we’ve come to know and love. So, why don’t we take a moment to dig deep and try to figure out exactly what the heck is so ‘creative’ about this Call of Duty.

We’ve grabbed a number of interesting stills from the trailer that caught our eye and offer some level of insight into Sledgehammer’s new project. There might be a few things you missed, so let’s get to it. We have a lot to go through.

Weapons

Considering Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s futuristic 2054 setting, many of the weapons are nearly unidentifiable. However, there are a few exceptions that you’ll likely find recognizable.

Here, we see a fairly standard-looking handgun in the image above, holstered on the soldier’s right side. It’s hard to make out the exact make and model, however.

There were no clear frames from the sequence above, but from what we can make out in this one, the navy green weapon in the hand of the soldier on the left looks strikingly similar to the Beretta ARX-160 modular assault rifle, a weapon featured in last year’s Call of Duty: Ghosts. Follow the link and you’ll likely see the similarities.

This next one is unmistakable. The soldier in the image above is clearly holding an AK-12 assault rifle, also featured in Call of Duty: Ghosts. Again, follow the link to learn more.

Below, we’ll find some of the more unrecognizable and more advanced weapons, including the assault rifle featured on the box art of the game and the dual-optic weapon seen in a number of shots in the trailer. According to a recent press release, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will feature an “all-new class of directed-energy weaponry that enables totally new gameplay dynamics,” in addition to standard ammunition.

Here, we can make out a few different weapon arrangements and weapon attachment variants, including a pretty fancy looking optic sight and a more traditional looking holographic site.

The assault rifle featured on the official Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare box art.

Technology

The tech of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is clearly what is going to set it apart from previous titles in the franchise. Activision says that “Powerful exoskeletons evolve every aspect of a soldier’s battle readiness, enabling combatants to deploy with an advanced lethality and eliminating the need for specialization.”

The exoskeletons, showcased in nearly all scenes of the trailer, will offer “enhanced player movement and verticality through boost jumps and grappling, covert cloaking abilities, and biomechanics that provide unparalleled strength, awareness, endurance, and speed.”

A thruster-assisted high jump.

A better shot of the thruster pack attached to this soldier’s exoskeleton.

Soldiers can now use brute strength to breach doors instead of using explosives.

Pure strength was used to overwhelm this bad guy.

High-tech grappling gloves allow soldiers to scale vertical walls without the use of additional equipment.

A personal cloaking device.

Now let’s look at some of the other gadgets and abilities.

The image above shows a clearer shot of the holographic display over the soldier’s left forearm called the “Exo LINK”. It’s likely that it will play a large role in communications, intel, and controlling other military technology.

In this shot, we spotted an interesting weapon attachment; an integrated tactical light built into a suppressor.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will also feature cloaking technology for vehicular use.

Below, we see the near Halo-like helmets that feature advanced optics and visors that are likely made out of bullet-proof materials. They will undoubtedly offer players a unique and informative in-game heads-up-display.

This interesting little reconnaissance gadget can be thrown much like a grenade that scans and highlights enemies in the area through walls and objects.

Here’s our first shot looking through the new weapon optic system. In the trailer, we also noticed a bit more optic sway than previous Call of Duty titles.

Here is where some of the bigger and badder hardware comes out; mechs, portable kevlar shields, drones, hover bikes, spider tanks, and rail guns. We’ll likely have to wait until E3 to learn more about how much of a role these gadgets and vehicles will play in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer.

Locations

Three key locations that we can make out from the trailer are Seattle – Washington, Lagos – Nigeria, and San Francisco – California, as well as other locations in the Unites States and Greece.

Is that Seattle’s Space Needle?

Chaos in Lagos, Nigeria.

Things aren’t looking so good for the Golden Gate Bridge.

We’ll use this image again to demonstrate the American flags in the background.

Clearly a Greek flag near this soldier’s left ribcage.

Factions

There appears to be at least two opposing factions in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Interestingly, our main protagonists are seen assisting both sides at various points in the trailer.

“Set in the year 2054, a private military corporation (PMC) has emerged with the power to rescue humanity from a devastated world struggling to rebuild after a global attack on its military and infrastructure”, reads the press release.

Jonathan Irons, head of the private military corporation Atlas.

The Atlas exoskeleton.

An Atlas and Marine soldier meet face to face.

A more standard military grunt.

A member of the San Francisco Police Department hangs on for dear life.

This soldier’s armor appears unique to any of the other ones shown in the trailer. Perhaps it serves a more stealthy function.

A Marine gets the jump on an Atlas soldier.

Anything interesting that caught your eye that we might have missed? We’ll be sure to update this analysis with any other significant findings pointed out to us.

What’s the coolest thing about Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare you’ve seen so far and what sort of implications do you think these new features will have on the game’s multiplayer?