'Call of Duty: WWII' multiplayer adds a social space inspired by 'Warcraft'
There's one thing you're going to hear over and over in relation to Call of Duty: WWII's multiplayer experience: "Boots on the ground."
The four-word catchphrase refers to the way WWII strips out the modern contrivances of more recent games -- such as booster packs and exoskeletons -- in favor of more traditional close combat. It amounts to a simplification: everyone will have an easier time getting a handle on Call of Duty multiplayer in WWII.
Sledgehammer Games focused primarily on the game's story mode in its April 26 reveal, but we did pick up a few facts about how PvP action will factor in.
Headquarters is one of the most intriguing ideas in the new multiplayer. It sounds like Sledgehammer will introduce a new online social space, something Call of Duty hasn't ever seen before. It reminds me of Destiny's Tower, though studio co-founder Michael Condrey pointed instead to another popular game during a recent interview.
"We know that gamers today want a place to be social. You can see that in many different types of games. To me, some of the high water marks for that experience is the cities in World of Warcraft," Condrey said.
The goal is to give Call of Duty fans "new ways to engage ... and do interesting things" outside of the more familiar battle arenas.
"I will always remember that first time I went to Orgrimmar in World of Warcraft and it was just filled with activity and people, and that community was really powerful," Condrey added.
In many ways, Headquarters is an obvious next step for Sledgehammer. The studio's first Call of Duty effort -- 2011's Modern Warfare 3, co-developed with Infinity Ward -- introduced the "Call of Duty Elite" social network. Then, the studio's solo 2014 game, Advanced Warfare, let players actually see and customize their PvP soldier.
"It's really been a six-year evolution for us," Condrey said. "We introduced the virtual lobby in [Advanced Warfare] to get you your first true attachment to your Call of Duty avatar. Prior to that, you really didn't have any representation of yourself."
Headquarters carries that avatar into a playable virtual space where you can run around and meet up with other players -- though to what end remains unclear.
"Headquarters for us is a way to bring the community back together and allow them to socialize and recognize [each other's achievements] and be rewarded," Condrey said. "[It's] your 'off the front line' experience as a community."
There are other new elements in WWII multiplayer as well. Divisions offers a re-thinking of Create-A-Class, which in the past allowed players to tailor their loadouts around whatever weapons, tools, and ability-enhancing Perks they desired. The details aren't entirely clear, but now you're selecting a particular specialty, such as infantry, armored, or airborne.
Of course, that doesn't exactly line up with Call of Duty multiplayer as most know it. The series has brought player-controlled vehicles into PvP before, but the maps are generally too small -- by design -- for that sort of battlefield sprawl. Assuming that's not changing: what are the benefits of, say, choosing the airborne division when you don't have fighter planes to hop into?
Perhaps we'll find the answer to that question in War, another new PvP wrinkle in WWII. Built around "narrative-driven gameplay that expands the multiplayer universe as we know it," it sounds like the mode intentionally tips what has traditionally been an even balance between PvP teams.
The example we're given is the D-Day assault of Normandy beaches in France. In that scenario, Axis forces defend their fixed position with superior firepower while Allied forces rely on their numbers to overwhelm.
More details on War, Divisions, Headquarters, and other multiplayer features in Call of Duty: WWII will have to wait. Sledgehammer is holding back any specifics until E3 in June.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
