Call of Duty: WWII

"Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII--a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny."

- Official description

Call of Duty: WWII is a first-person shooter video game developed by Sledgehammer Games for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. Leaked concept art for the game was initially found in late March 2017, a month before the official reveal on April 26th, 2017. The game was released on November 3rd, 2017. Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the Call of Duty franchise and Sledgehammer Games' second to be developed in a three-year development cycle.

Set during World War II, it tells the story of an unbreakable brotherhood of common men fighting to preserve freedom in a world on the brink of tyranny. From the beaches of Normandy to the Hürtgen Forest, experience a dramatic story highlighting some of the most dramatic and iconic moments of World War II as a young soldier, Ronald "Red" Daniels, who is facing the unforgiving reality of war alongside his brothers in arms.

It is the first Call of Duty since 2008 to be set in World War II and is the fifth main World War II title in the series.

Background
"You know I've been making games for over 26 years, and I'll tell you it's the best game we ever made."

- Glen Schofield, co-founder and studio head of Sledgehammer Games

A modern World War II Call of Duty was alluded to in a 2014 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launch interview with Michael Condrey, head of Sledgehammer Games. In the interview by Metro, the interviewer asked him what the possibilities of where the next Call of Duty could go in terms of setting. Condrey responded, "Well, no. It’s curious. I can only answer from my own personal tastes, this is my own personal opinion. But some of my favourite pieces of entertainment are set in World War II. Band of Brothers, I’m a massive fan of Band of Brothers? Did you see that?" Condrey then dived further into the subject, "And that’s a great hero’s war, kind of the last that was recognised as a noble cause in a war. So yeah, I think a next-generation game with the latest production values and robustness in a World War II setting like Band of Brothers would be amazing. Now, how would it play and how would the multiplayer work after the new movement set in Advanced Warfare? That’s a tougher question than I’ve had to tackle yet…".

During an interview on February 7, 2015, Michael Condrey talked briefly about the many ideas that Sledgehammer was toying around with for their next Call of Duty installment, saying that the team had "talked about new ways to play" and that these things could range from features such as "branching story-lines or third person mode or crazy changes to the multiplayer".

In June 2015, a post E3 interview with Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg and IGN occurred. At one point in the interview, IGN specifically asked Hirshberg if a return to the era was possible in the near future, to which Hirshberg replied “There are these moments where certain ideas seem to be floating in the collective consciousness, and there are two ‘meteor hitting the earth’ movies in one summer and were both in production for years.” “Those kinds of things happen,” Hirshberg said, “so there’s definitely a chasing of innovation and new ideas within a well-worn genre that lead people to similar conclusions like changing time periods. And of course, I think that opens up the opportunity for what is old is new again.”

During Activision Blizzard’s Q4 Earnings Call, Activision confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would be developing the next Call of Duty in 2017. Activision also said that the Call of Duty 2017 title would "take Call of Duty back to its roots .” Activision Blizzard's COO emphasized that the game would have  “ traditional combat will once again take center stage ,”  confirming that the traditional gameplay would be returning.

In developing the game, Sledgehammer recruited World War II historian Martin Morgan, to help make the game as historically accurate as possible. Sledgehammer Games also traveled to various places across Europe to take pictures and drawings to be used as concepts for in-game. The theme of the game was to be connected with your men, to experience the brotherhood of American soldiers during World War II. Sledgehammer was inspired by the motto of the original Call of Duty "In war, no one fights alone." so they echoed that idea to their narrative.

Campaign
"Welcome to the bloody first, you're a long way from Texas farmboy."

- Technical Sergeant William Pierson of the 1st Infantry Division

Overview
Call of Duty: WWII focuses on the actions of a squad from 1944 to 1945, but also touches on events from 1940 to 1944 to help set the stage for the narrative and establish the characters. It takes place in the Western European theater of conflict, at a time when the Allied forces were finally starting to gather strength on their march into Nazi Germany.

