
(One squad-mate per D-Pad button would work for most missions, for instance.) As it stands, it's the most tedious aspect of the campaign. If you could press a button that called a squad mate over to you instead of having to track them down, maybe I'd be happier with the experience. I get that it's a "realism" gambit, but it's just not very fun. That all sounds great, but when you're in the middle of a life-or-death mission and you can't reach any of your squad-mates or even really see where they are it becomes more frustrating than fun. These include grenade or ammo resupplies, health packs and a scouting skill that highlights all the enemies for a little bit. In World War II they've added a system of resupply that I'm sure sounded great on paper, but ends up being wildly frustrating in practice.īasically, your squad is equipped with various helpful items or skills that you can use by engaging each individual squad member. Sometimes changing the formula is great other times, not so much. Sledgehammer Games did a few things to spice up the campaign that I really wish they hadn't done.

At times the game gives just a little taste of what that might be like before jumping back on the rails. Not open world, mind you, but more open-ended nonetheless.
#Call of duty world war 2 gamestop series
I wish this series would loosen up and let us take a little more control over how we approach each level. This is puzzling to me, since the difficulty spikes are very real and the game's difficulty can be quite formidable. Partly this is due to the game's hand-holding, an old problem with the series and its unwillingness to grant much player agency. It often feels as though the missions are mere echoes of what has come before rather than wholly realized missions that can stand on their own two feet. I mentioned some of the stuff I liked above, but overall I feel like the game's missions are never quite as memorable as past games in the series. World War II has some strong points, but overall the story should have been less derivative and the characters more fleshed out.ĭaniels isn't a strong enough protagonist to carry the entire game, either, and Pierson, while potentially a very interesting foil, never rises to the occasion.Īlong the same lines as the story, the missions are a mixed bag. Black Ops 2 had a really gripping story that kept you on the edge of your seat throughout. Modern Warfare remains one of the best modern shooters. In the end, I just wish that Activision would put a higher priority on crafting a good story with memorable missions. It's the best-looking World War II game ever made, even if it's not quite as strikingly beautiful as something like Battlefield 1.

Snow-swept battlefields, bright moonlit nights, war-torn cities in ruins and rubble. It may not be the prettiest game on the market, but the graphics are still quite lovely. You can read my interview with composer Wilbert Roget II here. It's the best Call of Duty soundtrack in years.

The theme song is consistently stuck in my head. Speaking of sound, the music is absolutely lovely throughout. Back to the basics works in World War II. I'm a sucker for Call of Duty's shooting mechanics, which always feel crisp and gratifying, but I'm especially pleased here since much of the time you're using rifles that aren't futuristic space weapons. It's as engaging a shooter as you'd hope for from start to finish. Much of that comes down to sound design, which makes every shot of the M1 Carbine pop, every headshot clang. Of course, what I enjoy most about Call of Duty is the shooting, and the shooting here is terrific. There's also some cool stuff in the smaller details, like the ability to take prisoners who surrender rather than just kill everybody, or the fact that not all the German troops are portrayed as evil Nazis.Ĭall of Duty: World War II Credit: Sledgehammer Games

The facial animation and voice-acting are great, bringing characters like Zussman and Pierson to life. Red's Jewish buddy Zussman really steals the show, and is a much more interesting character than Red is himself. There's lots of variety from one mission to the next, and all the expected Call of Duty stuff is here, from dogfights, to jeep chases, and tense shootouts. Still, I had fun in many of the other missions, and the ending, which I won't spoil here, is actually quite powerful.
#Call of duty world war 2 gamestop simulator
It's the walking simulator level of the game, and a remarkably nice change of pace the calm before (between?) the storm, if you will. Camille is a woman, for one thing, and there's no shooting whatsoever. This is a unique mission in the series for two reasons. Instead, you play as a French resistance fighter, Camille "Rousseau" Denis. The only mission that really stands out is "Liberation," which is also the only mission (other than a dog-fighting segment) where you don't play as protagonist Red Daniels.
