Call of Duty originally made its claim to fame way back in 2003 starting off as a World War II shooter, in an era where first-person shooters had just begun to hit their stride. Gamers eventually grew quite tired of the World War II setting, and the genre shifted gears to explore the Cold War, modern warfare, and even futuristic combat.
But eventually, the series made its long-awaited return to the second World War in 2017’s Call Duty: WWII. With the series’ first return to World War II for the first time in almost a decade, fans may be wondering where the series could go next in a follow-up to Call of Duty: WWII. Instead of seeing the Normandy Landings adapted to game format for the hundredth time, we’re sure that gamers (and historians) would rather see some of the lesser-known World War II battles adapted into the digital platform. There are still many battles that have yet to be covered in a Call of Duty game, with some just begging for interactive adaptations. Here are some of our picks for World War II battles that we would love to see the Call of Duty series tackle in the upcoming World War II title.
Operation Landcrab (The Battle of Attu)
One often forgotten battle of World War II was the Battle of Attu, an attack led by Japanese forces against Alaska. The attack was made to help protect Japan and took place across several islands in the Aleutians. The islands were occupied for nearly a year until American and Canadian forces took back the land in what is now known as Operation Landcrab. From May 11, 1943, until May 30, 1943, the battle lasted almost three weeks and ended with most Japanese soldiers dying in hand-to-hand combat after breaking through American lines in a banzai charge.
This battle has yet to be adapted for any video game and would make for a very unique conflict for a Call of Duty campaign. Among being the only land battle fought on United States soil, it was the battle fought by American and Japanese forces in snowy conditions.
Operation Gunnerside
Arguably one of the most important events of World War II, Operation Gunnerside took place on the evening of February 27, 1943, and saw nine Norwegian commandos infiltrating a German hydroelectric plant. Their mission was to destroy the water pipes at the basement of this plant to hinder Germany’s research into atomic bombs. Commandos climbed a 500-foot high cliff in the dead of night to avoid the heavily guarded entrance to the German facility. This operation was a huge success and helped to slow Germany’s research into nuclear warfare.
This operation would translate incredibly well into a Call of Duty mission, as it takes place during a single night, features an exciting and important mission, offers unique locations to explore, and even required stealth.
Battle of Castle Itter
Castle Itter, a Nazi prison for French soldiers in Austria, was home to one of the most unique battles of World War II. During the period leading up to the war, the Germans were losing badly and had begun shooting any Austrians in the region who displayed white or Austrian flags. A few members of the German SS who were against this decided to protect the town and joined forces with the local resistance, all while the French prisoners decided to take over the castle. Americans attempting a rescue wound up joining forces with the local resistance group and the few Germans assisting them and helped to protect the former French prisoners.
So for the first and only time in World War II, American and German soldiers fought alongside one another during the Battle of Castle Itter. This battle would make for a truly memorable mission in a Call of Duty game simply because gamers have never had the chance to fight alongside German soldiers in the series (outside of the Zombies mode), and Castle Itter would make for a great new map.
Overall, there are still many World War II battles that have yet to get featured in a Call of Duty game, and these are just a few that we would love to get some love in a future installment. While Call of Duty: WWII was a solid entry into the franchise, we would love to see the developers dig a bit deeper in the next installment of the long-running shooter franchise.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
–
(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)