The setting of a Call of Duty title is often a hot topic of conversation within the passionate community. While some players prefer a title that is set in a historical war while others prefer a modern or near-futuristic setting complete with innovative mechanics and weapons that are completely original to the franchise.
The reported announcement of COD 2021 returning to World War 2 has been met with a range of opinions from players, some of which have even called for the return of advanced movement mechanics which featured in Advanced Warfare, Black Ops 3, and Infinite Warfare.
With calls for the franchise to return to a more futuristic setting and several other FPS titles utilising World War 2 as a setting for its games, is the war the right setting for COD 2021?
A Classic COD Experience
The very first Call of Duty title I played was Call of Duty 4 and to this day, I believe that it is the very best instalment in the franchise even with the presence of the Juggernaut M16 class and perk combination in the game. Its simple weapon mechanics alongside movement mechanics that were easy to pick up yet incredibly difficult to master provided a skill-gap separating the average players from the very best. The setting also played a pivotal role in regards to the popularity of CoD4. The first Modern Warfare title was the first Call of Duty title to stray away from World War 2 and it paid off in spades, paving the way for the annual releases that followed on from its launch in 2007.
Although moving away from a World War 2 setting saw the franchise reach unimaginable levels of popularity and despite several calls for Call of Duty to stop using the same settings for its titles, there has only been one title set during World War 2 in the past ten years. So what exactly is the problem if the franchise aims to keep a more traditional philosophy based on titles that are widely considered to be some of the very best?
The hype surrounding the 2017 release of World War 2 marked the end of the ‘jetpack-era’ and a return to boots-on-the-ground was off the charts. After three years of exo-boosting and wall-running, several players had grown tired of the advanced movement mechanics and while the games proved popular, the return to simpler movement mechanics quickly proved popular among casual and competitive players.
Futuristic settings in Call of Duty definitely have their place as do the titles that have a focus on some of the most important times in the history of the world. It’s all about finding some form of balance and a return to World War 2 would mark the third title in as many years that featured some kind of realistic setting.
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Saturation
Although few Call of Duty titles have utilised World War 2 as a setting, there are many other FPS titles that are set in the time period which has led to saturation in the market. The likes of Medal of Honor and Battlefield have all seen success with games set in the time period, but with so many games featuring the same style of movement and almost identical weapon arsenals, it’s understandable to see why players aren’t best pleased with another FPS set in World War 2 even if Call of Duty hasn’t rinsed the setting for its own games.
Why Are They Going Back To WW2?
A return to World War 2 enables Activision to connect yet another piece of the Call of Duty universe to Warzone, tying up any form of loose ends that have been present prior to the release of the battle royale.
Heading back to this particular period of time would also confirm the rumour of COD 2021 holding the keys to the origins of Warzone and how Verdansk came to be.
A Help Or A Hinderance?
There are still several months until COD 2021 releases and even though plenty can change in the months leading up to its Q4 release, the fact a report potentially revealing the working title for the game has caused such polarising opinions within the player base isn’t a positive sign. For the very first time, the Call of Duty universe is more unified than ever (partly down to the release of Warzone) and the last thing Activision or Sledgehammer Games want to do is split the player base again.
Despite all the negativity, I do think that a World War 2 setting for COD 2021 is the right way to go. The game may not necessarily recycle the conflict between the Axis and the Allies and may even move into the 1950s as some leaks have suggested, meaning the game will still be new but in a somewhat familiar setting.
As long as weapon balancing and multiplayer map design are a priority, I don’t think that the setting of the game is such a big deal. If the game plays well, features a wide variety of weapons that are part of the metagame, and the maps are well-designed, COD 2021 will be a great game regardless of setting.