Activision’s Call of Duty franchise
has long represented some of the finest shooters that the FPS genre has to
offer. Transplanting players into different soldiers throughout WWII and beyond,
the series has offered intense situations and accessible controls to make it one
of the most critically and commercially successful shooter franchises around.
Last year’s Call of Duty 4 was the best received entry, bringing the series from
World War II into a modern setting and bringing the gameplay to a whole new
level.
Developed by Treyarch, the crew
behind the third Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: World at War is the fifth
entry to the series proper. The game takes a step back, taking the series out of
modern times and back to World War II. World at War uses the Call of Duty 4
engine to great effect, featuring the same great graphical effects as its
predecessor and some intense WWII action battles and situations. While the game
lacks some of the flair of its predecessor and retreads some old ground, it
offers up some great new features, including an online co-op mode, making it
worth a look from fans of the series or of shooters in general.
As in other Call of Duty games,
World at War puts you in control of more than one soldier at different times,
this time as a Russian soldier in Stalingrad and during the fall of Berlin, and
as an American soldier fighting in the Pacific front. The game will switch
between the two at different points, with a cut scene describing the next
sequence and setting the stage.
One of the most apparent differences
that the game has from the rest of the Call of Duty franchise is its very mature
atmosphere. The game is bloodier than the rest of the series, with the
firefights taking a much gorier turn than the rest of the franchise. Blood will
frequently spurt out of bodies when shot and you’ll be able to dismember your
enemies if you hit them straight on with a weapon like a shotgun or from even
from a distance with a sniper rifle. The whole atmosphere forgoes the standard
heroic movie-like vibe of previous WWII shooters in favor of a darker feel, with
suspenseful situations and bloodier firefights throughout.
World at War brings some great new
weapons to the game, including double-barreled shotguns and the flamethrower.
The flamethrower is the most important weapon addition in the game, since it
factors in to several missions within the game. You’ll be able to take down
several enemies at once using it, as well burn snipers out of trees and other
pretty gruesome, but nonetheless satisfying things.
The main problem with Call of Duty:
World at War is the sense of familiarity that gamers are likely to have with it.
The game walks a very familiar line, with many of the situations within the
campaign having been done in other games. While there are a few standout
missions, like the plane gunner mission, a lot of what’s here has a distinct
“been there, done that” feeling to it.
One element that does add something
new to the Call of Duty table is the co-op feature. Players are able to get into
four-player co-op stages from the single-player campaign. While some of the
missions like the Stalingrad sniper mission or the gunner mission over the
Pacific can’t be played cooperatively, the rest of the campaign, including the
more intense missions like the assault on Shinto Castle can be played with three
other players.
Aside from the co-op feature, the
competitive online features aren’t too shabby either. There are the standard
mainstays like Free for All, Capture the Flag, and so on, as well as a new take
on the spawnpoint capture idea, in the new War mode. In War, instead of
scrambling for spawnpoints, you are given one at a time that you must capture,
while your enemies will also be vying for the same spot on the map, making the
firefights a lot more focused and intense.
Graphically, World at War benefits
from the Call of Duty 4 engine, and features some great character models and
some really cool looking environments. There are some problems in the PS3
version, including some murky textures in places as well as some bouts of
framerate slowdown.
Soundwise, the game sounds very
good. The sound effects are great, in line with the rest of the franchise. The
voice work features Kiefer Sutherland on the American campaign as your
commanding officer, and Gary Oldman as your Russian commander, each lending
their own grizzled personalities to the roles and sounding quite good. The music
also works well for the most part, although the occasional Meshuggah-esque
guitar riff takes away from the game’s setting.
Call of Duty: World at War is a
solid entry to the franchise that adds some nice elements, like co-op, to the
mix. Unfortunately, some of it feels like old-hat at this point, and the return
to World War II feels a bit tired, especially right on the heels of last year’s
great addition to the franchise.
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Gameplay: 8.5
Call of Duty: World at War plays very well, utilizing the series’ tried and
true control scheme and providing some action-packed moments. The new weapons
are also pretty awesome, especially the well-implemented flamethrower segments.
However, there is a distinct sense that the game retreads familiar territory.
Graphics: 8.5
The game uses the Call of Duty 4 engine to great effect, with some highly
detailed and expressive character models and great looking environments and
lighting effects. The PS3 version does have a few framerate hiccups here and
there when the action gets hairy.
Sound: 8.5
The sound effects are top tier, as in the rest of the series. The voice work
is very well done, featuring Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman as your American
and Russian C.O.s, respectively. The music sounds good for the most part, but
the occasional chuggy metal guitars feel anachronistically out of place.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
While the more mature take is a nice departure for the series, going back to
World War II feels too familiar.
Multiplayer: 9.0
The online features, especially the new co-op mode and the competitive War
mode, are very nicely done and well implemented.
Overall: 8.5
Call of Duty: World at War is a solid entry to the franchise, offering some
pretty intense gameplay and nice new online features. However, the return to
WWII means that it feels like a game you’ve played before.
