Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Released: November 3, 2017
Completed: March 19, 2023
Rated: M for Mature
I don't play a lot of Call of Duty, and especially not the toxic multiplayer. I have no interest in being called names by a 14-year-old who has nothing better to do than play online all day, or some dudebro whose entire identity revolves around his COD rank. That said, I do appreciate a good single player campaign, and I definitely enjoy shooting nazis in their stupid fucking faces. Call of Duty: WWII scratches both of those itches pretty well, even if it stars Josh Duhamel.
The tech behind Sledgehammer's entry is impressive, for sure. At times I couldn't tell whether I was still watching an in-engine cinematic, or if the game had started. At times, even the character models are photorealistic. It would almost be disconcerting if not for the video gamey tropes that break the immersion. The audio/visual presentation is without fault. The story, on the other hand...
After the last several COD games had single-player campaigns as more of an afterthought, Sledgehammer decided to make a lengthier, story-driven campaign that centers around a southern soldier in the 1st Infantry named "Red" Daniels. Red's your typical southern gentleman with a girl back home and a somewhat traumatic event involving his totally-not-dead brother that haunts him. He and his division, which include his friend Private First Class Zussman and the cliche angry Sergeant Pierson (Duhamel), are thrust into many of World War II's biggest moments, opening with the invasion of Normandy, Operation Cobra, Hurtgen Forest/Hill 493, and the Battle of the Bulge.
I appreciate the focus on making a compelling single player campaign, and the battles are often thrilling and devastating. It gives you an even deeper appreciation for those who risked, and in many cases sacrificed, their lives and were witness to things so horrific it's hard to even imagine them. There's even a brief tour through a captured labor camp at the end of the campaign, and even in video game form it's bone-chilling what those dirty bastards put other human beings through.
The issue I have with the story is that it's a little clumsy. I already mentioned Red's definitely alive and well brother, and the angry superior officer who constantly gives him and Zussman hell but also harbors guilt over a past event, which of course changes their entire dynamic when he's confronted about it. The worst part, though, is that literally every single one of the game's missions features a moment where Red gets knocked unconscious or, at the very least, senseless for a moment. Something explodes and your ears ring for a bit, or you wake up later and keep fighting. It became so overused, I started laughing when it inevitably happened in each subsequent mission.
The gameplay is fairly standard COD fare, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. At this point, the formula is obviously a winning one. Guns all feel pretty unique with different levels of recoil that make some harder to use than others. You'll inevitably have your own favorites that you're always on the lookout for. As usual, you can carry only two at a time, but you can swap them out for anything you find lying around. You're also equipped with both fragmentation and smoke grenades, both of which are absolutely necessary if you want to survive. Few games make better use of grenades than COD, honestly. In a lot of shooters, you can just ignore them, but in COD they are lifesavers.
One change is that, for the first time in a long time, the regenerating health has been replaced by finding and using med packs in the field. You can store up to four at a time and use at your discretion. It takes a moment and you're vulnerable while using them, but it's a better system than just cowering behind rubble for 10 seconds and suddenly feeling healthy again. It was always tense, trying to get to cover just to use a health kit before that last bullet sends you to a game over screen. You're also now able to dive into cover while running, which is a nice little touch.
Your squadmates also have special abilities that unlock as you build rapport with them. You can request health packs, ammo, targeting smoke for allied mortars, and the Sarge can point out enemy positions, making it easier to spot them in the crowded battlefields.
I have to say the variety of missions is also welcome. While it's still a first-person shooter, there are brief moments where you'll pilot a P47, a Sherman tank, or a participate in a high speed chase while driving a Jeep. There are a handful of stealth segments, including one longer mission where you switch protagonists, that are surprisingly fun. It's not the longest campaign, but it's well rounded with different gameplay types that keep it from becoming repetitive. There are also some collectibles scattered throughout the levels, as well as heroic actions you can complete such as dragging wounded soldiers to cover before they die.
For those who are into multiplayer, the game comes with the expected online competitive modes, as well as the much loved Nazi Zombies mode. I can't really comment on them, since again, I despise online multiplayer.
From a single player perspective, WWII is a fun campaign, even if the story is really predictable. The action is fast, looks and sounds incredible, and the battles themselves are memorable. Given the extremely cheap prices on the secondhand market, it's well worth your time, even if you have no interest in the multiplayer.
Call of Duty: WWII was completed on a PlayStation 5 with no cheats.
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