Something that’s been stated on this little slice of the web is that World War II games are so over-done, at this point it’s an unimaginative and even boring situation for any game, as insensitive and detached as that may sound. After all of the other games that so many other developers have made, and all of the history classes you’ve taken from 6th grade on, there’s not a lot extra to be told. So as you can probably tell, Call of Duty: World At War has been low on my list. The graphics in the cutscenes are eye catching and suitable, but the cutscenes themselves are just old war time footage with text superimposed. It’s pretty much another history lesson, which doesn’t bother me, but after all you’re playing a video game. I think most people would want stunning animations over 65 year old film, unless you’re a real war buff.
Just like the other games in the series, you’re put in the shoes of two different soldiers. One being an American they call Miller, the other being a Russian named Dimitri, but don’t even get me started on that lack of creativity. The controls are the exact same as Call of Duty 4, too, so nothing new there either. The stories both pan out in interesting directions, but again, nothing overly unique. At a point in the game, with each character, you’re actually captured by the enemy, seconds away from facing torture or death, when your troops bust in and save you. The first time/beginning of the game is pretty intense, but using the same plot device multiple times pretty much just ruins it. Did no one on the staff even realize they used the same scenario twice? Cause I sure as hell felt ripped off, and just in the short time writing this, I realized how much more fun an escape situation would be.
The Americans are fighting the Japanese on a series of islands around Midway. Although this is a pretty sweet atmosphere to fight in, it’s just about impossible to see enemies sometimes. This brings me to some added elements: more violence, ambushes, and fire. The ambushes are probably the most exciting thing about campaign. Hiding in grass, holes, bushes, and trees, the Japanese will come flying at you with bayonets, and you’ll be lucky if you don’t end up with a hole in the heart. Fire is the solution to that dilemma, arming you with a flamethrower for two missions and Molotov Cocktails for about the whole game. The enemies catch pretty quick and spend time flailing on fire till their death. Adding blown off limbs, about double the blood, and a generous helping of cussing helps this game deserve its M rating.
Of fucking course I do realize that not everyone is looking for Oscar winning, creative, unique stories. Although, I think, it’s much harder to want to play through a game when I know the ending. What this game will give you is a graphic, intense, violent, gritty recreation of the hell that I’m sure is war. On top of it all, the battles are fierce and equal to any others in the series, and the troops seem to come in much larger sizes, making for much more challenging battles. I found Call of Duty: World At War just to be a series of battles and advancing, but such is war. If everything I’ve complained about doesn’t bother you, then congratulations, you like World War II games. Being the latest game to cover the topic, it performs extremely well all around; great graphics, sound, and gameplay. Throw that in with online multiplayer that I’m told is pretty good, and you’ve got a pretty good game, just not one that I’m quite into.
Completing the game unlocks the only tolerable offline part of the game: Nazi Zombie mode. Also the most creative part of the game, this mode is wave and point based, just like Horde mode of Gears of War 2. But the similarites end there; you can only play on one map – an abandoned building, somewhere very foggy. The zombies will keep trying to get into windows but boards are blocking them, but they can knock them down and you can put them back up. Manage to do that, and you’ll be okay. But from what I’ve heard the waves are endless, and this is one place single-player won’t cut it. As for the added co-op campaign gameplay, which many people were excited about, I think it’s the worst part of the game, as they’ve opted for two separate square screens instead of a vertical or horizontal split screen, making details, let alone enemies hard to see, and that’s on a fifty inch screen. I’m sure the co-op gameplay is great on Live though, with separate screens, you’ll want to stick to it.
Back on track, Nazi Zombie mode isn’t a savior, but it’s refreshing during a game that reeks of staleness. They added a much needed third mode to the Call of Duty series with it, something I hope they move forward with and keep doing. Treyarch makes an honest attempt to develop in a post-COD4 world, but it’s not enough, and I’m in no hurry what-so-ever to play campaign ever again, and not even the achievements change my mind. It’s for hardcore war game fans, and about nothing else. If that describes you, then have fun on the front lines.
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