Back to basics
In the mid-to-late 2010s, Call of Duty was in a bit of a rut – going through a bit of an identity crisis to say the least. I love Black Ops 2, but the seeds it planted started to overgrow. While being set in the near future, each installment proceeded to turn the futuristic setting notch beyond infinity. By Infinite Warfare, we’re literally fighting on Pluto. Where the hell do you go from there? In a rare move, the developers actually listened to their audience. They made the bold decision to strip away the exo-suits, abandon space travel, and return to a more grounded, traditional experience. Embracing the idea of “going back to your roots” in the most literal sense, they chose to revisit the setting where it all began: Second World War.
The story is simple and down to earth – a squad of US soldiers fighting their way through the Western Front. The characters aren’t terrible, they just aren’t particularly memorable either. This game doesn’t have a Captain Price or Viktor Reznov to latch on to, but the locations and battles more than make up for it. The opening level is one of the best in recent years – storming the beaches of Normandy will never not be an exciting and heart pounding experience and here it is portrayed as best
While the opening level is gritty and epic, it sadly ends up being the high point of the game. That’s not to say the rest is bad – far from it—but the tone shifts noticeably. The intro sets expectations for a World at War-style experience, only for the game to lean more into a 1960s–70s World War II action movie vibe as it progresses. The set pieces remain impressive- especially the train level – but they often veer into the realm of the absurd.What’s interesting is how the tone feels almost sandwiched. The game begins with a harrowing, grounded intensity, then shifts to a more generic action blockbuster feel in the middle. But toward the end, it nearly redeems itself. The storyline takes a more serious turn when Zussman, a Jewish soldier, is captured. Being fluent in German, he overhears officers discussing their intent to identify Jewish POWs. He warns his comrades to discard their dog tags – a powerful and sobering moment. For the first time in Call of Duty history, the franchise finally acknowledges the Nazis’ ultimate evil – the Holocaust. One mission even has the player walk through a concentration camp, confronting the horrors head-on. While the game’s tone could have been more consistent, these moments stand out as its most impactful and long overdue
The multiplayer is fairly standard but still a lot of fun. Although the game is no longer receiving updates, the events they introduced during its active period were top-tier. One standout was the Zombies-themed event, which added an infection mode where players could actually play as the zombies – a dream come true for longtime fans of the Zombies mode. The real highlight of multiplayer, though, was War Mode. This objective-based mode took place on large, dynamic maps and required real teamwork. Players were split into opposing sides, with one team attacking and the other defending a series of objectives. Whether storming the beaches of Normandy, building ladders under fire, destroying Axis communication equipment, or advancing on a German HQ to rescue resistance fighters, every mission felt cinematic and purposeful. Unlike standard team deathmatch, War Mode demanded coordination, communication, and a touch of strategy, making it a refreshing and memorable addition to the multiplayer experience.
Some nitpicks I have are that the title itself is woefully uncreative. Why not just call it “Call of Duty” and have it serve as a reboot? The tone is inconsistent and isn’t sure if it wants to be a gritty realistic experience or a big bombastic Uncharted adventure. Also, concerning the title, seeing as its call WW2, you would think that it would have more than just the Western front. There could have been an array to choose from, Eastern Front, Italian, Balkan, Pacific, etc. All that said, WW2 was a much needed return to form for the series. It goes to show that simplicity can be the best direction to take, we don’t need to fight in outer space, just give us a rifle, and have us charge a German bunker. I’ll take that any day.
Earn this,
Fil
Verdict:8/10