War sees teams fight to protect/attack various objectives that pull you in a linear fashion through a multistage series of changing goals. The big additions this year are the objective-based War mode and Headquarters. Without boost jumps and wall runs this is much more of a park kickabout, and a riot to scrap about in. Think American Football with guns as teams fight to get a ball into each others scoring zones. Like Gridiron, a version of Uplink more fitting for the WW2 setting. Getting rid of the gimmicks creates a much purer point and shoot ethosĪside from these changes, much of the core multiplayer will be familiar, with modes like TDM and Hardlink, but there are couple of new things. They’re traits that flavour play rather than define it. So Airborne are faster and can sprint longer, Mountain are invisible to most things and move silently, Armoured take less explosive damage and so on. Divisions form the backbone of the new class system: Infantry, Airborne, Armoured, Mountain, Expeditionary, which roughly equates to soldier, assault, heavy, sniper and ‘that guy with the flaming shotgun.’ While you can use pretty much whatever gear you want, each Division has a series of specific abilities to unlock that will hopefully suit how you play. There are still scorestreaks and gadgets but it’s a more level playing field in terms of advantages.
Getting rid of the gimmicks creates a much purer point and shoot experience. Before, it could feel like gear selection or loadout choices could make a big - maybe slightly cheaty - difference, now it’s more about learning the maps and being ready. It creates an online game built from player skill and spacial awareness with little in the way of barriers between you and your actions.
Stripped of all that, WW2 has nothing but a trigger pull and, if you’re lucky, a hit.