Here's a game I never expected that I'd be writing a review of. I've played a few of the "Call of Duty" games before, but I'd say I have a weird history with this franchise: my friends and I have spent numerous hours playing several "Call of Duty" games (notably the "Black Ops" sub-series) in local multiplayer (mostly through fighting bots and taking on zombies), and I've had some fun playing those games, since I enjoy some local cooperative multiplayer with friends, but "Call of Duty" is in a weird boat where I feel it's simultaneously the most underrated and overrated game franchise out now. Underrated in that the games are relatively fun in short bursts, and perhaps not as bad as the internet might make you think, but overrated in that they aren't nearly as good as their blockbuster sales might lead you to believe. "Call of Duty" is not one of the greatest franchises in gaming, it's simply one of the most persistent, as it continues to receive yearly installments that sell like hotcakes in spite of their general averageness. And while 2017's "Call of Duty: WWII" was a hyped entry when it was announced for returning to the boots-on-ground gameplay style after so many futuristic entries, this entry honestly epitomizes the "averageness" that has rendered the series unexciting.
"Call of Duty: WWII," presentation-wise, does things pretty solidly: of course, the game is graphically impressive, just as any number of Activision games are, and gameplay-wise, it's at the very least functional. It's fast paced, the controls are fluid, and the gunplay is competent stuff. Beyond the campaign, this is another "Call of Duty" game that I've played with friends (as I mentioned, mostly against bots because that's what we like), and it is occasionally pretty fun. This is a very minor thing, but one thing I found so fun in a game like "Battlefield 1" (which I'm mentioning just for the sake of comparison) was being able to use a shovel as a weapon, just because it was so jarring yet gratifying. "Call of Duty: WWII" does also allow you to use a shovel, which...I'm sorry, I know it's really minor, but I just get a kick out of it.
The reason I had to mention something that minor, though, is because I'm really reaching to find something positive to say about this game. I had some big issues with it, but the biggest, most glaring one is this: if you've played one "Call of Duty" game, you've played them all, and this entry hits that nail on the head. There's nothing exciting about the gameplay here, it's competently made but severely lacking in anything that captivating. Beyond the lack of standout gameplay elements (well, outside of vehicle sections that stand out for the WORST reasons), the campaign is unbelievably short and painfully unfulfilling. Much of the story is a mishmash of clichés with forgettable characters, and the game is so cinematic that it feels like most of the game's length is spent watching. I know that "Battlefield 1" also had a campaign that felt short and occasionally had too much watching, but "Call of Duty: WWII" takes those flaws and turns them up to eleven. And the difference here is that "Battlefield 1" actually had a good game to go along with it, but with "Call of Duty: WWII" I mean, I beat the remaster of "Modern Warfare 2" about a month before playing this and I felt like I was playing that exact same game here. By the way, I know I'm hanging around the "Battlefield 1" comparison a lot in this review, and I don't want this to feel like a compare and contrast piece because a game should be judged on its own, but frankly, I feel the comparison is worth bringing up because I refuse to believe that "Call of Duty: WWII" would exist had the fanbase not caused such a stink about "Infinite Warfare" a year prior, and then EA not hit it so big with the announcement and trailer for "Battlefield 1" not long after. This game feels like it was conceptualized and created only to ride on the coattails of "Battlefield 1," and frankly, to me, it often just feels like a rip-off of it.
I really have to hand it to the "Call of Duty" series, because it is just extremely good at diluting and watering down the entire FPS genre for the biggest audience possible, most specifically casual gamers who don't play enough video games to understand why the franchise is not nearly on the level of creativity as the many games it finds itself so eager to copy off of. And that is precisely the case with "Call of Duty: WWII," which has its moments of fun, but continues to carry a "been there, done that" vibe. It's the same game you've played for years, and it remains a very safe, stale, lowest common denominator shooter that I can't help but feel simply indifferent towards.
Final rating: 5 out of 10 "Hmm..."