Featuring a global cast of characters across Europe, players will follow the gripping story of Ronald “Red” Daniels, a young United States Army private, as he and his squad, the legendary United States 1st Infantry Division, trek through the harrowing European theater of war. Joining Allied forces from the United Kingdom and the French Resistance, across the beaches of Normandy, to the liberation of Paris and ultimately into Germany, the squad must fight alongside a global and diverse cast of characters to achieve victory. The story campaign delivers the gritty authenticity and cinematic intensity of World War II combat, honoring the unforgettable heroism of the Fighting First.

Gameplay
In all Call of Duty campaigns since the original, the only way to replenish depleted health was to avoid taking damage for a few seconds (health regeneration). In Call of Duty: WWII‘s campaign, you have to use first aid kits to heal yourself. Note that first aid kits only refill your health meter and do not give you extra health beyond your set amount.

First aid kits can be found scattered around the battlefield, and you can pick up and add up to four first aid kits to your inventory. You can also call in first aid kits from your squadmate Zussman by pressing the button indicating on screen.

Heroic Actions
Heroic Actions are epic accomplishments you perform on the battlefield. Each of these three Heroic Actions gets you closer to unlocking a Squad Ability.
 * Combat Save  – Save an Allied soldier who is struggling against an Axis soldier.
 * Medical Save  – Locate a wounded soldier on the battlefield and drag him to safety. Wounded soldiers are indicated by a red cross, and safe zones are highlighted on the HUD.
 * Enemy Surrender  – At certain points in the story, enemies will admit defeat. Aim down sights at an enemy to force him to give up. Do not shoot surrendered enemies or you will not earn a Heroic Action.

Squad Abilities
You're rarely alone in Call of Duty: WWII, as your squadmates will often accompany you and help you complete missions. As you progress through the story, enemy kills and Heroic Actions will unlock Squad Abilities. Each squadmate has a morale meter that tracks your progress toward unlocking each ability. Note that Squad Abilities are not available on every mission level. You'll know a Squad Ability is available if you see the squadmate's portrait in the bottom-right corner of the HUD.
 * Zussman  – Delivers first aid kits.
 * Pierson  – Briefly highlights all enemies in the area and allows you to use Focus with any weapon.
 * Turner  – Carries extra ammo for weapons you have equipped, including rocket launchers.
 * Stiles  – Carries extra Lethal and Tactical grenades.
 * Aiello  – Gives you a special smoke signal grenade used to call in Allied mortar fire.

Stealth
Parts of several missions require stealth. When you're in a zone that requires stealth, each enemy will have a stealth meter above his head indicating your level of detection to that enemy. If the stealth meter is empty, you're undetected by that enemy. If the stealth meter is white, you're in danger of being seen. When the stealth meter turns red, you've been spotted by the enemy and will have about one second to take out the enemy before he sounds the alarm.

Mementos
Each mission level includes three hidden Mementos, which include items from the era. Mementos glow when you are nearby to help you collect them all.

Plot
On June 6, 1944, United States Army Private First Class Ronald "Red" Daniels of the 1st Infantry Division takes part in the storming of Normandy Beach with his squad, consisting of: Private First Class Robert Zussman, who is his best friend, Private Drew Stiles, Technician Fifth Grade Frank Aiello, Technical Sergeant William Pierson and First Lieutenant Joseph Turner. During the operation, Zussman is stabbed, keeping him on the sideline.

Zussman returns to duty to partake in Operation Cobra, where the Allied forces successfully push to reclaim the town of Marigny. The squad is ordered by Colonel Davis to conduct a joint operation with Special Operations Executive British officers Major Arthur Crowley and Vivian to intercept a German train carrying V2 rockets, near Argentan. Daniels and Zussman derail the train, before being escorted back to their squad by a French Resistance leader named Rousseau.

A week later, Rousseau and Crowley infiltrate a German garrison in Paris to retrieve explosives, in preparation of the squad's assault on the garrison. Midway, Rousseau kills SS-und Polizeiführer Heinrich, in retaliation for killing her family. The squad then successfully liberates Paris.

