When Activision announced this Call of Duty: Warzone‘s Rebirth Island would (temporarily) be replaced by the new Fortune’s Keep, I was completely disgusted. Rebirth Island was the only thing that brought me – and many others – back to war zone, as Caldera’s main map has always looked lackluster. But after spending a lot of time with Fortune’s Keep, which was crafted by High Moon Studios alongside Season 4I was not only pleasantly surprised, I was impressed. The map does so much to keep the player engaged, with a host of different available routes, condensed buildings that offer quick battles, and some of the nicest colors of them all. war zone card ever.
Many routes to take
Due to the design of Verdansk, Renaissance Island, and Caldera, there were often only a few routes available to enter and exit a given location. This meant that you would often be eliminated because you were restricted to a particular path, forcing you to choose between an untimely death to gas or to your opponents.
On Fortune’s Keep, it doesn’t happen that often. The map feels both wide open and condensed, with nearly every major area offering multiple avenues to enter and exit. This means that players who know their way around the map are rewarded, while others who like to sit and wait for enemies to move into their line of sight might not be so lucky.
But your escape routes aren’t limited to left, right, front or back. Much of the map is designed with verticality in mind, giving you many different ways to get to a building or vantage point. This is a high risk/high reward maneuver, but if you’re quick you can safely clear out the kills before safely returning. But it doesn’t stop there: there’s a major subsection of the map that takes place underground, with caves and water available to keep things interesting.
The dungeon is one of the best examples of design excellence, with many paths that always give you a way out, even if you’re outnumbered. Plenty of cover can be found everywhere, and you’ll never find yourself in a bind, especially if you’re going up to the rooftops.
Quick and close chaos
Sure, war zone has offered plenty of close quarters battles in the past, but many previous maps have often felt too open, leading to you being shot by a spectator looking in your direction as you make the trek through a field empty. On Fortune’s Keep, this almost never happens, as there’s usually plenty of cover to protect you. That’s not to say that long-range engagements are obsolete, but the map really seems designed for close-to-medium-range firefights, which keeps the pacing at an all-time high.
Our favorite area for close combat so far is the city, which is on the western side of the map. Here, you’ll find labyrinthine hallways with plenty of indoor and outdoor space, plenty of cover, and plenty of ways to move around. This means you can outwit your opponents if you’re outnumbered, using buildings and terrain to your advantage.
The battles themselves are more exciting than any we’ve experienced on Caldera or Verdansk, as they often unfold in unexpected ways thanks to the map’s design. For example, while fighting in the city area, there were many times when I downed an enemy or two, but after running out of ammo I had to quickly jump out of a window, climb onto the roof and reload, before dropping back down to finish off the rest of the team as they attempt to revive their injured comrades. Succeeding in games like these is what makes the game interesting, and there are many more opportunities for them on Fortune’s Keep.
A brighter future
Aside from its pure physical design that offers plenty of escape routes and fast-paced action, Fortune’s Keep is downright gorgeous. It’s easy to be cynical about war zone from an artistic point of view – after all, he is a military shooter. But High Moon Studios has done an amazing job mixing the color palette in a way that makes this card visually captivating. The boring, dull colors of Verdansk and, to a lesser extent, Caldera are nowhere to be found on Fortune’s Keep. Even Rebirth Island has its fair share of muck in places, but on Fortune’s Keep almost every hub pops out of the screen.
The vibrant brick-red rooftops of Keep, as well as the blue of the water that surrounds the island, combined with the gorgeous green foliage are far more interesting than what we’ve seen in areas found on previous maps. It doesn’t fundamentally change the look of Call of Duty, but it’s a brighter change of pace that allows for clearer viewing visibility while preventing things from looking dull and gray.
Is Fortune’s Keep worthy of replacing Rebirth Island entirely? No. Rebirth is a fan favorite for a reason. But there’s definitely room for both – which is why we’re so glad Activision is offering each map on a rotational basis, giving players a reason to keep tuning in. But given the success of Fortune’s Keep, the future of war zone feels so much more exciting, and High Moon Studios deserves praise for pulling it off.
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