The Call of Duty: WWII private multiplayer beta released a full day early. After spending some hours with it, here are our first impressions.
We’ve gone through three long years for jetpacks, wall-running, and other bizarre mechanics in the past three Call of Duty games. Don’t get us wrong, we did have some fun with some of the games. However, it wasn’t the Call of Duty we grew up playing and loving. After playing the private multiplayer beta for the next upcoming game, Call of Duty: WWII, we’re filled with joy. Without a doubt, this is the best Call of Duty has been in almost four years. The series has returned to its roots in a phenomenal way.
Obviously, this is only the beta, so there’s only so much we can talk about since there’s a limited amount of content. What we have played is lots of fun, though. At its core, when it comes to the mechanics, the gameplay, the modes, and the maps, it’s fantastic. Having your boots back on the ground is so refreshing. It’s definitely a change of pace (for the good) compared to the last three games.
The gameplay is simply smooth. If we had to compare it to another game in the series, it would be a mix of Call of Duty 1-3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. We say the first three games because of the setting. This has World War II written all over it — the scenery, the weapons we use, and even how you play.
This game will rely heavily and solely on gun-skill. There are attachments for weapons still, which you can unlock. But, there’s going to be a huge skill gap once you’re playing online. You can’t rely on perks or other nonsense anymore since it isn’t really included. There is one feature called “Basic Training,” which grants you one perk, but that’s about it. In a way, we love this since it makes the game that much more competitive. It’s also great for the eSports scene.
This is mostly the reason why we also compare it to Black Ops II, since it feels extremely competitive. It’s safe to say that WWII may be the best Call of Duty game since Black Ops II. We won’t get ahead of ourselves, but we can be hopeful.
All the maps included are great. Each feel balanced and have a variety of ways to play them. There are specific spots you can camp up and take out enemies. There’s also certain strategies you can implement to maintain map control and secure the win.
Despite all the good, there are some issues. For example, the servers. After some matches, a loading screen popped up and wouldn’t let us do anything for 10, sometimes 15 minutes. This forces you to close your app and restart it multiple times, which can become very tedious. Disconnects also happened, which is frustrating. This is a beta, though. We have to understand that it isn’t perfect.
The only minor issues we have found in the gameplay is the bullet registration. At times, it doesn’t feel like your bullets are connecting as well as they should be. This seems like a simple and easy fix, however. We feel like some of the sub-machine guns are underpowered as well. We’ll have to play a bit more to fully judge that, but those are our initial thoughts.
So far, we’re having a blast with the beta. It’s rare that we don’t find many issues with the game, but it’s hard to locate any other than the ones already mentioned. As of right now, this is a first day purchase.
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If you haven’t pre-ordered it, you should. You still have the whole weekend to test out the game on the PS4. The next weekend, for all of you Xbox One players, you’ll be able to play then.
Call of Duty: WWII launches on Nov. 3, 2017.