Call of Duty: WWII is Clearly the Superior World War II Entry Over Vanguard
As a long-time Call of Duty enthusiast and content creator focused on the popular first-person shooter franchise, I evaluate each release extensively across core pillars like campaign, multiplayer, and post-launch support. After analyzing 2022‘s Vanguard and 2017‘s aptly titled WWII, the verdict is clear – Sledgehammer‘s return to World War II simply outshines Vanguard by sizable margins.
Campaign and Setting
Call of Duty built its reputation on heart-pounding single-player campaigns transporting players into pivotal battles of World War II. On this front, WWII unquestionably delivers a more impactful experience.
Riveting Stories Rooted in History
WWII chronicles the dramatic events of 1944-1945 through the eyes of rookie soldier Ronald "Red" Daniels. The story masterfully captures the desperation of the late war years with visceral, grounded missions ranging from the D-Day invasion of Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge. Teaming up with squadmates like childhood friends Zussman and Aiello enhances camaraderie.
In contrast, Vanguard depicts the fictional origins of modern special force units. These detached narratives fail to form a cohesive storyline. The artistic license also distances Vanguard from the iconic WW2 settings that truly capture the era‘s gravity.
Level Design and Gameplay
WWII‘s campaign levels shine as thrilling playgrounds with military authenticity. Frantic house-to-house clearing in war-torn European villages creates intense battlegrounds. Combined arms missions also keep the action fresh by incorporating tank assaults and aerial dogfights alongside standard FPS action.
Vanguard alternates between distinct character POVs disrupting continuity. Some environments feel more suited to multiplayer arenas than narrative set pieces as well. Core gameplay remains solid but level design lacks WWII‘s ambience and consistent quality.
Overall Presentation
On a visual front, Vanguard leverages the Modern Warfare engine to deliver cleaner graphics and details than WWII‘s dated aesthetic. However, WWII utilizes color grading, particle effects, and camera work more effectively to portray the WWII period. The sights and sounds of trenches, beaches, and forests simply resonate better.
Vanguard campaign length clocks in around 6 hours[1] on average compared to WWII‘s 9 hour runtime[2]. WWII costs less upfront currently as well, making it an easy value proposition winner too.
Multiplayer Gameplay and Progression
The bread and butter of any Call of Duty release is the multiplayer component. This long-term engagement layer is crucial for player retention and determining an entry‘s legacy. Once again, WWII outperforms Vanguard across maps, weapon handling, and community feedback.
Map Design and Balance
Sledgehammer aimed to recapture what makes Call of Duty multiplayer special with WWII, and expert map design was essential. All 9 launch maps like Gibraltar and Ardennes Forest cater to different styles while enabling non-stop action via meticulous spawn placement and sightlines. Furthermore, DLC maps provided welcome variety through the years without compromising balance.
Vanguard launched with a similar map count, but consensus deems the overall quality lacking. Experts at GameReactor said Vanguard maps "don‘t play nearly as well as they should."[3] Tactical play gives way to a chaotic randomness on maps like Desert Siege or Numa Numa.
Core Gunplay and Mechanics
A key reason WWII retains devoted fans is its vintage Call of Duty gun feel. Weapon characteristics such as recoil, handling, and reload animations closely resemble franchise high points like Modern Warfare (2007) and Black Ops. Vanguard goes modern with snappier movement speeds that disrupt WWII‘s methodical flow.
Mechanically, innovations like Vanguard‘s new Combat Pacing system seem good on paper but falter in practice. An overabundance of spawn flipping diminishes map control, further emphasizing hectic run-and-gun gameplay. WWII enforces a more thoughtful, strategic approach in comparison.
Support and Evolution
Seasonal updates added desirable content steadily from launch up through 2021 for WWII as Sledgehammer responded to community requests. Vanguard‘s ambitious interlinking with Warzone distracted from meaningful multiplayer updates. By November 2022, Vanguard multiplayer barely resembled its launch form after excessive weapon balancing passes[4] muddied the sandbox.
Post-launch support matters tremendously for online shooters, and WWII sets the gold standard. Sledgehammer set clear direction to elevate strengths while rectifying shortcomings. Vanguard lacks the same vision or quality control as updates created frustrating yo-yo effects.
