Call of Duty WWII Review: The war game you’ve been waiting for

It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a game like this, you know I prefer my racing games any day of the week.  But the hype around Call of Duty (COD) World War Two (WWII) got me intrigued, and I wanted to take a look.

I’ve played it on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, as well as on the standard PS4 and it’s bloody impressive.

By no means am I a hard core player, I don’t have hours every day to dedicate to this kind of campaign game, nor do I have the skills to really cut it in the multi-player environment.  Instead I choose to look at this as small episodes of a larger war drama, watched in my own time, not binged from start to finish.

Going back to the late 90’s I loved Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six – even had a call (AU_ Clan) of fellow Aussie gamers which kept us all entertained and teamed up.  Those days are long gone, and when the kids are in bed and work is done and dusted there’s an hour or two to get cracking.

From the get go this follows all the rules of modern scripted gaming, long introductions which look like you’re watching a movie until a human character comes into it.  These people look amazing in graphical form, but their movements are still stilted and unrealistic – Almost all the time I found myself wishing I could just skip them and get into the game.  Just give me the challenge and let me get on with it.

Then comes the beginning of the gameplay.  The landing at Normandy on D-Day.  We’re sitting on the landing craft like a character from Saving Private Ryan.  Once the enemy unleash hell, it’s confronting, gruesome and there’s no holding back.

Once you reach the beach you begin to get a tiny glimpse at the realism of war – the casualties, the injuries and the flat out inability to see where the bloody hell that enemy fire is coming from.

I’ve not finished the game, far from it.  But in the few times I’ve played it, I’ve learned how to control the character, interact with my platoon mates and shoot the hell out of the enemy.

From clearing out the trenches, manning and anti-aircraft gun to clearing the streets and taking back a town – it’s been one hell of an experience.  I’m rubbish at it frankly.  It takes many attempts to learn how the “scene” will go and make my way through, but that’s the fun of it.

The weapons are period specific, so there’s nothing advanced about them – sometimes it’s fun to use a two cartridge shot-gun, other times something automatic is a whole lot easier to use.

Finding medical kits to keep me alive has been important, and choosing a weapon and finding ammo just as much so.

I’m in no rush to complete the campaign, it’s something I look forward to doing.

By no means am I suggesting this is giving me an experience of war – far from it, though it does remind me how brutal it was and could be.

I’m bloody loving the realism, the lack of aliens and flying space craft.  I’m not looking forward to the Zombies because that will frustrate me, however I understand that the audience today is searching for that kind of content.

Will I give multi-player a go?  Yes, so if you come across me in a game, go easy on me – I’m more of a sniper than a man in the trenches.

Parents, this game is rated R 18+ for a reason – the “High impact violence” and “online interactivity” aren’t for the kiddies, and frankly if you’re letting your 15 year old play it without you at the very least being there with them or playing it first – you need to take a good hard look at yourself.