4. It’s Been 9 Years Since World at War
I won’t blame anyone for still feeling World War II shooter fatigue (there were A LOT of shooters after all), but it’s worth noting that it has been almost a decade since Call of Duty: World at War released in 2008. Gaming has evolved a lot since then, especially technically, so the saying that “what’s old is new again” is apt here. As Activision correctly stated during the event, there’s “a whole new generation who might not have a lot of experience with this time period.” At the very least, a history lesson will be given to a lot of kids.
5. The Eastern Front Strikes Back
When the news came out about Call of Duty: WWII only focusing on the Eastern Front of World War II, the reaction was particularly sour. In some ways, it feels like a move backwards after World at War explored multiple theatres of conflict (including the Pacific), but there’s also a potential upside. Given that one of the key themes is brotherhood, I think a more focused narrative makes sense here. By following around the same characters, it gives Sledgehammer a chance to focus on plot development. That’s a big advantage, even if it means that players will be playing parts of World War II that they may have seen a dozen times before.
6. Not Shying Away from Issues
One thing that Sledgehammer made clear during the reveal is that they weren’t going to shy away from the atrocities of war. World War II was fueled by genocide, and the amount that aspect has been ignored in video games is downright embarrassing. Thankfully, that seems to be improving here, and the developer brought in historian Marty Morgan to make sure their portrayal is accurate. It’ll be interesting to see how topics such as racism are dealt with, as both sides struggled heavily with it (American troops were still federally segregated until 1948).
7. Social Spaces Come to Call of Duty
While Sledgehammer Games only briefly teased the existence of a new Headquarters mode, they did explain that it would be a social space that gamers could hang out in. Other multiplayer games have done this in the past, so I’m intrigued in seeing how Activision will make this mode stand out. Personally, I can’t think of many things that are more unappealing than hanging out with a bunch of Call of Duty players, but I’d love to be proved wrong.