As Activision dials back the clock and softly reboots the triple-A franchise that’s ruled the shooter roost for well over decade, it’s clear Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games really wants to hark back to the series’ good old days. And with a just a taster of its new approach to multiplayer showcased at E3, we’re excited to see that what’s old has finally become new again.
The classic multiplayer modes you know and love return – so you’ll still get to run around in TDM and the like – but it’s the new additions that are causing a real stir. War mode is COD’s answer to Battlefield’s long-serving Conquest scenarios – a fresh multiplayer experience that pits two teams of players against one another as they battle through three interconnected missions.
One such setup sees players fighting up a hill to secure a truck in one section, battling to hold back the enemy while building a bridge in the next and protecting a tank as it crosses in the finale. The team-based orientation smacks of Overwatch, but we all want more from online shooters than simple
deathmatches, so the arrival of War Mode is a positive sign for the series.
Sledgehammer has also taken great pains to address the fact that you’ll once again be playing as the Axis in multiplayer. And while Swastikas will appear in the game’s story campaign (where you’ll exclusively play as the Allies, including a female member of the French Resistance), that particular symbol will be absent from online play. Since avatars are fully customisable – whether they be Axis or Allies – you’ll also be able to play as a nonwhite German while fighting in Nazi colours. Sledgehammer says multiplayer is all about inclusivity rather than historical accuracy, and it hopes the balance it’s struck will promote that mindset when it goes live in November.
COD: WWII’s campaign has also been given an overhaul, with the almost ubiquitous health regeneration system the series helped make so commonplace now traded for a medkit system (much like those used in the original WWII games). It makes firefights a lot more intense, although you’ll often be in a squad with a medic you can rely on for on-call health relief. The bulk of the story will take place across France, Belgium and Germany, and while it’s as set-piece-driven as the modern
or futuristic COD of today, the absence of exo suits and wall-running makes everything feel retro chic, in the best kind of way.
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