Is there a WW2 Open-World Game?
Fans of World War II-inspired video games have been scouring the internet for ages to find the perfect, open-world experience. However, the answer to whether there is a WW2 open-world game has taken on a life of its own. In this article, we’ll delve deep into the world of PC and console gaming to seek the truth.
DIRECT ANSWER: YES, there are WW2-themed open-world games available across various platforms. In reality, the answer is no if you focus on the most popular First-Person Shooter (FPS) franchises Call of Duty. Unfortunately, none of them has an open-world layout for their WW2 title.
BUT wait, there are alternatives; the gaming community has its eyes on The Saboteur, an arcade-action game set in Italy, France, and Portugal during World War II.
Here’s a brief intro:
- The Saboteur is action-adventure game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts (EA), released in 2009 for PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Microsoft Xbox 360 (XB360).
- An open-world game isn’t the primary focus on The Saboteur, but it uses the open-world concept partially to create an immersive storytelling experience.
What made The Saboteur stand out?: Some notable features include open-world exploration, stealth-espionage gameplay, vehicles, and a unique black-and-white color scheme dependent on the player’s Allies or Romans allegiances at a given time.
Fast forward to the present (2021), none of the WW2-stamped games have achieved official, open-world status according to the developers or publishers. The closest contender, another notable mention, is :
Soldiers:Heroes of World War 2: This game is one of the few titles known to offer a WW2-based open-world experience! But, it’s set to release in the fourth quarter of 2021, so we’ll have to keep an eye out or revisit this topic in later revisions.
What Other Games Are Worth Mention?: Here are a handful of notable WW2-sorted games that have attracted gamers worldwide:
- WWIIONLINE (online server), a multiplayer-focused free-to-play game, which in our opinion, isn’t exclusively an open-world venture. However, it should be mentioned as it is a multiplayer offering and has a strong dedication from its community.
For further information, refer to official articles and reviews from recognized sources like Gotta Gamers, USNews, and Ars Technica.
Additionally, Call of Duty: WWII is highlighted due to its CoOp gameplay, which, indeed, has a Nazi Zombies mode providing limited open-world experiences from 2-player local cooperative play to full multiplayer.
Can you still play WW2 Online?: As described, WWIIONLINE is a well-maintained online Multiplayer game, but the experience you’re looking for a World War II-themed adventure or open-world experience
Lastly, How can we summarize this information accurately? In a broader perspective, the gaming WW2 open-world dilemma is still an incomplete aspect of the gaming scenario for the time being.
| Game | Release Date/ Platform | Format/Genre | | Open-World or Not |
|—————————————–|——-|—————-| ———
| The Saboteur | 2009/ Console | Action-AD/PS3/XBX | | (Partial) |
| Soldiers: Heroes of World War 2 | 20.21/PC/Linux | RTS/1.5D 8 | | OPEN-WORLD (forthoming)
| WWIONLINE | Always-on/PC/Console/| Free-to-Play/mul | – | Multiplayer with ZombiesMode (CoOp)
Final thoughts: Although various WW2-themed first-person shooters (the more popular ones) were not open-word by design, partial open-world experiences 1.5D-realms, and online mul |