I don’t know if I’ll ever play a Call of Duty game again
But going back to World War II is still interesting
I played hours upon hours of Call of Duty games as a teenager, and sitting in a basement with my friends, endlessly shooting both each other and AI-driven enemies, will always be some of my best memories before college. I still bought the latest releases in the series up until last year, where I finally decided that I had had enough. I don’t have anything against the series, but the fast-paced, twitch shooting has started to grate on me. As I become more and more interested in single-player games and unique multiplayer experiences, the relatively static release each year doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore.
I write this because of the recent announcement that Call of Duty is going back to its WWII-roots. I’m a fan — I think the series’ recent infatuation with jetpacks and fast movement has become played out. I loved the speed mechanics introduced in Advanced Warfare, but I’ve become disillusioned with blitzing across maps only to die immediately in the middle of a bullet storm. Death may come just as quick in a WWII environment, but somehow I feel that I’d have a little more control over it.
My favorite multiplayer ever is in The Last of Us. I love the slow pace and resource-management, and the excuse to spend more time in the game’s world is one I’ll take every time. It’s the polar opposite of any Call of Duty game, and the unique style is a joy to play. I know that the best-selling franchise in video games isn’t going to shift to a slower pace this November, but any movement in that direction would be fascinating.
There’s also the potential for a more grounded experience. The Call of Duty games have generally told decent (if not wonderful) stories, and usually use the recent sci-fi environment to augment these narratives. Going back to WWII would provide an interesting new arena for storytelling. I don’t necessarily have confidence that the studio and writers would deliver on this potential, but I’m genuinely interested to see what they come up with.
Ultimately, this is a list of ramblings about my own opinions rather than anything else. I’ve read plenty of pieces that use Call of Duty’s stagnation as a metaphor for video games as an industry (or something else entirely), and I don’t want to go in that direction. Activision makes great, if unoriginal, games, and this newest entry will be just as popular as its predecessors. Just because I don’t care enough about the series to dive back in doesn’t mean that others can’t or shouldn’t enjoy it.
There are plenty of new games coming out that I want to play. I doubt that this one will make the list of games I actually purchase this fall, but I’m excited by this new direction. I hope the series can fully capitalize on it.
