Call of Duty: WWII Story Trailer Teases a Mercilessly Emotional Narrative

Activision just unleashed a brand new story trailer for Call of Duty: WWII, which brings the most storied war in human history vividly to life on November 3. The trailer contains never before seen gameplay footage, and teases a few of the major story beats that will drive you as you take control of Private Daniels and see the war through his eyes and the eyes of his comrades. Check out the new trailer above.

"Call of Duty: WWII tells the story of Private Ronald 'Red' Daniels, a young recruit in the U.S. First Infantry Division who experiences combat for the first time on D-Day, one of the largest amphibious assaults in history. After surviving the beaches of Normandy, Red and his squad will fight their way across Europe, engaging the enemy in iconic battle locations such as the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge, as they make their way into Germany. The journey begins on November 3."

As you can see, we have so much more to look forward to than action and gunplay. No doubt those will be a huge focus in the campaign, and no other series in the world does over-the-top cinematic action like Call of Duty does, but this time we're getting much more of a human story.

This time it's not just about shooting Nazis. Themes of human sacrifice and duty to one's country are brought relentlessly to the forefront, and players will be put into the shoes of a human being forced to become just one cog in an enormous engine of war. What is right and wrong in war, and is it more noble to think of yourself as a cog than as a human being when the greater good is at stake? What are you willing to sacrifice, and is it ethical to force your convictions upon others who feel like their humanity is worth clinging to?

Sledgehammer seems to have crafted a narrative that plays as much on our emotions as it does on our adrenaline, and that's something I can get behind. Could this end up being the Saving Private Ryan of video games? That's a lofty ambition, but so far, it looks like Call of Duty: WWII could rise up to meet it. Stay tuned for more.