Back in 2003, a little game called Call of Duty launched, putting players in the boots of World War II soldiers. Two more games followed, but 2006’s Call of Duty 3 was the last time the franchised touched WWII, with the next decade of games exploring modern and futuristic warfare. Sledgehammer Games took the helm of this year’s iteration to guide players back to the second World War, once again putting players on the beaches of Normandy, the streets of Paris, and the banks of the Rhine. Call of Duty has largely become three distinct products?Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies?and Call of Duty: WWII is no different, having a robust offering for each of the three.
Campaign – Welcome to World War II
Call of Duty: WWII begins on D-Day. On June 6, 1944, a coalition of armies stormed the beaches of Normandy in what was to be a bloody and horrific battle, but set the stage for the rest of the war. WWII places a microscope on an individual squad that highlights some of the ferocity of this great siege. Riding in the boat is claustrophobic, surrounded by other soldiers, everyone’s nerves on edge. Then the gunfire and explosions start. The ramp drops, and most everyone around me dies. I lurch over the side of the boat in an attempt to avoid further shelling and find myself in a sea of red. The beach is a bloody mess of wounded and dead. The task ahead of me seems impossible.
WWII is not an easy game. It’s clear that the team at Sledgehammer didn’...