call of duty world war ii clear the bunkers

It’s a Neapolitan ice cream of shooters, essentially, with three very different flavours squashed together in a single serving. It’s purportedly darker and scarier than Zombies modes past, but all that means in practice is the inclusion of cattle-prod scares, with sudden arrivals accompanied by loud orchestral stabs. You’ll recognise the faces if not the names of those you’re playing: Katheryn Winnick and Elodie Yung are joined by Ving Rhames, while plenty of Brits will relish the chance to play as David Tennant, who is evidently having a ball as the panicky, profanity-spouting Drostan. There’s a strong sense of disorientation that you’ll experience in later encounters, though it’s not always clear how deliberate that is. There’s a blockbuster sheen that means you don’t quite feel the dirt under your fingernails, but it’s the first of many battles that are staged with a shuddering intensity - and conducted at deafening volume.

As a recreation of the Normandy landings, it predictably takes its cues from Saving Private Ryan, and establishes the tone for everything to come. It’s far removed from the bludgeoning impact of its opening sequence, though this is necessary force.

Yet what could have been horribly crass is handled with a scarcely believable delicacy of touch: what it chooses to show doesn’t feel sanitised, neither is it gratuitous.

So when, towards the end of Call of Duty: WW2's campaign, you realise that Sledgehammer Games is going to approach the Holocaust, it’s hard not to wince in anticipation.

The text thunders onto the screen in all caps and a font size more commonly seen at the top of a Snellen chart. Indeed, an introductory reminder that World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history alongside the final death tally is presented with the sober calm of a Sky Sports promo. Never knowingly understated, Call of Duty is not a series renowned for its restraint.

Call of duty world war ii clear the bunkers