Call Of Duty: WWII The Resistance DLC – PS4 | Review

In the first extensive DLC release of Sledgehammer Game’s Call Of Duty: WWII, the developers spoil us with three new multiplayer maps (including a remake of a classic map from a previous successful COD instalment), a new class division to utilise in said maps, a brand new chapter in the Nazi Zombies mode and a new War Mode map for players to enjoy the more narrative-driven game mode on. (Read our full review of Call Of Duty: WWII here.)

After rotating through The Resistance Mosh Pit playlist that allows you to cycle through the new maps in an assortment of game modes, I swiftly got a feel for the three newly introduced multiplayer additions. Occupation was perhaps the map out of the three that I warmed to most, of course this was primarily due to the fond sense of familiarity it greeted me with. Yes, Occupation is a remake of Modern Warfare 3 map Resistance – coincidence? I think not. Occupation is a relatively versatile map in which players battle their way through the German-riddled streets of Paris. Although Occupation is centred around the mid-range shoot off opportunities it provides for players as they weave in and out of shop doorways draped with German war flags for cover, encircling the map are narrow streets and stairways that provide a more linear approach and clear line of sight, allowing for more long-ranged weapons to be used. Furthermore, the outskirts of the map are also littered with an array of fancy cars and jeeps, news stands and decorative foliage, offering substantial cover for flanking in more objective-based game modes. This also allows you to avoid the general ruckus that tends to occur in the centre of the map, more specifically in a single building where you can almost guarantee there’s someone lurking ready to utilise their more close-combat orientated classes. Of course in my case, I found myself repeatedly falling victim to a stray grenade that rolled in front of me nearly every time I set foot inside said building. Regardless, it was almost heart-warming to see this map being negotiated in more or less the exact same way as it did back in 2011 in MW3.

 

 

The second multiplayer map of The Resistance DLC is Anthropoid which is set in a wintery WWII rendition of Prague. The map is clearly defined into three long lines and is most definitely a more favourable map for those possessing refined sniping abilities. Ample cover is sprinkled throughout the two outside lines where you’ll undoubtedly find snipers battling away amongst themselves. Thanks to the cover provided, any flanking attempts to the enemy objective become delightfully smoother in modes like Domination. As snipers try to outdo each other on the flanks, trigger happy Infantry Division players can be found cowering behind cover spraying heedlessly at each other in the middle of the map. This shoot-out occurs on either side of the river that runs like a vein through the centre of Anthropoid. Although the map is defined into three separate lines, sometimes cover doesn’t feel plentiful enough to avoid rogue sniper shots that pick you off as you’re charging in from your spawn with a heated vendetta from the last sniper that ended you. Anthropoid is an enjoyable map nonetheless.

 

 

The final and smallest of the multiplayer maps in the DLC pack is Valkyrie, a map inspired by The Wolf’s Lair (Hitler’s Eastern-front HQ during the Nazi invasion of Soviet Russia) situated in Poland. This map features a much less defined structure than the other maps and is instead a maze of intertwining bunker corridors that open up to overwatch points that allow focus fire on the centre lane of the map. Valkyrie drives fast-paced gameplay and in doing so, yields impeccable opportunities to dig into the new Resistance Division class. This also makes it perfect for game modes like Free-For-All and Kill Confirmed where you can secure multi-kills as the opposition pile into the slender walkways that dominate the map. Negotiating tight corridors is much more forgiving with the Resistance Division buffs that grant you the ability to scramble enemy mini-maps and subsequently mask your approach. However, it’s wise not to linger in the more confined parts of the map, on numerous occasions I had my killstreak brought to an abrupt end by a well-timed grenade that was tossed through a set of bunker doors.

 

 

Intercept is the newest map addition to WWII’s wonderfully enjoyable War Mode. In Operation Intercept The Resistance must push the Nazi’s back, free the captive Resistance fighters, destroy the Nazi communications equipment and finally push up alongside a friendly tank in an attempt to halt their retreat. I felt this particular War Mode Operation was quite heavily favoured towards the Allies that could pick up multi-kills effortlessly as they are almost immediately able to force the Axis alliance into a corner. It’s very easy to dominate the streets as the Allies that have far more room to manoeuvre and organise their approach. At times it almost becomes a battle of random grenade throws through the windows of the half-destroyed buildings. It felt as if any hope of fighting back as Axis was ignited upon being pushed back to the very last point of retreat at the train itself. Here building up a bipodded LMG had me picking off a good few enemies emerging from the sandbags as they attempted to push in alongside the tank they were escorting. Intercept merely reuses some of the same objectives from the existing war modes as opposed to bringing anything new as such. Although an otherwise terrific addition to playable modes in the Call Of Duty franchise as a whole, I think I just expected a lot more from the War Mode DLC . Regardless, I’ll be crossing my fingers for a more expansive War Mode map in upcoming DLC packs.

 

 

The battle against waves of the undead endures in The Darkest Shore – the newest chapter to the Nazi Zombies game mode. Wave one commences on a beach in which hordes of zombies begin sloshing through crimson waves that crash against a shore ridden with fish carcasses. After spending a few rounds on the beach to accumulate points to bypass doors, our party began it’s ascent through the dark corridors and broken stone stairways that paved the way from door to door. The island possess a very cult feel and isn’t shy about showing it. Mutilated corpses decorate the pathways you progress down. It provoked a painfully unsettling atmosphere which peaked as I stumbled across a bloody body dangling upside down from a stone archway by chains. Navigating the island (which vaguely reminds me of Kong’s Island) is no simple task and if you aren’t playing with mics, losing your team mates results in outright panic as you scour your grotesque surroundings hopelessly for their white character outlines. This of course is made to be an even more bitter experience the island’s fog rolls in, a weather dynamic that makes seeing advancing zombies intensely difficult and the outlines of fellow players even more so. Of course, this dynamic in cohort with the new spider zombie is something of nightmares, I’ll tell you that.  Fortunately, I felt much more confident ploughing through the onslaught of staggering, rotting corpses once I’d got my hands on the new and very deadly Ripsaw weapon. The Darkest Shore unfortunately features much more cryptic puzzles. This definitely made my first few playthroughs relatively difficult as I tried my best to support my team that attempted to solve them without me. It took a while, but eventually I caught on. However, it goes without saying for pretty much every zombie map in the Call Of Duty franchise to date, everything becomes a lot easier and far less daunting after a few playthroughs.

 

 

The Resistance DLC is a brilliant way to kick start the DLC releases for Call Of Duty: WWII. The first DLC pack of the series brings a welcomed sense of diversity to multiplayer with maps that cover short to long range gun-play including the fast-paced, close quarter combat that’s heavily instigated in Valkyrie that gives players a chance to effectively utilise the new Resistance division class. Furthermore, a remake of a map from the MW3 tops off the new content with a hint of nostalgia. Operation Intercept reiterates the same War Mode goodness but in reusing previous objectives and not really bringing anything new to the table leaves it feeling like it could have amounted to so much more. However, as they say – you can never have too much of a good thing, right? The new zombie chapter The Darkest Shore in it’s gloriously gruesome setting will test your patience as you take on some trickier puzzles, whilst still managing to ensnare hours of your time with typical Call Of Duty Zombies vibes we’ve grown to love.

8/10

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