Zombies Experience
No discussion of recent Call of Duty games is complete without touching on the treasured Zombies co-op mode pioneered by Treyarch. Zombies gets shoehorned into both Vanguard and WWII with varying success. Once more, Sledgehammer understands how to lean into expectations rather than working against them.
Zombies Story and Setting
Instead of attempting to weave an original narrative like Vanguard, WWII‘s zombies chapter transports players back to Mittelburg, Germany alongside heroes Tank Dempsey, Marie Fischer, and more. The fabricated Vanguard backstory covering up failed experiments distracts from zombie-slaying action. Familiar fan favorite Wonder Weapons like sword and shield return as power-ups in WWII as well.
Vanguard did experiment with exciting open-world areas and objective types. However, the mode overall felt disconnected from the core title – an all-too-common issue plaguing recent Call of Duty side modes.
Playability and Overall Quality
Across Reddit and other online hubs, Call of Duty enthusiasts praise WWII Zombies as a return to form after the convoluted branching timelines from Black Ops 3 and 4[5]. The classic survival loop, easy-to-grasp upgrade systems, and expanded The Final Reich map delivered everything fans could want.
Conversely, Vanguard Zombies missed the mark despite introducing fresh concepts. Lacking round-based gameplay and glitchy enemy AI sucked the fun out of slaying the undead pretty rapidly. Like other key areas, Vanguard changed too much compared to beloved earlier eras. WWII nailed giving people exactly what they desired from a standalone WWII Zombies experience.
Sales and Player Interest
The ultimate barometer of any game’s quality comes down to whether people actually play it for extended periods. Call of Duty lives and dies by its multiplayer numbers in particular. Based on sales figures and concurrent player counts, Vanguard woefully underperformed while fans happily stuck with WWII years on.
By the Numbers
Within the first month after launch, Vanguard‘s retail sales sank well below 2020‘s Black Ops Cold War, sliding 40-50% in key European markets[6]. As the lowest-selling Call of Duty entry since 2007, something clearly went awry attracting fans initially and retaining them.
Meanwhile, WWII moved over $500 million in copies through its first weekend alone in 2017[7]. Strong buzz kept momentum rolling for months post-release as well while Vanguard fizzled fast. Higher critic review averages also demonstrate tepid reception to the disappointing 2022 offering compared to WWII.
| Call of Duty: Vanguard | Call of Duty: WWII | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Month Retail Sales | Down 40-50% from previous year (Cold War) | Made over $500 million opening weekend |
| All-Time Series Sales Rank | 15th out of 19 | 9th out of 19 |
| Metacritic Critic Average | 75/100 | 83/100 |
| Steam Player Count (2023) | ~3,500 players | ~8,000 players |
Staying Power
Vanguard player counts rapidly deteriorated across all platforms, hemorrhaging players at magnitudes never witnessed by premium Call of Duty installments. Mere months post-launch, playlists consolidated as the shrinking user base couldn‘t sustain preferred modes.
In January 2023, Vanguard‘s Steam numbers hovered around 3,500 players while WWII enjoyed over 8,000 concurrent users daily[8]. Neither title resembles Call of Duty heavyweights like Modern Warfare (2019) or Warzone, but WWII clearly attracts more server-filling matches and enjoyable lobbies 5+ years later. Vanguard won‘t have that luxury after failing the franchise on multiple fronts.
The Bottom Line
In my experienced opinion backed by copious data as a Call of Duty specialist, WWII stands tall as the definitive 21st century old-school WWII experience. Sledgehammer clearly analyzed what fans loved about earlier series entries from Killstreaks to Prestige systems while enhancing presentation and progression just enough. The risky changes and innovations present in Vanguard flopped hard.
From campaign to multiplayer map flow to zombies, WWII stayed true to core philosophies that first popularized Call of Duty as cultural icons like Captain Price came to life. The benchmark graphics and slick gunplay Vanguard introduced simply couldn‘t overcome subpar development decisions sinking the experience everywhere else.
Going back to 2017‘s aptly titled Call of Duty: WWII in 2024 remains entirely enjoyable thanks to Sledgehammer‘s passion and post-launch support. The same cannot be said for Vanguard as skeleton crews maintain multiplayer while players flocked to newer releases. For those craving tenacious Allied versus Axis showdowns, Call of Duty: WWII should be the immediate choice.
