Call of Duty®: WWII marks a deliberate return to the franchise's roots, focusing on a grounded, boots-on-the-ground World War II experience. The game delivers a cinematic and emotionally resonant campaign following a squad through pivotal moments in the European theatre, offering tight gunplay and immersive atmosphere with detailed environments and realistic sound design. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel and solid mechanics reminiscent of classic CoD titles.
However, the multiplayer scene is reported as largely inactive and plagued by cheating, with serious security concerns such as Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploits compromising PC players' safety. Technical issues including crashes, problematic Quick Time Events (QTEs), and some frustrating mission designs (notably the tank mission) detract from the experience. The campaign is generally well-received but considered short and sometimes historically inaccurate or over-the-top in tone. Overall, it is praised as a solid WWII shooter with a memorable campaign but marred by multiplayer decline and security risks.
Players praise the campaign's cinematic presentation, emotional storytelling, and well-crafted characters that bring the WWII setting to life.
The game’s graphics and sound design are highly regarded for their polish, immersive environments, and authentic weapon and battlefield audio.
Gameplay mechanics, particularly the classic Call of Duty gunplay and mission variety, receive positive notes for delivering a satisfying and nostalgic shooter experience. The Zombies mode is also noted as enjoyable by fans.
Common criticisms include severe security vulnerabilities in multiplayer, notably RCE exploits risking player accounts and PC safety.
Technical issues like crashes, unskippable cutscenes, and frustrating QTEs (especially on high-end PCs) cause player frustration.
The campaign is criticized for being too short, historically inaccurate, and sometimes over-the-top in tone. Multiplayer is described as dead or plagued by cheaters, and some gameplay segments, such as the tank mission, are labeled poorly designed and aggravating.
Call of Duty® returns to its roots with Call of Duty®: WWII - a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation.