No, Call of Duty: WW2 is Not a Remake of World at War

As a passionate Call of Duty expert and gaming content creator, this is a question I‘ve seen popping up a lot recently with the release of 2017‘s critically-acclaimed WW2 title. And the straightforward answer is: No, Call of Duty: WW2 is not a remake of 2008‘s World at War.

Although both games share the iconic World War 2 setting that first defined Call of Duty‘s origins in 2003, the newest entry completely reinvents and modernizes the classic battlefield that veteran fans fell in love with originally.

Let‘s do a thorough deep dive analyzing the multitude of differences across nearly every aspect of these two games set in the seminal global conflict.

Comparing Single Player Campaigns: Completely Different Stories

The solo campaign is the marquee component of any Call of Duty game, showcasing high stakes set pieces, charismatic characters, and blockbuster moments across locales displayed with cutting edge graphics. Here‘s how WW2 and World at War stack up in this department:

As the table illustrates, the backdrop in both campaigns do share World War 2 era weaponry, locations, and grim combat across bombed out cities or open fields. However, the stories unfold in completely different global theaters focused on unique protagonists you haven‘t previously controlled in the series.

COD: World at War featured campaigns split between the Pacific against Imperial Japanese forces and Eastern Front batting the Russian Red Army. On the other hand, WW2 narrows its lens to focus exclusively on pushing back the Nazi occupation throughout Western Europe after the Normandy Invasion by the Allies.

You step into the shoes of an American 1st Infantry grunt named Red fighting tooth and nail across 12 diverse missions, forming personal bonds with the eclectic cast of supporting squadmates. It‘s an entirely self-contained narrative arc independent from previous entries.

And with the upgraded IW 8.0 game engine, the solo campaign reaches new heights of immersion including advanced AI behavior, lifelike animations, destructible environments, dynamic weather, massively enhanced graphics leveraging 4K and HDR on supported platforms, and more.

All combined, WW2 stands alone as arguably the best solo story experience in Call of Duty history. It‘s far more than a rehashed rendition of World at War‘s engaging campaigns rather a built-from-scratch military epic redefining campaign excitement for a new generation.

Multiplayer Modes: Old School Boots on the Ground Gameplay Perfected

On the multiplayer front, Call of Duty: WW2 represented a welcome "back to basics" approach after the series began venturing into futuristic settings with advanced movement and weapons. Sledgehammer Games expertly modernized the old school "boots on the ground" formula that veteran fans grew up with.

Let‘s see how the seminal World War 2 multiplayer suites differentiate across some key metrics:

Activision reported over 12 million players actively playing WW2 by early 2018 compared to around 3 million for World at War. And critics praised the reboot‘s approach bringing back the successful convention of squad-based all out war without reliance on sci-fi boost movements or weaponry.

While core modes like Team Deathmatch and Domination play similar to their World at War counterparts, Sledgehammer introduced plenty of innovations too like the higher 48 player count "Ground War" matches bringing large scale mayhem. The new "Divisions" class system also revolutionizes loadout customization and abilities/perks based on your squad role.

Visually, the maps in WW2 pop with color, interactable set pieces, and graphical touches only capable on modern hardware. It strikes a perfect balance offering faithful recreations of iconic WW2 battles enhanced with new environments never before seen in the franchise. Whether storming the beaches of Normandy or holding down the fort in Aachen‘s wartorn streets, the diverse maps encourage replayability through varied pacing, flow, and gameplay possibilities.

Zombies Dials Up the Undead Lunacy

No Call of Duty game is complete without the co-op wave slaying struggle that is Zombies mode nowadays. While World at War birthed the concept originally in 2008, WW2 continues Treyarch‘s restless undead legacy with an original standalone story starring an eccentric cast of heroes.

Let‘s see how the spooky PvE romps stack up:

Make no mistake – Zombies mode has come a LONG way since Shi No Numa kicked off the phenomenon in World at War. By modern standards, those initial zombie maps feel downright tame and repetitive compared to the challenge, depth, and escalating absurdity of 2018‘s biggest undead showdowns.

Sledgehammer‘s horde mode introduces a fresh rag-tag band of memorable misfits like the cynical Drostan Hynd armed with one liners galore or compassionate healer Olivia Durant backing up teammates against impossible odds. The three launch maps also build up plenty of insane lore and world-building to uncover for invested players.

With PPShs and Tesla Guns blazing, Zombies reaches even crazier heights by dialing up sheer zombie counts into the triple digits. Terrifying new heavy enemies also force teams to strategize their loadouts and ability usage for any hopes of high round glory. Solve cryptic Easter egg quests opening up literal game-changing super weapons and you‘ll still barely make a dent against the relentless waves in later rounds.

Simply put – WW2 Zombies sets out to reward longtime veterans with amped up mayhem tailored to their expert zombie destroying tastes while inviting newcomers into the fold with its quirky cast of characters worth rooting for.

By the Numbers: Critical & Commercial Success for WW2

Now that we‘ve broken down major modes, let‘s examine how Call of Duty: WW2 performed both critically and commercially to cement its status as much more than a remake:

• Over $500 million revenue within first 3 days [[1]](https://www.callofduty.com/wwii/ Winter is Here)
• 12+ million players by early 2018 [2]
• Best-selling console game of 2017 [3]
• Metascore: Critics average of 79/100 on PS4 [4]
• User Score: 7.7/10 average rating [5]
• IGN: 8.7/10 praising campaign, online play [6]
• GameSpot: 8/10 calling it best COD in years [7]

As a long-time Call of Duty superfan myself, I distinctly remember the palpable excitement leading up to launch as gamers eagerly awaited this franchise revival. And WW2 certainly delivered from both gameplay and commercial Milestones, proving why Call of Duty still sits atop the gaming world as a household name.

Why I Love WW2‘s Fresh Take on Classic Call of Duty

As an avid gamer who creates content centered on FPS titles and industry analysis, I‘ve played every major Call of Duty release extensively over the past decade from a gameplay design perspective. Here‘s my personal take on why I found WW2 a legitimately fresh evolution:

• Gunplay feels weighted and impactful – weapons like the BAR or MP-40 recoil and roar with unmatched sound design while retaining tight responsiveness
• Maps promote freedom of approach with interactive paths and destructible setpieces altering combat flow
• Zombies achieves near-perfect balance between tense survival and all out frantic fun
• Campaign reminds me of landmark entries like Call of Duty 2 with memorable camraderie
• Core foundation of COD gameplay enhanced rather than overhauled by additions like Divisions
• Visceral atmosphere only capable through cutting-edge modern hardware/engines

Despite the back to basics mantra, make no mistake – WW2 is an entirely modern, polished product leveraging the finest AAA production values Activision offers currently. From the second you storm Normandy‘s bunkers or fend off waves of flamethrower zombies, everything pops with a level of graphical fidelity and smoothness that 2008‘s hardware couldn‘t hope to render.

Yet that authentic Call of Duty feel remains intact – frenetic fast-paced action, iconic loadouts, blistering audio design, and addictive multiplayer progression. Just taken to contemporary levels execution wise thanks to nearly 10 years worth of gameplay innovations layered in seamlessly.

All combined, Call of Duty: WW2 epitomizes an expertly crafted first-person shooter package bursting with modes and content that strongly differentiates itself as an essential standalone release rather than some repackaged nostalgia cash grab. This game was built from the ground up for a new era.