Ever since the originalModern Warfarewas introduced to the world in 2007,Call of Dutybecame a yearly juggernaut in the realm of first-person shooters and online multiplayer. Most games in the franchise, especially during the series’ “golden age” that started withCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfareand arguably ended with the firstBlack Ops, have acquired an impressive player base that helpedCall of Dutybecome one of the most financially successful video game series in the industry. Nowadays,Call of Dutygames released in the late 2000s and early 2010s tend to be even more beloved by fans than ever.
Reasons for this can vary, but the fact that both thefirstModern WarfareandModern Warfare 2were remastered is a testament to these games’ popularity. However, one game from that era is an outlier:Call of Duty: World at War. In discussions surrounded around the series, this particular installment is not mentioned as often as its contemporaries. This can make its popularity among modernCall of Dutyfans more ambiguous than it needs to be, especially when it comes to how big the current online player base is, if there is still such a thing.
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Relieving News for World at War Fans
Despite not being as brought up asModern WarfareorBlack Ops,World at Waris still played to this day on both PC and consoles, and even more recentCall of Dutygames likeVanguardremind people of its existence by bringing back certain maps. While the player base is obviously small, there are still hundreds of people that still stick around for a game that will turn 15 in a couple of years from now. The servers are still up andWorld at Warhas yet to have gotten a remastered version that renders the original game obsolete. So it isn’t surprising that a dedicated portion ofCall of Dutyfans will use whatever opportunities they might have to play a game that is getting older and becoming more of a relic of its time.
The first twoModern Warfaregames are often lauded for the innovations they brought to theCall of Dutyfranchise, and first-person shooters as a whole. However,World at Waris arguably just as important, with its campaign being one of the reasons whyCall of Dutygames were always about war, but the older games from the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era were specifically about actual historical events, most notably World War 2. In a way,World at WarremindsCall of Dutyof its roots. This return to World War II ended up influencing the game’s successors.Call of Duty: Warzone, for example, introduced a mode named after theSoviet Union’s infamous gulags.
For every time thatWorld at War’s campaign and its influence on subsequent games are neglected in generalCall of Duty-related discussions, there is always a lack of doubt regarding how equally, if not more influential its multiplayer was. Like most games in the series,World at Warshined through its multiplayer to most people. Not only wasWorld at War’s roster of maps splendid, but it introduced a now-iconic part ofCall of Dutygames: Nazi Zombies. In a way, it was a precursor to theBlack Opssubseries, which in turn normalized the presence of Zombies modes inCall of Duty.
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Bringing a Mode to Life with the Undead
As a mode, Nazi Zombies simultaneously brought new life intoCall of Dutyand followedWorld at War’s campaign’s footsteps and added a World War 2 motif, reminding the series and its fans of how it all started. Zombies is part of the expected full package ofBlack Opsgamesto this day. Thanks to this mode,Call of Dutygot new iconic characters, managed to get actors such as Steve Blum, Robert Englund, and Sarah Michelle Gellar on board, and added even more replay value. These are probably the reasons whyWorld at Waris being played to this day. Its contributions to Call of Duty were important, and to this day, these features remain appealing, even after the novelty wore off.
Another possible explanation forWorld at War’s impressive lifespan is howCall of Dutyhas changed in the past decade despite a reputation of releasing the same kind of game every year. Although titles likeCold Warremind people that this series is still willing to create stories that took place during real historical events, other games, such asAdvanced Warfare,Ghosts, and theBlack Opssequels, show symptoms of deviation from whatCall of Dutyoriginally was. The once relatively grounded war games became futuristic escapades. These creative decisions never made people collectively abandon the franchise, but back whenCall of Dutywas at its peak, the most absurd thing players could experience was slaughtering the living dead that originated from deceased Nazis.
Most importantly, people probably still playWorld at Warto avoid feeling alienated from the series they keep supporting. Even if modernCall of Dutygames likeVanguardhave Zombies, that does not mean they live up to the expectations set by games made more than a decade ago.World at War’s online functionality is still alive because it is more simplistic, and thus, less overwhelming. The player base is becoming smaller every day, and Activision enjoys reminding players of modernCall of Dutygames ofWorld at War’s existence. However, with pointing out major flaws in modern Zombies, hackers, and other general lurking issues in online communities, olderCall of Dutygames,World at Warincluded, are looking more appealing, no matter how insular the servers are today.
Call of Duty: World at Waris available on PC, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.
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