While the warez scene has a mythology, downloading Call of Duty Advanced Warfare-CODEX from torrent sites came with significant risks.
Solution: CODEX blocked raw input. Use "x360ce" (Xbox 360 Controller Emulator) or download the "CODEX Controller Fix" from community forums (this adds a missing xinput1_3.dll). Call of Duty Advanced Warfare-CODEX
For those nostalgic for the old ways: