Call of Duty: WWII reveal – Campaign, multiplayer, zombies & more

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Last night’s Call of Duty: WWII reveal event saw Activision and Sledgehammer Games share more about their Second World War-set shooter.

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by Liam Andrews

@pass_controller

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The information shared focussed mainly on the game's campaign, and as previous leaks had suggested, CoD: WWII follows the story of a group of U.S. soldiers from the Big Red One in the latter stages of the war. This is Call of Duty going “back to its roots,” according to Activision, with gameplay that’s said to deliver “gritty realism, authenticity and cinematic intensity on an epic scale.”

The game’s opening mission does indeed see players taking part in the D-Day beach landings, with subsequent missions following the Big Red One’s battles across occupied Europe, including many iconic moments in the war, such as the Battle of the Bulge.
 
Although the main focus is on the player character, Ronald “Red” Daniels, and his U.S. squad mates, there will be times when you get to play as soldiers from other nations. British forces are said to make an appearance at some point, while there’s also a mission where you step into the role of a female French resistance fighter during the liberation of Paris.
 
Speaking to Polygon, Sledgehammer’s Glen Schofield seemed to confirm that this year’s CoD title will do away with the regenerating health ability synonymous with today’s FPS games: “You have to worry about every bullet. You’re not the superhero. You can’t just stand there taking seven bullets, ducking, shooting again,” he said.
 
“It’s refreshing for us to deal with recruits who aren’t Tier One warriors, to show that vulnerability. They’re naïve. It’s been a really cool challenge creating this different kind of gameplay.”

In a separate interview with GamesRadar+, Sledgehammer’s Michael Condry also confirmed players will need to rely on their AI squad mates’ abilities for things like replenishing ammunition.

“Certain members of your squad have certain attributes that can help you, and if you are in proximity to one of your squad members, and you need their help you can... it’s an active ability,” Condry said. “You can be separated from guys with key abilities that would change how you play – if you’re not with the ammo guy then you have less ability to replenish your ammo.”

Although the reveal focussed on the game’s single player element, Sledgehammer did provide some details about CoD: WWII’s multiplayer aspects, a mode that’s said to return to the “iconic boots on the ground gameplay” earlier Call of Duty titles were known for.

Multiplayer in CoD: WWII introduces a couple of new features, which give players new ways to engage in their multiplayer career.

Divisions immerse players in the “heroic journey of enlisting in the world’s most historic war,” with players able to pick from a variety of Divisions, including Infantry and Armoured ones, while Headquarters provides a social hub space where we’ll be able to interact with other players, pick up rewards and show off our characters.

The new War mode introduces more linear multiplayer matches in CoD for the first time, similar to Battlefield 1’s Operations. Featuring asymmetrical maps set to the backdrop of iconic World War 2 battles, Axis and Allied soldiers will fight it out over strategic objectives in team-driven gameplay.

There was also confirmation of the now obligatory Zombies mode, but Sledgehammer only shared the above image along with a promise that CoD: WWII’s cooperative mode would feature an original story in which the Nazis have made one last desperate attempt to win the war, and it will be full of “unexpected, adrenaline-pumping moments.”
 
Lastly, it was confirmed a beta is set to take place ahead of the game’s release, with those who pre-order either the Base, Pro, or Digital Deluxe Editions of CoD: WWII at participating retailers being granted access, the latter two of which also include the game’s season pass.
 
Call of Duty: WWII is out 3 November on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. What did you think of the reveal? Let us know below or over in the forums.

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