Gameplay:
Treyarch brings us back into World War II in the latest of the Call Of Duty series, World at War. You begin campaign mode as a captured U.S. Marine in a Japanese camp getting broken out by Marine raiders and the action continues to heat up from there. The campaign keeps itself fresh by switching between the Marines in the Pacific and the Russians pushing into Nazi Germany, ensuring you get a large variety of landscapes to blow up and missions to complete. Destroying tanks with bazookas, engaging in a sniper on sniper fight ala enemy at the gates, and assassinating a high value German general are just a few of the many missions you will accomplish. The cutscenes are very detailed and the real life World War II footage between missions further immerses you into the story.
The ESRB rated World at War Mature 17+ because it is not for the faint of heart. Limbs routinely get blown off by grenades and machine gun fire. You will experience executions and other war crimes that were committed.
Just like the previous editions of Call of Duty, the multiplayer is where World at War truly shines. The maps are larger and generally more open than Call of Duty 4's were, however there are a number of close quarters urban levels as well. All of the previous multiplayer modes return, team deathmatch, free for all, headquarters, search and destroy, sabotage, capture the flag, and more. The action is fast and intense and will cause you to have a death grip on your controller for hours on end.
Controls:
The Xbox 360 controller is perfect for a shooter, and doesn't disappoint. If you are familiar with the controls from the previous Call of Duty games then you will feel right at home with World at War. You will be crouching behind cover, sprinting away from an incoming grenade and jumping over low walls in no time at all. The controls are responsive and allow you to quickly maneuver throughout the levels with ease.
Graphics:
World at War's engine is borrowed from Call of Duty 4 so you can expect a high level of graphical detail and realism. While the graphics are not the best to offer on the 360, they are still very strong.
Sound:
Treyarch made it a point to make the sound in World at War above the rest. The explosions from grenades and the sound of gunfire are superb, all the way down to the satisfying ping from a grenade's expended clip. But Treyarch didn't stop their, they hired none other than Kiefer Sutherland to voice a major character in the game, Sgt. Roebuck. There is NOTHING better than winning a hard fought match to be congratulated by Kiefer saying "Out f**king standing Marines! We kicked @ss!" They also hired Gary Oldman to voice Sgt. Reznov in the Russian missions. Treyarch deciding to hire big name Hollywood talent really shows that they wanted to make World at War the example for everyone else to follow.
Replay Value:
The single player campaign takes a little over 2 hours to beat on the easiest setting, while on the veteran difficulty can take days. While the story is excellent and the dramatic turn in the final seconds of the game is unbelievable, its really only worth playing once or twice. If you sign onto Xbox live you can play the campaign with up to 3 other players via co-op which shoots a little bit of life into the campaign. The Nazi zombies mini-game is a fun little distraction.
The true replay value however comes from multiplayer ranked matches. Leveling up online while unlocking new weapons and challenges is very satisfying. Once you reach level 65 you have the option to enter Prestige mode, which resets your level to 1 and erases all your challenges but keeps your leaderboard rankings and gives you a new rank icon. This keeps multiplayer fun and exciting because you are always trying to level up to reach the final 10th prestige.
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Rating:
Story: 8.5
Gameplay: 9.0
Graphics: 9.0
Controls: 9.5
Sound: 10
Replay value: 9.5
Overall: 9.2
Own, Rent, Avoid:
Own: The co-op campaign is a great night of fun with some buddies, pizza, and beer.
Leveling up and gaining prestige in multiplayer will keep you coming back for months.
Last Thoughts:
The competitive online experience of World at War is second to none. Treyarch does the COD series proud with this engaging title. You can't go wrong by purchasing this game.
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Written By
Cory Groomer
2/28/2009
