I quickly begin to feel that I’m watching a History channel documentary cut together by somebody with the attention span of a particularly jumpy frog: a bombing run, some sweaty guys, a church exploding, pretty run of the mill stuff. Our focus soon tightens and we’re treated to a look at some of our American buddies-in-arms before German armour blows them away.

Darkness seems a strangely vague way to say Nazis, but it does suggest far greater stakes than previous instalments.

The trailer shifts from the landings to a montage of chaos and confusion, an ominous voiceover reminding us that the Allies are “all that separates the world from darkness”. I quickly begin to feel that I’m watching a History channel documentary cut together by somebody with the attention span of a particularly jumpy frog Besides the rampant success of Battlefield 1 and an audience more than a little fatigued by the ‘near but ever so slightly distant future’ of recent Call of Duty outings means that 2017 might just be right time to return to the series’ roots. Many have accused Sledgehammer of following DICE’s lead in turning back the clock, but it seems that both developers were unaware of their competitor’s project. It’s a dramatic stride back into the Second World War, a setting untouched by the series for nearly a decade. This delightful summer holiday is quickly cut short by swelling brass and booming artillery as we realise that we aren’t in fact approaching Cleethorpes, but the beaches of Normandy. You’re immediately greeted by Roosevelt’s metallic tones and a close-up of some rather damp-looking blokes in massive bathtubs, drifting lazily towards the beach. I received quite a shock last night, browsing the trending videos on Youtube when one title immediately caught by eye: Call of Duty: WWII trailer reveal.

Call of duty boots on the ground