When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was announced many people were skeptical of how the translation to modern-day warfare would affect the game. Thankfully many gamers shared the same opinion that it felt good to get finally get out of World War II and play in a different time frame. Gamers were eager to find out where the next game in the series would take them, and it proved to be back in the 1940’s with a World War II setting once again.
Call of Duty: World at War takes place on two different fronts. The first being the American soldiers against the Japanese in the Pacific (a first for the series) and the other being the Russian’s against Hitler’s War Machine. The Russian missions start off at Stalingrad and end up at the Fall of Berlin. These missions feel pretty much the same as previous World War II games, due to the setting, but the American missions are really where this game shines.
One of the best things about this game is the theater of war for the American campaigns: The Pacific. Other games have done a decent job of showing the Pacific War, but World at War really brings this setting to life. There are many horrifying stories of how the Japanese soldiers pretended to be dead, with bodies and their guns laying about, until the marines walked by. They suddenly spring to life in a huge surprise attack and slaughter most of the marines. The same thing happens in this game; at times players will come across an entire field littered with soldiers and weapons. When players get near to this the
Japanese all spring to life and a huge firefight ensues. This keeps the players on the edge the entire time during the game.
Needless to say the AI in this game is great, and will keep players guessing and where they will attack next. Again the main focus for the improved AI upgrade is seen in the Pacific missions against the Japanese, because of the setting and the fighting styles used. It was earlier mentioned on how the Japanese AI in this game like to setup ambushes by pretending to be dead, but that is only the half of it. They are experts at camouflage, so they will be hiding in trees, tall grass, and other places. When going through the jungle, players will have to remain on constant alert because the Japanese soldiers can (and will) literally attack players from every angle and have players jumping out of their seats completely unaware by the kamikaze attitude of the Japanese soldiers’ AI.
Fighting in the snow.
After players finish the single-player modes, they will dedicate a lot of time (maybe even too much time) with the multiplayer options that World at War has to offer. Since this game uses the same engine as Modern Warfare, players will be able to experience the same multiplayer modes as the previous game. Players can participate in mode such as death match, free-for-all, sabotage, capture the flag, and many more. Needless to say there will be a lot of different modes to keep gamers active for many months to come.
This means that the XP and the perks are back once more in full force. If you are unfamiliar with this here is a short explanation: When players load the game for the first time they are able to only choose from a few default classes such as rifleman and heavy gunner. As gamers continue to play online matches they will gain experience that levels the character up. After reaching a certain level players will be allowed to create their own class with default perks and weapons. Leveling up also allows players to obtain various perks, or abilities, various new weapons, and other upgrades to apply to their customized classes. For instance at certain levels players can get a gas mask, ability to revive downed allies, and even
a flame thrower! Not only that but these perks also apply to vehicles as well, some allow players to drive faster and even rotate the turret on vehicles. The game has a very good mantra that states the more a gamer plays this game the better the rewards are.
What players will really enjoy with this game is the new co-op options. For the first time in a Call of Duty game, players will be able to play with up to four players (only on Xbox
LIVE; two gamers can split screen on a single console) the single-player missions. This makes the game loads more fun for everyone involved, as players feel what it is like to work with a group of people. If one person makes a stupid mistake the whole group suffers, yet if they work together they can accomplish any goal they have their minds set upon. They can also revive each other while in battle so they can continue to press on to defeat their enemies.
Pure destruction
The new reward system for World at War is better implemented than in the Modern Warfare. When players get three kills in a row, it activates a recon plane which allows players to view exactly where their enemies are hiding. Five kills in a row will activate an artillery strike that will devastate the opposing team. Seven in a row activates a personal favorite, and also most annoying: attack dogs. A pack of dogs will be let loose and find every enemy in the surrounding area, they will tear enemy’s throats to shreds. The best/worst (depending on what side of the dogs players are on) is that they are extremely hard to kill.
One game mode that deserves its own mention is Nazi Zombies. In this mode up to four players are inside a bunker and they have to make their last stand against an onslaught of zombies trying to get in. The zombies will come in from every direction: door, windows, and other places. The goal is to see how long players can try to stay alive against them, because eventually the zombies will overtake the players. This is a great distraction from the main game as it adds a lot of humor and tense multiplayer moments.
One thing that fans of this game will love to fool around with is the flame thrower (both in single and multiplayer modes). When players have this weapon, they become a walking flame tank, setting the off the deadly flames of fire to anything it touches. This is especially effective in the jungle as it flushes out enemies hiding. While this is a fun weapon of pure destruction, it also has two major disadvantages. The first being that players will be much slower walking around, and the second being they are a huge walking bomb. If someone fires a bullet and it hits the fuel tank, the players become one big piece of BBQ. Even with these two major shortcomings, this is an extremely fun weapon to have in players’ hands.
Meet the power of the flamethrower! MWHAHAHA
Using the Modern Warfare graphics engine, Treyarch has really bought new life to World War II. This game is oozing with eye-popping visuals
at every turn. The character models are chopped full of details from the tears on their uniforms
to their facial expressions. The best showcase for the graphics engine is when players use the flame thrower. It is a wondrous thing to behold the various fields being burned down and even snipers being burnt out on the trees they were hiding in. Players will be amazed by the devastation and the representation of the devastation that this weapon does.
The new theater of war also plays a huge part in the graphics engine. The developers did a great job of making players believe that they are deep within the jungles of
the Pacific islands or the war-torn streets of Stalingrad. Every direction the developers took with the graphics engine really works, from the character models, locations, and even the special effects. What makes all of this even better is the silky smooth framerate this game constantly has, even while playing online.
Treyarch spared no expense in getting voice actors for this game. On the American side they got Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman
does the voice work for the Russians. Both actors poured their heart into this
project and it is made evident the every time they utter a line. Many gamers
hate accents that are done half-hearted as it ruins the experience, but Oldman does a wonderful job with his Russian accent and it makes the game become more alive because of it. The sound effects are very authentic and are what players except to hear out of games of this high caliber.
Call of Duty: World at War is rated mature.
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Gameplay: 8.9
Just as in previous games in this series, the gameplay is perfect and what gamers expect. There is a nice mix of action and intense moments that will leave you grabbing the controller
so hard you will think it will break. Even using the various vehicles in multiplayer is a breeze.
Graphics: 9.0
Using the Call of Duty 4 engine has really brought new life to World War II. The realistic animations of the enemy characters are great. Best of all, the framerate is extremely smooth so it all adds up to a great gameplay.
Sound: 8.9
The voice work is exceptional! Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman do a great job on conveying the necessary emotions for their respective parts. The sound effects are pretty much what players expect from games of this caliber. The music is decent, but nothing special.
Difficulty: Medium
Like all first-person shooter games, World at War allows players to change up the difficulty to suit their own skill level. Overall this game does provide some challenging moments, even for the most experienced gamers.
Concept: 8.1
While many players are sick of the WWII theme, this game offers a few new features that compensate for this. One of the best things is the new co-op mode, where two people on the same console or four online can play the single-player
campaign, which gives this game a new sense of freshness that is greatly appreciated.
Multiplayer: 9.3
The addictive XP and perk system has made its way to the World War II and many will love it. This simple-yet-effective system is what has made COD4 a multiplayer smash that has even bested Halo 3 many times in its popularity. Players will also enjoy the co-op multiplayer options in this game as well.
Overall: 9.0
I was extremely skeptical of Call of Duty: World at War as I didn’t think that the series could go back to the World War II setting and come out with a strong game. I was proven wrong, as this is a great game that will carry the Call of Duty brand over to the next game. There is a lot to keep players busy for quite some time, and it will be time well spent.
