Intro/ Full Review:
Since its first release in 2003, the Call of Duty series has put Activision back on the map as one of the head runners in the game industry. Providing some of the best of the very large list of WWII shooters, the series was growing a little stale with its third release made by Treyarch until original creators Infinity Ward brought the series back by introducing a Modern War setting and providing easily one of the best FPS experiences of all time, ecspecially online. Well when we all heard a year ago Treyarch was doing the sequel and going back to WWII we all pretty much wrote this game off as another mediocre Call of Duty title, well I'm proud and shocked to say that most of us were all very very wrong, though it is very similar to the previous CoD title. In fact, Call of Duty: World At War just might be a a WWII update of Call of Duty 4 and because of that im not going to use my regular Review format.
Anyways, ill start with the single player. Treyarchs singleplayer is probably one of the least satisfying aspect of past COD games theyve worked on. They tend to throw in a lot of montages and use cheap movie mechanics, though the cheap Hollywood mechanics are here, they have a very big sense of realism here and the montage piling fiasco is pretty much gone. Im proud to say that, COD: WaW will offer one of the best single player experiences in a COD yet. From the visuals right down to the sound everything here is an improvement, Keifer Sutherland and Gary Oldman lend their voices to add furthermore to the hollywood appeal.
However the core game is very similar to the previous especially the multiplayer. The layout, the lobby system, everything is practicly the same except Treyarch actually improved the UI, though not much but enough to make it better and not take away from what made the first game so good. Small inclusions like the old WWII rank badges and a constant ticker showing how many people are online at all times are great too. However, the two best things about WaW is the most surprising, how amazingly well made the maps are and how at home the old WWII guns feel and work on the COD4 engine. They really feel like they should have been here in the first place. Bolt Action Rifles, slow early stage Full and Semi Automatic Rifles, and the big heavy Machine guns all feel like COD4 was actually a Modern day MOD of this game. And last but not least, the most surprising thing about this game is how well the Vehicles work in the Multiplayer, they really add a whole new depth of teamplay and are not cheap in the least bit. Treyarchs War mode from COD3 is back it has never been as fun and has felt at home as it does here.
Overall COD:WaW is really a step up from COD4. Sure it is basically COD4 in WWII, but its very very well done improvement from the visuals right down to the map design. and even though there is 12 or so WWII games on the market, this is by far the best one ever made or at least one of them (sorry for almost forgetting you Battlefield 1942) . I ALMOST FORGOT, the Co-Op campaign and Nazi Zombies, which are both fantastic. Im sad to say that this game really gives Resistance 2 a run for its money. If you like COD4 even slightly more than R2 than this is the better buy, but Skirmish mode and Resistance 2s 8 player Co-Op and its over the top BIG single player Campaign is still worth buy.
Ah Holiday season 2008, how hard you are making it for us to live during this rough time for a country by releasing so many good AAA titles.
Anyways this game is easily a 9.8/10