Two months later, the squad takes over a German-occupied hotel in the city of Aachen. They discover civilians inside the hotel, and Turner orders their evacuation, to Pierson's dismay. A young girl named Anna goes missing, and Daniels searches for her. German soldiers open fire on a truck carrying the civilians, killing Anna's older sister. Pierson sends the truck away without protection, creating a rift with Turner.

At the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, the platoon is ordered to take Hill 493. Turner splits the platoon into two groups; Pierson and Zussman are tasked with advancing towards the hill, while Turner and Daniels cover them until they can meet at the bottom. Turner's squad soon receives a transmission revealing that Pierson ordered an attack on the hill against Turner's orders. The platoon destroys an artillery position but the Germans counter-attack with a Tiger II tank. Daniels is knocked out trying to disable the tank, which is destroyed by tank commander Staff Sergeant Augustine Pérez. Turner is fatally wounded rescuing Daniels, and orders Daniels to abandon him while he covers the platoon's escape. Pierson becomes head of the platoon and makes Daniels his second-in-command, promoting him to Corporal.

At the height of the Battle of the Bulge, the platoon is surrounded by Germans. Daniels meets an African-American technician, Howard, who helps the platoon contact air support. The platoon captures several German soldiers and discovering that the Germans were ordered to destroy a bridge at Remagen, the last bridge over the Rhine. After destroying the explosives in transit, Pierson orders the platoon to attack a nearby air base to destroy the remaining explosives. The attack fails, resulting in Daniels and Zussman surrounded by enemy troops. Daniels is saved by Howard, while Zussman is captured and taken to a German POW camp, Stalag IX-B. In Stalag IX-B, Zussman is interrogated on his Jewish heritage by SS officer Metz, then beaten and sent to a POW labor camp. Daniels is hospitalized due to his wounds.

In the hospital, Daniels learns from Davis about the events that changed Pierson in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. After recovering, Daniels confronts Pierson in his tent and tears up his honorable discharge papers in order to rejoin the platoon. They successfully capture the last bridge over the Rhine. The platoon heads into Germany, liberating concentration camps in search for Zussman, eventually reaching the Berga labor camp, which they find abandoned. The camp's survivors were sent on a death march. Daniels finds and saves Zussman by killing Metz before he can execute him.

At the end of the war, Daniels parts ways with his platoon and returns to Texas, reuniting with his wife and newborn son. Daniels names his son Joseph Turner to honor the late lieutenant. He visits the grave of his older brother, Paul, who died fighting a wolf when Red was a kid. He places his Bronze Star medal on the grave, saying that his brother deserves it for teaching him to shoot.

Locations

 * Omaha Beach, Calvados, Normandy, France
 * Caen, France
 * Marigny, Manche, France
 * Near Argentan, France
 * Paris, Île-de-France, France
 * Aachen, Germany
 * Hürtgen Forest, German-Belgian Border
 * Hill 493, Hürtgen Hill, Germany
 * The Ardennes, Belgium, Luxembourg
 * Ardennes, Belgium
 * Ludendorff Bridge, Remagen, Germany
 * Berga, Germany
 * Port of Le Havre, France
 * Longview, Texas

Overview
Call of Duty: WWII returns to the gameplay often featured in the older Call of Duty games, featuring the standard grounded movement. It also features similar server support to that of previous games. However, unlike previous iterations, the game now features a special social place, the Headquarters section with the ability for the player to reside in between games. A special new game mode has also been added to the multiplayer which takes players on a simulated battle with objectives designed in an attack/defense style mode, called War.

Divisions
When the player first launches the multiplayer in Call of Duty: WWII, the player will enlist their soldier in one of five Divisions, Infantry, Airborne, Armored, Mountain and Expeditionary respectively. Each of the divisions is attuned to a specific weapon category or loadout preference but can be changed freely throughout the game. Divisions are not locked to certain weapon categories, however and the player can benefit from all but the first perk of each Division if they decide to use a weapon outside of the Division's category.

As the player uses their Division, they will level up their Division and gain extra perks for their Division. The first perk of each Division, however, is restricted to the respective weapon class of that Division. Divisions are able to be prestiged after reaching level 4 with the respective division. The rewards for prestiging a division range from a new weapon (SVT-40, MP-40, MG 42, Kar98k and the Sawed-off Shotgun respectively), to Calling Cards, Uniforms and finally, a Weapon Variant for the respective division weapon.

