War really has never been so much fun.
It was to be expected, really. Not only that I’d use that sentence as an opening shot, but that Call of Duty: World at War would be in the running for the Game of The Year title. The build up has been immense, the beta impressive, and the final game - I’m glad to say - was well worth the wait.
The focus this time around, is on some of the final battles to take place in World War II. You begin as a US soldier, as part of a force that is trying to gain vital ground in the East from the Empire of Japan. Upon completion, you’re taken to the other side of the Urals to join the Soviets as they launch their revengeful attack on a weakened - but still formidable - Nazi Germany. The switch between the two characters is regular, and it keeps the action fresh as the locales that you’re fighting in are very, very different. To further mix things up, one US mission sees you play as an aircraft gunner aiming to take out a fleet of Japanese ships and defending against a counter-attack, and one Russian mission gives you control of a tank and really puts you to work in it.
The storyline provides a fair amount of twists and turns as you go, and this is shown from the outset as you complete the first mission. It isn’t the only time you’ll be surprised or shocked at what occurs on screen in front of your eyes. Add this to the escalating scale of the battles that take place in the German and Russian streets, and indeed the final assault on Shuri Castle in the Pacific theatre, and you have a game that will certainly entertain you for the entirety of the single player campaign. Stellar sound design has been a feature of the Call of Duty series since its inception, and there’s no difference here. A suitably grand orchestral score plays out as you run through the buildings, jungles, tunnels and stairwells of the locations on offer, with each note adding to the drama and tension. Much has been made of Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman’s appearances in the game as the voices of two of the main characters, and I have to say that they don’t stand out. This isn’t a criticism, rather a global praising of the rest of the actors who are playing the supporting roles. The shouts of anger and screams of agony all fit in perfectly as guns blaze all around you, and the game is no visual slouch either. Textures are generally convincing, and the amount of detail that’s gone into the locations is just stunning. When you consider that there can be hundreds of troops roaming about each level, hiding for cover and popping out to take aim at your dome at any occasion - the game becomes even more impressive.
CoD: WAW’s gunplay is solid. Bear in mind that the game has been developed by Treyarch - the guys behind COD3 - and you can see why. Each weapon behaves realistically enough, and there are a relatively varied selection on offer, from simple bayonet rifles, through to the more powerful MP40-style affairs, all the way up to more exotic firepower in the form of Panzershrek rocket launchers and flamethrowers. The latter allows the game to show off its new flammable environments, which, whilst being impressive, don’t allow fire to propagate as well as it does in Far Cry 2. When you’ve got a Japanese sniper high up in the branches, there’s nothing better than torching the tree to cook him out, but setting light to the dry grass doesn’t work as well. Sure, a small patch will burn and cause damage, but it dies down far too quickly and the overall effect just isn’t realistic.
Single player mode has the potential to be frustrating, even on the more sedate difficulty levels. Grenades rebounding off allies as they run in front of your viewpoint and a grenade danger indicator that sometimes appears far too late for you to do anything about are the main instigators of your anger, but all will be forgiven as the “one more go” mindset comes into full effect. You feel that way because you want to see what comes next of course, and you’ll rarely be disappointed.
The real combeack feature of Call of Duty: World at War is the online co-operative play. I can’t tell you how wonderfully this works, and how great it is that Treyarch has signed you up to be able to play the entire single player campaign in co-op mode. When you and up to three friends team up and are bunkered in by an advancing German force, you could cut the tension with a knife. When you overthrow the vicious enemy and finally gain the victory, a genuine feeling of survival comes into play, and that only helps with the camaraderie. A testament to this mode is the fact that you’ll gladly complete the missions in single player, and then head into online play to do it all again with a friend or group of friends. The ability to play the campaign with another player in the 2-player offline co-operative mode will be a boon to some, but splitting the screen loses much of the atmosphere, and most certainly isn’t a preferred way of playing.
Chances are that if you’re interested in online deathmatch style play and enjoyed the beta, then you won’t be disappointed. A full compliment of match options and playing styles is available, and the action runs smoothly and without any major interruptions. There was a little bit of lag to be found when running over the PSN when we tested it, but it certainly wasn’t anything that would kill the game or cause you to drop a significant number of kills.
There’s no question as to whether Call of Duty: World at War should be up for that Game of The Year award. As to whether or not it truly is the best game that we’ve seen in the last twelve months, well, that’s open to discussion. What truly isn’t in doubt here though, is that this fifth game in the series is one of the most atmospheric and addictive games released in recent times. I’ve used the phrase before, and I’ll doubtless use it again in the future, but this is an experience that any gamer worth their salt should try. Bloody, brutal and damned close to survival horror territory at times, Call of Duty: World at War is stunning.
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