2017's Call of Duty: WWII returns to the series' roots by following an American soldier as he journeys with his platoon through war-torn Europe in World War II. The franchise's games surrounding it are all either set in the the present day or the future, so the blast from the past serves as a nice palette cleanser.
As such, several elements help WWII stand out from all the other Call of Duty entries. Some of these enhance the game, while others are better left as a one-off feature. Fortunately, Call of Duty: WWII is still worth playing almost three years after its release.
10 No Health Regeneration
Health regeneration is a common element of the genre popularized by the series; one of the many modern first-person conventions Call of Duty introduced.
WWII is the first game in the series to exclude it since the first entry and the spin-off, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One. The lack of guaranteed health makes one think twice before rushing into a crowded battlefield to clear out some enemies.
9 Taking Surrendered Soldiers
Occasionally, Nazis will surrender. At this point, the player has to point their weapon at the enemy to bring them to their knees and take them as a prisoner. Shooting them at this point will fail the mission. Fortunately, checkpoints are extremely forgiving. It does not add anything particularly interesting to the gameplay, but it is a noteworthy detail none the less.
8 Takes Place Over Several Months
Many of the recent Call of Duty campaigns feel like roller coaster rides. They are short, take place over a small period of time, and zoom from set piece to set piece to keep the pace going. While WWII only takes between four and six hours to complete, it feels slower, mostly due to the campaign taking place over several months as the Americans inch their way through Europe. But this change of pace does not necessarily make the campaign worse.
7 Squad Mechanics
Players generally travel with a whole squad, and their abilities contribute to the gameplay. Each squad member carries a special boost they can periodically give to the player, including health, ammo, and highlighting all the enemies in the field. Killing enemies helps recharge these modifiers. It is not as in-depth as tactical first-persons shooters like Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon, but it adds a layer of strategy most other Call of Duty games lack.
6 Dogfighting
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare takes place in space and features seamless ground-to-aerial transitions for its space combat sequences. However, Call of Duty: WWII is the first time players got to fly planes in a grounded setting.
The segment is far from the most entertaining part of the campaign, but it helps break up the first-person shooting gameplay. While how fun it is varies from player to player, the thrill of being in the air is undeniable.
5 Divisions
In place of the traditional class customization in multiplayer are Divisions. Each of these has their own special perks and abilities. While different from the less restrictive customization of other entries, this does not quite go into the realm of a hero shooter like Overwatch. At the end of the day, every Division is meant to kill other players. The Division system has yet to make a return in the series, though maybe it will for Sledgehammer's next entry.
4 Headquarters
When launching multiplayer, one is greeted by the traditional array of menus and options. However, one can also access a Multiplayer HQ, a hub of sorts where one can explore, open loot boxes, and customize the loadout. Up to 48Â players can occupy one HQ. While a neat idea, many players are more interested in jumping into an actual match as soon as possible.
3 Health Packs
Even though health does not regenerate, players should not feel too scared. One can always recover health back by using pickup found on the field or handed out by Zussman. Cautious players will likely never feel like they are running on empty since they can hold several at one time. It is interesting to see the series embrace an older genre convention, especially when the franchise is noted for ushering in the modern FPS era.
2 Saving Soldiers
Every level includes a Heroic Action the player can perform. Most of these involve rescuing a wounded soldier. A hand icon appears over them and the player starts dragging them to a secure location. Many of them are bleeding out, so one has a limited time frame to perform the virtuous rescue. Given the character and the conflict, leaving a wounded ally behind is always painful. Whenever possible, players will want to pick these guys up out of the goodness of their heart.
1 Health Bar
Another interesting facet of the game is the health bar. It makes sense considering the lack of regenerating life and use of health packs. Most modern games try to do away with a HUD, but with the health bar and squad members' faces constantly on the screen, Call of Duty: WWII obviously does not prioritize this. Seeing it on-screen makes the game look like it is a part of a different series, but the beauty of the franchise is how different each iteration can be from the last.