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Most people aren’t likely to be newcomers to the Call of Duty series – they know what to expect. But for those who are new, here’s a brief recap: It’s highly fast, cinematic and polished gameplay with dazzling visuals, intelligent enemies, realistic settings, arcade gameplay, and excellent map design. The Call of Duty series has long been the on the cutting edge of FPS games, only getting better and better with time. However, World At War is not a breath of fresh air. It’s more of the same – albeit, it’s a very good “same.” But it’s still the same.
[singlepic=82,115,100,,left]Taking off where Call of Duty 4 left, World At War traverses back to World War 2. It is a much better game than Call of Duty 3 (the last WWII game in the Call of Duty series) in every regard, and it really captures the atmosphere and intensity of the war. The voice acting helps set this tone, with the help of Jack Bauer actor Kiefer Sutherland himself leading the US forces to victory. In the Russian campaign, Gary Oldman lends his voice to mentor and officer.
The campaign, as any Call of Duty game, is fun and fast paced. It’s also incredibly on rails – there’s only one exact way to complete every mission. That doesn’t detract from it’s level design or fun factor. It’s a blast to play through – finding flamethrowers, rushing positions to bayonet them, riding on tanks, Molotov cocktails, sniping. it’s all there. The real fruit is at the end though, as you unlock the Zombie survival mode, which is a huge blast.
[singlepic=83,115,100,,left]In terms of replay you can play the game on your own, cooperatively (by yourself or online), play the zombie mode by yourself or with up to 3 other friends, or the multiplayer. The multiplayer setup is exactly like Call of Duty 4, with the addition of more perks, ranks, unlocks, weapons, and such. It’s definitely got a more polished feel to it, and that urgent need to level up to get that “next cool thing” is still there.
My complaint is that it’s just too similar, to formulaic, too much of the same exact thing over and over again. As much fun as busting out the flamethrower in the campaign was, I really felt like I’d done this all before in previous Call of Duty games. Don’t get me wrong, I love the formula, but it definitely lacks the freshness found in Call of Duty 4. Repetition can really kill a game for me.
[singlepic=84,115,100,,left]That being said, it’s Call of Duty, and I love Call of Duty. And the Call of Duty sets a high bar – it has excellent level design, fun weapons that handle legitimately, great sound effects and music, and truly next generation graphics. It lives up to that level of polish you expect to see in a top tier shooter, and the game keeps you constantly entertained and wanting more.
It’s still got all the magic found from the earlier games, the developers have carried the formula well. But it’s nothing you haven’t seen already, and it doesn’t break any boundaries. The good news is it’s not trying to break boundaries, it’s trying to give you some more of that good ole Call of Duty action that so many people have come to love. And it achieves that perfectly.
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