Is Call of Duty: WWII (2017), Worth Playing?
Call of Duty: WWII was not appreciated by the Call of Duty community nearly enough until it was too late

The Lowdown.

Product Details
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Price: $59.99
Release Date: 2 November 2017
Supported Modes:

Campaign.

Call of Duty: WWII’s campaign is cinematic in every sense of the word, and while it may not be as mechanically interesting as those found in titles such as Black Ops 1 and 2, nor as unique as the Infinite Warfare campaign (or as controversial as the original Modern Warfare 2!), a small cast of loveable characters in a very real looking environment facing things that our grandparents and great grandparents faced is difficult to replicate.

When I heard that the Call of Duty franchise was returning to WW2 in 2021, I had great hopes for more of the same.

Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. While Vanguard’s campaign made great strides towards much-needed diversity, it lacked the magic of Call of Duty: WWII, something I would love to see explored in the unlikely event of Vanguard or WWII  receiving a sequel. 

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Visuals.

Call of Duty: WWII is one of the best-looking Call of Duty titles from the 8th generation and holds up very well when compared to current-gen titles, and I would love to see it get a 120 fps patch when it becomes part of the Xbox Game Studios family later in 2023.

Considering Fallout 4 is recently a 9th gen patch on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, I would hope that any 9th gen improvements would also be released for PlayStation owners, as while cross-play does not exist between the two platforms, I believe that making Call of Duty: WWII perform well on both platforms is the right thing to do in light of Microsoft’s assurances to regulators.

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Zombies Mode.

While there are only so many ways you can make a mode focused around the undead cheerful, somehow, Sledgehammer games have managed to make Nazi Zombies even more terrifying than normal, with a greater emphasis on the occult and sinister plots, making it a perfect fit for those who enjoy survival horror, or don’t mind getting jump scared out of their seat a few times an hour.

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War Mode.

My favourite Call of Duty mode ever, War Mode, thrust players into competitive narrative scenarios with one team being assigned to defend a series of objectives while the other team was tasked with capturing or destroying them before swapping places at halftime, with the most successful team overall being declared the winner.

While not popular with everyone, War Mode offered some of the best maps in-game, and the narrative flow of each match forced players to relocate to new areas of the map, offering new opportunities for attack and defence as more areas of the map were unlocked and earlier areas were declared off limits.

While this mode is entirely dead on PC, on PlayStation consoles in particular, it is thriving with full lobbies available at all times in the NA/EU.

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Cheaters.

Call of Duty: WWII on PC is almost entirely overrun by cheaters. It is difficult to find even a single lobby without at least one player using some form of illegal gameplay enhancement.

While this issue is present on console, it is far less common, with cheaters in around 4% of lobbies.

Steam Release.

Until the release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare II (2022), Call of Duty: WWII (2017) was the most recent Call of Duty title to be released on Steam.

Activity.

While Call of Duty: WWII is almost entirely dead on PC, it continues to thrive on console, with the PlayStation version, in particular, enjoying nearly instant matchmaking for even less popular modes such as War.

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Call of Duty WWII FAQ

Call of Duty: WWII is a first person shooter video game developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision, it was released on 2 November 2017 and retails for $59.99.

Platform Availability.

Call of Duty: WWII is available on the following platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Are The Developers Active?

Call of Duty WWII is no longer in active development, and the developers have moved on to other projects.

How Many People Play Call of Duty: WWII?

As of November 2023, around 732,000 people play Call of Duty: WWII on a fairly regular basis.

How Active Is The Call of Duty: WWII Playerbase?

Call of Duty: WWII is fairly active, meaning that matchmaking is stable for much of the day in populated regions and viable in less populated regions, even though wait times are considerably longer.

Note About The PC Community.

Please note that the PC platform is the exception in this case, and while both PlayStation and Xbox consoles offer excellent matchmaking times for a title of this age, Call of Duty WWII is barely active on PC, with daily peaks of just 435 players, less than a 5% the numbers of the Xbox Community, and less than 1% of the PlayStation community.

However, all is not lost, and with Call of Duty WWII being added to Game Pass in 2024, following Microsoft’s successful acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, there is a possibility of the PC community becoming more viable and while the Xbox community will be likely to rival that of the PlayStation community.

Is Cross-Platform Multiplayer Supported?

Call of Duty WWII supports:

  • Cross-Generational Multiplayer.
  • Cross-Generational Parties.

Is There Group Finding/Matchmaking Support?

Call of Duty WWII offers the following matchmaking options:

  • Region-Based Matchmaking
  • Solo Matchmaking
  • Group Matchmaking

Are There In-Game Microtransactions?

The Call of Duty WWII in-game store sells:

  • Premium Currency Bundles.
  • Pay for Convenience Items.
  • Pay-2-Win Items.

What Peripherals Are Supported?

The following peripherals are officially supported:

  • Console - Controller.
  • PC - Controller.
  • PC - Mouse and Keyboard.

Is There Any Mature Content?

Call of Duty WWII is rated PEGI 18+ and contains the following:

  • Bad Language
  • Discrimination
  • Gore
  • Mature Themes
  • Violence

Final Verdict.

Call of Duty: WWII will always be one of my favourite CoD titles, and while on PC, most modes are essentially dead, for those who can play it on console, there are still more than enough players to ensure stable matchmaking during off-peak hours.

Is Call of Duty: WWII Worth Playing In 2024?

8
Honest Video Game Reviews has given "Call of Duty: WWII" a rating of 8/10, indicating that it is a good game, that is well worth playing, and while it may have a few shortcomings, the average gamer will enjoy it.

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