It sure looks like World War II is back…at least for video games.
Sledgehammer Games, creators of the wonderful Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, needed to recapture that shooter magic that had been waning with the release of Infinite Warfare and Black Ops III. Heading further into the future didn’t seem to be the best option considering that Infinite Warfare was essentially a space game, so Sledgehammer kicked it old school and went back to WWII. After spending a weekend with the multiplayer Beta–single player wasn’t available–it seems like the developer made the right choice.
Sure, it may seem a little tough to take the advanced weapons from other COD’s and throw them in the garbage, but I actually found the old weapons to be a nice change of pace. I primarily played as the Airborne Division (one of five character classes) and used the Grease Gun. Granted, this basic weapon isn’t the most powerful or accurate in the game, but it can still cause havoc if used correctly. Plus, the Grease Gun actually reminded me of the MP40 from Call of Duty 2, so that’s always a great thing.
What made the weapons even better was the fact that you could add a suppressor at any time. There did seem to be a noticeable difference in damage, but the option to avoid detection on the map was well worth it. Besides, who doesn’t love the look of a gun with a suppressor?
Now, the guns are pretty great, but what about the maps?
Of the available maps, I could only find matches on Pointe Du Hoc and Aachen. The former featured trenches going through the level’s center and cliffside bunkers on the edges while the latter is centered in a destroyed town. Of the two, Pointe Du Hoc was my favorite based simply on the hectic moments. Those trenches basically funneled players into each other and caused utter chaos. I lost more than a few of these skirmishes to those with better reflexes and more powerful weapons but still had an absolute blast.
Of course, Aachen was no slouch. This level included burned out buildings surrounding a center alley of death. It didn’t matter which direction you ran because there were always enemies running from every angle. So many battles in the alley ended when I was shot in the back by players hiding in the houses. There were even a couple of moments where I found enemies hiding in the broken bus and took part in melee battles.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to sink into more of the modes or maps due to connection issues, but what I saw was absolutely promising. I have a sweet spot for the WWII locations and weapons, and this beta just made that love more intense. More importantly, Sledgehammer’s ability to craft an entertaining experience doesn’t appear to be limited to only one game. I may not have been able to wall run during the beta, but the game just felt right.
Hopefully, the full game and other modes are just as entertaining.
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