Sledgehammer looks to drive home a franchise favourite after years of mediocrity…
A band of brothers in arms fight for survival in the deadly rollercoaster ride that is the last year of WWII. Starting with the D-Day landings, the ferocity and carnage of war is a persistent theme. Led by First Lieutenant Turner, the squad have a morally conscious, tactically savvy and brave leader. Lurking beneath him however is a Technical Sergeant with all sorts going on inside his head. Dangerously driven and welded to duty, he creates a vortex of problems in the squad’s command structure. Ronald ‘Red’ Daniels is our main protagonist and with complexes of his own to deal with. The whole squad have deep emotional journeys that resonate with you throughout the game, each mission accurately delivers believable experiences and sentiments as a result.
Moving from the French beaches into the countryside, through changing seasons and ultimately into Paris and on to Germany, the campaign narrates the final year expertly. Not only does it tell the story well but it gives the game a chance to show off its technical brilliance. Character, vehicle, gun and landscape models are almost cinematic in their attention to detail. The colouration and shading blends beautifully with the variety of weathers and environments to present a unique experience every time. Audio really takes a step up and leads me to think it may be one of the best gaming surround sound experiences. Not only does the audio give you a dynamic and immersive experience in the campaign, a few extra spooks on Zombie Mode really makes you competitive on multiplayer! Does it count as “camping” if you’re softly padding round houses listening for floorboards creaking…? Let’s call it “catting” instead!
Touching more on Zombie Mode this feature will have a huge impact on player approval, as it once again provides a gripping experience. The basic style of the mode has not changed a huge deal from the likes of World at War but it feels much more polished. If I am honest the feel of the map is immediately better than any previous zombies encounter, the spawn points never let you find too much of an advantage and the gates to other areas have a very natural flow. Even in the quiet moments, the sound of steadily shuffling boots keeps you on edge. Utilising the same system as multiplayer, the ability to customise your approach is satisfying and engaging. Cosmetic changes are always a bonus but letting me add stealth and throwing knives to my setup gets an instant thumbs up.
Divisions offer different skill sets and gameplay experiences.
Multiplayer has always been a polished experience technically for the COD franchise, however over the last series of games it has lacked soul. WW2 has not only rectified this problem but made you question how they went so wrong if they have the capacity to get it so right. Enrolling you in a division of the army you are pushed to develop a set of skills and weapons that suit you, this not only makes you competitive but streamlines your experience.
Chopping and changing between too many things in any game slows down your time to master a single aspect, something other games may do well to take note of. Touching again on map design, I have yet to play a map I felt awkward on, or a spawn point too disadvantaged. The graphics, as you can imagine from my past comments, are fantastic and I loved the London docks touch to resonate with the UK audience.
I did sadly encounter noob-tubing two matches into the game but it was manageable and at least reminded me it was a Call of Duty game! To sign off from multiplayer, you find yourself in a relaxed HQ area to sort your bits out, try new weapons and put your feet up in the theatre with live events or documentaries. While many were sceptical of this feature it does actually make the game feel like extra effort has been put in to offer you new experiences. This is a sentiment that follows throughout the game and leaves me saluting the efforts of Sledgehammer and a fantastic return to form for the franchise.
Author: Joe, Bath store
as like previous Call of Duty,the world war 2 release is great .It has awesome gameplay as expected.