Call of Duty: WWII
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Price: ₹4,499 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, ₹3,799 on PC
Shifting gears from the modern setting of military shooters, Dice made a bold step to set their latest Battlefield during World War I, which paid off with a rich campaign and superb multi-player mode. Now, the new Call of Duty follows suit by going back to World War II, in an attempt to go back to its roots.
What’s it about?
WWII borrows heavily from films such as Dunkirk , Saving Private Ryan , Fury or Flags of our Fathers . In the sense, the game follows the great war from the perspective of a group of soldiers from the famous 1st Infantry Division. You play as Private First Class Ronald ‘Red’ Daniels along with his brothers in arms. The game predictably opens up in 1944 during the invasion of Normandy, and then proceeds through the Battle of the Bulge, and other famous battles that liberated France and won the war. The story, while patriotic and full of all those war movie tropes, ultimately feels been-there-done-that, but the zombie mode is a lot of fun.
How does it play?
WWII does feel a lot like the classic Call of Duty games like 2008’s World at War and those before that. There are a few notable additions though in the form of your squad mates who have special abilities, like handing you a med pack or ammo and generally warning you of enemies. In an age where games feature regenerating health, WWII brings back the medkit which does force you to think a bit strategically.
The gameplay on the whole feels like signature Call of Duty fare, from the movement to the prompts on screen. There’s nothing really new here, no wheels reinvented. It’s a game that takes a perfectly safe route in a tried-and-tested formula, that desperately needs to give us something new. Sure the visuals look fantastic, depicting the flash, fury and flying dirt of war. It’s impressive, but nothing new.
Should you get it?
If you want to kill some Nazis, you will have a better time in Wolfenstein II. Yet, if you absolutely love Call of Duty, then WWII has everything you would expect from a Call of Duty game.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Developer: Ubisoft San Francisco
Publisher: Ubisoft
Price: ₹3,599 for Xbox One and PS4, ₹999 for PC
The last South Park game, The Stick of Truth, sits at a glorious 90% on Metacritic. Made by the legendary Obsidian Entertainment, the RPG not only rose to the top of the charts, but also became the definitive template of how a successful cartoon can be adapted into a video game. With that as its template, Ubisoft shifted the game to its San Francisco studio for the sequel, The Fractured but Whole. Let’s see if the game has retained the fun that had made the previous title so good.
What’s it about?
The beloved kids from South Park have switched from playing Wizards to emulating superheroes. You play the New Kid, who has to follow Eric Cartman and gang in the greatest superhero team-up ever against a shadowy villain and thwart his absurd and outrageous plan.
For those unfamiliar with South Park , the cartoon TV series, airing since 1997, isn’t afraid to break new ground in profanity, absurdity and mostly scatalogical humour. The same has largely made its way into The Fractured but Whole, an apt title for a South Park game.
Taking cues from Marvel and DC, The Fractured But Whole pokes fun at social media, video games, celebrities, politics and more in a largely enjoyable story. There’s an inside-joke hidden in nooks and crannies for fans of the show. To appreciate the humour, you will need a very broad horizon.
How does it play?
While The Fractured but Whole is more of a narrative and exploration-based role-playing game, there is a grid-based battle system, where you take turns moving your characters and unleashing attacks selected from a menu. This is a lot more exciting than it sounds, as you’re allowed quite a reign of the battle grid, and the moves are quite flashy in their own charming way.
The cell-shaded graphics feel like you’re playing through a very long episode of the show. Everything has that handmade, paper cut-out feel, with the same lazy animations, like the jumping walk that adds to the South Park vibe. Exploring the superhero-town is addictive and the dialogue and interactions are well written.
Should you get it?
If you are a fan of South Park, then by all means A Fractured but Whole is right up your alley. For the uninitiated, you’ve been warned.
The writer is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day finish his sci-fi novel
