With E3 2017 just around the corner, Activision has just landed with the release date, reveal trailer and some of the gameplay details for its next big title, Call Of Duty: World War II. It’s a game that has been doing the rounds on the rumour mill for a little while now, but with the full confirmation and cinematic trailer fans of the series got their first glimpse of what to expect.
Following the official announcement on the 23rd April 2017, Game sported a timer countdown to the reveal trailer, which landed on Wednesday the 26th April 2017 at 6pm in the UK (10am Pacific time and 1pm Eastern time in the US). You don’t get to see too much in the way of actual gameplay, if any at all, as the reveal focused on game engine and cinematic footage to showcase the story campaign, but it did start the media wagons rolling for the upcoming release. You can check out the reveal trailer below to see it in action for yourself.
Release date
Following 2 years of development by Sledgehammer Games, the Call Of Duty: World War 2 UK release date has finally been set for the 3rd November 2017. It should have a lot of competition for the big Christmas games rush, though, with Star Wars Battlefront II already planned and the prospect of more big name winter 2017 releases that could come out of E3 in June. Assassin’s Creed Egypt, Red Dead Redemption 2, God Of War, and The Last Of Us Part 2 are all contenders, so it’s easy to get why Activision has gone early with the game already available to pre-order from a number of different retailers.
Story campaign
As you can tell from the title, both the story campaign and online multi-player gameplay is set during the Second World War, and the story will see you landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. You’ll go on to battle your way across Europe with the game promising levels in iconic locations throughout the conflict zone.
From the look of the trailer, it appears to centre on a lone soldier in contrast to the multiple stories concept that was delivered in Battlefield 1. The war itself took place throughout the world, but it would appear that the game is going to be set exclusively in Europe. However, we’ll be surprised if there isn’t a whole host of DLC planned that will draw in elements of the wider conflict later on down the line.
Gameplay
In addition to the main story campaign gameplay mode, Call Of Duty: World War II will also feature a co-op mode, which will allow you to team up with your friends to attack the front lines. The unique feature of this, though, is that it isn’t just going to be a co-op variation of the main story campaign. Instead, it’s a new and original story that provides a new gameplay experience that’s distinct from the main story mode.
The section on the official website for the game covering the co-op aspect of the gameplay features an image of a zombie army soldier, so it wouldn’t entirely be a surprise if you end up taking on the undead in it. We’ve seen zombies in COD games before, so there’s already a fairly popular president for it, but this is the first time it will be presented as a dedicated co-op story experience, possibly bringing in horror survival mechanics to the co-op adventure.
The multiplayer action for the first person shooter will also be focused on the European element of WW2, so this should influence the maps that get included for the online gameplay. Weapons and vehicles are also going to have a big impact on the reception the game gets, so there’s a lot riding on the gameplay trailer and subsequent gameplay footage in terms of setting out an impressive vision for these elements in the game.
The developers describe the multiplayer gameplay as being “grounded”, which would indicate that there will be no aerial battles within the game. It also talks about it being a “boots on the ground multiplayer”, which is another indicator that it’s going to be more about infantry soldiers taking the fight to the enemy without much in the way of vehicles like tanks, jeeps or motorbikes, which all featured in Battlefield 1. You could say that this will have allowed them to focus on a classic style of Call Of Duty FPS, but it might also limit the appeal of the game.
First impressions
If you want to be a little cynical about it, you could say that it feels very close to the bone with the shell still smoking for Battlefield 1, following its release last year. The EA DICE competition set the bar pretty high, stealing the glory from Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare, which released around the same time, so maybe WWII is Activision’s return fire blow. It also means that EA DICE will struggle for credibility if it followed up with Battlefield II set during the Second World War with COD WW2 shot-gunning it, so it might be a smart strategy from Activision.
We’ll know more about Call Of Duty World War II after the gameplay footage arrives, possibly at E3 2017, but it’s already managed to get the attention of the gaming community and it didn’t have to leak any posters or moody teaser trailer to do it. Whether you love it or hate it, COD is always one of the big releases of the year and this one may well be one of its biggest. It’s just a shame it doesn’t leave a bit more time between the releases to deliver something truly special, but maybe the gameplay trailers will paint a different story when they come out.
