- Title: Call of Duty: World At War
- Publisher: Activision
- Developer: Treyarch
- ESRB Rating: “M” for Mature
- Genre: FPS
- Pros: Solid gameplay; co-op; multiplayer; great presentation
- Cons: World War II; hard not to feel COD4 deja vu
After a refreshing trip into Modern Warfare with COD4, the Call of Duty series has returned to World War II. I know, I know, you can barely contain your excitement at that news. But at least World At War showcases two campaigns in WWII that haven’t gotten nearly as much attention as other theaters in the war, so it isn’t so bad. You get a first hand look at the island hopping battles in the Pacific between the Americans and Japanese as well as the Russians’ push to drive the Nazis back into Germany from the East. The game is absolutely brutal, and even though we already know war is pure Hell, World At War really goes all out to push your emotional buttons. It is a wild ride of horror and shock and joy and happiness that is well worth the price of admission.
World At War also features co-op play through the campaign for 2 players in splitscreen or 4 players online. The campaign is somewhat on the short side, and compared to COD4 doesn’t pack nearly as many memorable moments. The co-op definitely helps make up for this, and the unlockable Nazi zombie bonus mode rounds out a pretty solid package. The full suite of multiplayer modes and options from COD4 has been carried over along with some new goodies, so if you loved COD4’s multiplayer there is a lot to like here.
Gameplay
World At War offers a nice variety of missions that include sniping and vehicle sections in addition to the more straightforward “fight from Point A to Point B” missions. The two campaigns, which you switch back and forth between as you play through the game, also have very different feels to them as well in terms of enemy behavior and environments, which helps the game feel fresh.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, Call of Duty: World At War is a great looking game. The environments are gorgeous and the characters are very detailed. Special effects for smoke and fire are outstanding, and the lighting is very impressive. The game also runs at a smooth framerate even in the midst of the most frenzied battles.The sound is very good overall with solid voice acting throughout the story as well as some of the best sound effects you’ll find in any shooter. The music is also very good, as we have come to expect from the series.
Bottom Line
