Call of Duty: WW2

PZ · April 23, 2017, 09:02:52 AM

I thought a WW2 version of COD had already been done?

I love WW2 games, but I assume this will be the typical linear game.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-ww2s-first-very-small-images-seemingl/1100-6449531/

LowPolyOWG · April 23, 2017, 03:34:34 PM

The last WW2 title was World at War released back in 2008.

The majority of WW2 games released now have been centered around alternate stories or tactical shooters (Sniper Elite/Wolfenstein).

PZ · April 24, 2017, 07:40:00 AM

I wish there was a WW2 game built like Wildlands - fully open

LowPolyOWG · April 24, 2017, 12:59:03 PM

That would be cool. Might focus it on the resistance movements in the world. There's not many games covering that

fragger · April 24, 2017, 06:57:56 PM

Quote from: PZ on April 23, 2017, 09:02:52 AM
I thought a WW2 version of COD had already been done?

The series began as a WW2 game, and the first three CoD titles were all WW2-based. I played the original CoD and CoD 2, but not CoD 3 as it was console-only. Then came CoD 4/Modern Warfare, which was the series' first foray into contemporary times. It went back to its WW2 roots for CoD 5/World At War, but I didn't like it much. The franchise has been set in modern times ever since.

If it's a CoD title, it's very likely to be linear and heavily scripted. What I like about CoD 2 is that it's probably the least scripted one of the series, but scripting there still is and it is still mostly linear, even though some missions are at least to an extent open-ended. My fave is a mission called The Silo, where as an American Ranger you and your platoon have to capture a French village. There are five key buildings you have to capture but you can take them in any order you choose. That's as close to being non-linear as that game gets. There is a similar British mission called The Tiger which I also enjoy.

CoD 2 is quite fun and immersive with good WW2 research behind it. I still pull that one out from time to time. You are never alone in that game, there is always at least a company of other guys with you, sometimes a lot more (if any get killed, replacements will appear "off-camera" as it were and will run up to join the fight, so you never end up just by yourself). The music is top-notch too, actually performed by a real orchestra, not sampled or synthesized. The sound is very rich, with good ambient sounds, lots of combat noise and much yelling from both sides in English and German

There are two co-joined American missions in particular which stand out for me: Part 1 The Battle of Pointe Du Hoc and Part 2 Defending The Pointe, which were painstakingly recreated with input from a Pointe Du Hoc veteran (U.S. Second Ranger Battalion) as a technical adviser. I have a deluxe version of the game with extras including an interview with this vet, it's a short interview but very revealing of what went on there. When this vet was shown the finished product, he was reportedly extremely impressed with the recreation. The devs even visited Pointe Du Hoc and mapped out the terrain which has remained largely unchanged since D-Day (I think it's actually preserved as a memorial, but the bunkers, trenches and pillboxes are still there). The battle is also covered in the movie The Longest Day, which was also shot on location at Pointe Du Hoc. You can recognise some of the terrain and fortifications in the game from that movie, as well as from historical and contemporary photos. It's about as close a recreation of an actual WW2 location (and battle) as I've ever seen in a game.

For me, CoD 2 is the highlight of the series. Later titles may have better graphics and so on, but CoD 2 still holds up pretty well even after all these years and is still the most exciting. The action is almost non-stop and the scripting is a masterpiece of seamless integration with the gameplay. The fighting, while almost unremitting, never gets ridiculously frenetic or over-the-top like your Dooms and Halos. It's actually quite a "grounded" shooter - gritty, down-to-earth and realistic.

Geez, I sound like a reviewer - or an incurable fanboy

Maybe because CoD 2 is one of my all-time favourite shooters, and still is my favourite WW2-themed game.

LinkHero · April 24, 2017, 09:57:16 PM

Effectively, the CoD devs looked at the response to Infinite Warfare and said,"Yep, not doing that again." and went to the other end of the timeline. A shame they did not cover medieval wars.

LowPolyOWG · April 25, 2017, 12:23:10 AM

The story/campaign was good, although it was short. IW has been a mess after the departure of Zampella and the other founders of IW. They created Respawn Entertainment and the Titanfall franchise instead. Sledgehammer and Neversoft was brought in to help IW develop MW3/Ghosts.

The MP is a slight variation of Black Ops 3's system and I can see people think IW was lazy. They spent little time on MP, just 6 months...

Reveal is coming 10 AM PST (7 PM GMT+1) tomorrow for CoD WW2. I wonder what Slegdehammer have been doing, I might buy the game for modding Black Ops 3. Going to port some high quality WW2 guns to a futuristic game

Dweller_Benthos · April 25, 2017, 07:56:34 AM

I lost interest in Call of Duty when they left the WWII action and went modern/futuristic, same as with the Battlefield series, which I guess has also recently gone back into history after being stuck in the future for a decade. I don't mind linear and scripted as long as the linear is interesting and the scripting is well-written.

Though I think they should visit some of the more "minor" battles in WWII, I think I've stormed the Reichstag 2 or 3 times now, I don't need to do it again. Between CoD and Medal of Honor, they've covered all the really major WWII battles, some of the minor skirmishes would be nice to play through.

PZ · April 25, 2017, 08:20:51 AM

How do you gents think CoD2 compares to Band of Brothers: Hells Highway? That title was one of my favorites, but mostly because I have so little experience with WW2 games. Graphics is at the top of my list because if it is not visually appealing, then I'm quickly bored.

LowPolyOWG · April 25, 2017, 01:40:47 PM

Very dated graphics compared to now.

With supersampled 4K on PC

Dweller_Benthos · April 26, 2017, 08:00:38 AM

Oh yeah, CoD2 was pretty decent, I liked the squad action in that, they at least made it look like you had help, but you really didn't (they were mostly for ambiance, you still had to kill most of the enemies and complete the objectives) but they also weren't like those squad games where you have to micro-manage each one and baby sit them to get anything done. Graphics are dated, sure, but it was a fun game.

Never played Band of Brothers, so no idea how it compares.