Headquarters
The Headquarters social space is the in-game outpost for Call of Duty: WWII. In Headquarters, players can interact with allied military personnel that allow the player to complete Contracts, Daily orders, Weekly orders and Special orders for rewards from the Quartermaster and Major Howard respectively, as well as visit the Scorestreak Training, Firing Range, R&R, 1v1 Pit, Gunsmith, Mail, Emblem Editor, Zombies Mode and Theater. The player is also able to prestige both their Division and themselves in Headquarters, as well as open Supply Drops publicly, or spectate others doing so. Occasionally, special events occur in the Headquarters, awarding players who participate in said events.

Inside the Headquarters is an aspect called Social Score, which is earned from activities such as spectating supply drop openings or being commended by other players. Social Score allows players to earn free drops or items as their social level is increased.

Supply Drops
Players are able to open up supply drops publicly to allow others to spectate the opening, or spectate other players' openings. If a player earns an Epic or Heroic item from a supply drop, the entire Headquarters is notified. Players can earn supply drops from normal gameplay or by completing contracts or orders. Players spectating supply drops are also able to earn free XP, Social Score and supply drops for themselves.

Mail
The Mail section is where players are able to redeem in-game content from special rewaards outside of usual gameplay. Players are also eligible to receive 100 free Armory Credits every 4 hours.

Firing Range
Similar to the Firing Range of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, players are able to fire their weapons at targets, and challenge other players to shootouts. Inside the Firing Range are hidden sequences that can be completed to produce special effects, such as watermelons or fireworks.

Quartermaster
The Quartermaster can be accessed to allow players to redeem Contracts for various rewards, and browse through item collections similarly to the Depot in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered]].

Major Howard
Players can have up to three Daily Orders and three Weekly Orders active at a time. There is no time limit for completing Orders.

Once players fulfill an Order's requirements, they can be redeemed at Major Howard for their respective reward, ranging from Social Score, XP multipliers, or Supply Drops. Completing 6 daily orders in a 24 hour period earns the player a free supply drop. Completing 3 weekly orders in a 7 day period earns the player a free Rare supply drop.

Theater
The Theater allows players to watch the respective Division videos, as well as watch livestreams of tournaments and competitions, or other players.

General
The General is an NPC located in an area locked off until the player has reached level 55, or prestiged at least once. The player is able to prestige their soldier via the General.

Entering Prestige grants players the following:
 * Prestige Unlock Token  – permanently unlocks one item of their choice for players' loadouts
 * Rank Reset  – resets the player's soldier ranks to one and relocks all rank-dependent items, excluding any items that are permanently unlocked
 * Keep your progress  – retain the player's Division Levels, Weapon Levels, challenge progress, and customization items
 * Prestige Rewards  – get access to special Prestige Rewards and Challenges
 * Class Slot  – get one additional class slot

Scorestreak Training Guide
Towards the beach, players are able to enter the Scorestreak Training area, to test scorestreaks amongst approaching Axis soldiers. Entering the training area will remove the player from the respective Headquarters lobby.

Gunsmith
The Gunsmith, similar to Call of Duty: Black Ops III, allows players to customize their weapons with Paintjobs, as well as prestige their weapons.

1V1
Players are also able to play against each other in a 1v1 pit. The players both vote on three pre-determined loadouts to ban, and both players play until another has reached the score limit of three, or the time limit of 60 seconds.

Zombies
Players are able to switch to Zombies mode via the Headquarters area underneath the main bunker, accessible from the beach.

R&R
The R&R area is a special aspect of the Headquarters that allows players to play retro Activision games, at the cost of 10 Armory Credits per play.

Leaderboards
Various Leaderboards are scattered throughout Headquarters and lets players see their ranking against other players in the same Headquarters lobby.

