(Old review – from the original HNTDAAB and stitched together from two articles) Publisher: Activision Developer: Treyarch Year of Release: 2008 Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Treyarch gets a really...

(Old review – from the original HNTDAAB and stitched together from two articles)

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Year of Release: 2008
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Treyarch gets a really bad name. Call of Duty 3 messed up their reputation gained from other console Call of Duty’s like Finest Hour, which had some of the best moments ever seen on a console. Now they are back, in World War 2 with Call of Duty: World At War.

In this entry in the series, you play as alternately a US Marine in the Pacific and a Russian Private on the Eastern front and for one mission, apping the C130 mission from CoD4, a gunner in a flying boat. The campaign is of a similar number of missions to COD4 but each mission is much shorter. Its also quite easy. I’m not the best at FPS’s but i played through the missions in around 5 hours on regular with only a few deaths. At no point did i sit there going ”how the fuck do i do this!?!”. Thats nice as I feel really clever, but it seemed really easy. Even the climatic last US mission seemed like a walk through the park.

However some of the levels are gold. The first Russian mission, creeping through the ruins of Stalingrad. The first time you get the flamethrower. The fight through the subways of Berlin. Clearing the Japanese tunnels under Peliu. Every mission, though short, seems really memorable. You’ll be sharing stories of your fights in COD5 for a long time to come.

The weapons in COD5 are brilliant. That said, the staple Thompson and Springfield don’t have the same visceral kick they had in CoD2. But some of the more obscure weapons get thrust into the limelight. The M1 gets a nice upgrade in the form of the grenade launcher or bayonet. More importantly, you can reload midclip! Finally a mainstream shooter corrects the genres biggest flaw! The Japanese weapons are quite exciting but the rifle sounds horrible and weak. Russians get the PPSH which is perhaps one of the best gun in any game ever. Germans, well they get the FG42, the first true assault rifle. In this, it can rip dudes in half (more on that later). Of course you really want to know about the flamethrower. It really, really cool. You’ll love using and hate it when you don’t have it.

Treyarch have decided to do two brave things with COD5. One is to include gore. This makes the game more realistic to a point. However there are some over the top moments. Because of this, I don’t recommend you give this to a kid, just because he played COD4. Another factor is the storyline, influenced by the theatres of war they chose. It seems really dark with both the Americans and the Russians out for revenge. The Russian missions really have an atmosphere that both sides hate each others guts. Your sergeant character is completely consumed by the need for revenge against the Germans, executing prisoners and burning a German casualty alive in one scene. Gary Oldman’s outstanding voice acting at one point switches effortlessly from murderous lunatic to a man who is very, very scared by the situation he is in, revering you as a lucky totem that will safeguard him through the war. I applaud Treyarch for the balls to have this massive change in tone from the last games. This and Brothers In Arms are the only WW2 FPS’s to actually make me realise ”shit, I just killed a guy”.

Treyarch also threw in the obligatory vehicle level, which is alright. At least they are driveable. What is not all right is bloody invisible walls. Obvious invisible walls. The first level is a nightmare because of it, however in later ones they are fixed, covered with actual walls or bushes. But I was a second away from quitting the game at the end of the first level. Also i had to do a driver update before it would get past the start of the second mission.Treyarch has obviously messed with engine to get the new effects.

However its the multiplayer that’s the crack cocaine. I never got into COD4 multiplayer as people were always too good. But COD 5 has brilliant weapons, maps and constant challenges. Unlike the weapons in COD 4, WW2 weapons have a heavy punch. The trench gun is hilarious and sounds awesome. The added gore means online is even better, with fights leading to flying limbs and pools of blood. Molotov’s and flame throwers show off the COD4 engines power. The combined experience of it all mixing together makes perfection in gaming form.

Co Op is also worth a mention. Xbox live means it is so easy to get into the game, and Nazi Zombie mode is one of the best things to happen to the Xbox 360. Each player must work together or die under the horde. And what games allow you to shout “this..is..my..BOOMSTICK” whilst capping zombies with a double barrelled shotgun.

Unlike the other COD games, World At War isn’t serious. Its a raucous jaunt through Russian and Asia, behind a pretence of the horror of war, but with exploding limbs and addictive multiplayer. I love it but I still see some flaws, such as grenade spam and poor level design.