Call of Duty: World War 2 Story Is Told ‘Mostly’ In Game, Not Via Cutscenes

Call of Duty: World War 2 is looking to tell a story about World War 2 (obviously…). And this story will be primarily told in game, and not via cutscenes, according to what the game’s Senior Creative Director Bret Robbins said to Glixel.

“Our story is much more character-focused. The big moments fall flat if you don’t care about the guys you’re with. The climax of our story lives or dies on how invested you are in the characters. That’s a huge risk and it’s something that video games sometimes struggle with,” he said.

“Firewatch is one of my favorite games. Gone Home was great. Games are growing up and the audience is sophisticated. More and more, they expect a good story. Not just from blockbusters but from indies [as well], and the whole genre is being pushed forward. Virginia is another good example. I definitely looked to them for inspiration and for techniques. We’re not shy about taking our time with the story. We want something meaningful and a bit deeper. You need that kind of quiet to balance the crazy. You need both or one will go flat without the other. We’ve learned from those other games and tried to infuse that into ours.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Call of Duty can actually manage to tell a meaningful, quiet story this year. Call of Duty: World War 2 launches worldwide on November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.