AA Guns
Axis forces will occasionally attempt aerial attacks on Allied cargo deliveries to Headquarters. An on-screen warning will alert players to an incoming attack, which is their queue to control one of the four AA guns positioned around the Headquarters. Players must shoot down enemy fighters as they attempt to destroy cargo dropped by the Allies. If players defend cargo and allow it to reach the ground, they'll have about 10 seconds to collect the cargo and earn Supply Drops for their efforts.

Private Beta
A multiplayer beta was held, known as the Private Beta, scheduled from August 25th to 28th on PS4 (actually began on August 24th), and from September 1st to 4th on PS4 and Xbox One. In order to gain access, the game must be pre-ordered.

An open beta for the game was also supplied for the PC platform, available from 29th September, 2017 to 2nd October, 2017. The beta was able to be preloaded the week prior to the release. Unlike the console beta, players did not have had to have preordered the game to play the beta.

An official statement read: "The Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta is your chance to be one of the first to experience and get hands-on with Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer gameplay prior to launch. Stay tuned, as specific details on the Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta will be released in the future. Continue to check callofduty.com for more details."

Players who access the Private Beta are awarded an exclusive Calling Card and Emblem, as well as a helmet character customization option available for use in the full game.

Overview
You’re part of an international crew of experts, thrown together by circumstance in pursuit of a fortune in stolen art. You and your crew have arrived at a seemingly abandoned German village well behind enemy lines. Here, you'll face rampaging monsters, an infinite supply of bloodthirsty zombies, and darker experiments capable of nothing but murder. There is never enough time, nowhere near enough ammunition, and virtually no chance to escape.

Plot
German engineer Marie Fischer is sent on a mission to her hometown village of Mittelburg, Bavaria by her commanding officer, Major Rideau, to retrieve lost artifacts stolen by the Nazis for experimentation, as well as rescue her brother, Klaus, who provided the information. Klaus has been unwillingly working with their lead scientist Peter Straub and weapons expert Colonel Heinz Richter on a project to exploit a new energy dubbed "Geistkraft" to assist the Nazi party's war efforts. Marie is accompanied by ex-art thief Drostan Hynd, French Resistance fighter Olivia Durant and military captain Jefferson Potts, all of whom have significant knowledge on the stolen arts. However, on their train ride to Mittelburg, the group is attacked by an unidentified colossal being. Marie is stranded from the others, and finds herself taking temporary refuge at a small house nearby, where she holds out against hordes of dead German soldiers reanimated by Geistkraft, until she is able to make her way to the village.

After reuniting with the other three, Marie and the group proceed further down into the village, and inside Straub's lab. There, they fend off against Straub's undead horde, as well as Richter, whose obsession on weaponization of Geistkraft puts him at odds with Straub. Eventually, the group recovers the artifact, the hilt of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's Sword. They then encounter the creature from earlier, a humanoid-shaped amalgam of numerous body parts sewn and stitched together, dubbed the Panzermörder, with Klaus fused into the creature's chest. Using special magnetized batteries, the group manages to stun the Panzermörder and attach the batteries onto it, causing it to be attracted to Richter's zeppelin flying above the village. The zeppelin explodes, killing the Panzermörder and freeing Klaus from its body. The hilt's power somehow revives Klaus, causing him to be possessed by an unknown force. Klaus staggers into the village, telling Marie and the group to continue fighting, and that the Emperor must not return, before activating a fire trap, engulfing himself in flames.

Viral Campaign
On April 26th, 2017, during the reveal livestream for Call of Duty: WWII, several letters were added to highlighted tweets: CAL, LOF, DUT, Y.C, LAS, SIF and IED leading to http://www.callofduty.com/classified.

The page contained an Enigma machine. At the bottom of the page, there were coordinates (51.0344n2.3768e) leading to Dunkirk, France.

Pro Edition
The Pro Edition is available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $99.99 USD or $149.99 AUD. It includes:
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
 * Steelbook Case.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta.
 * Additional content
 * Limited edition hat (Only at GameStop)

Digital Deluxe Edition
The Digital Deluxe Edition is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows for $100 USD or $149 AUD. It includes:
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta.
 * Additional content