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Wanna relive the 1940s how only our generation can? Take a look at one of the most talked about games around, Call of Duty. If you want to take on WWII battles with Nazi Germany right from your living room, take a look at this review, then head to the store and grab a copy of this game.
Call of Duty
So you’ve always thought you would have made a great WWII soldier huh? Gimme a break, you and I both know that those guys had more courage in their pinky finger than our entire body. Well, after coming to terms with your ineptness, come to terms with your l337n3$$ by playing a little of one of the greatest games to fly off the shelves in a long time. Call of Duty, an amazing WWII based FPS has taken the gaming world by storm with its awesome gameplay. Let’s take a look at a video game masterpiece in the making.
Call of Duty puts you in the midst of the biggest and baddest battles of WWII. The United States, Great Britain, and Russia are your friends, and Nazi Germany is the enemy. It is your job to infiltrate, destroy, and then escape the clutches of the enemy in missions stretching all over Europe. Sound like fun yet?
In the single player game you are a member of the United States, Great Britain, and Russian military all with their own set of missions critical to the success of the Allied Forces. The missions range from rescuing a captured captain, shooting down planes at an enemy airfield, and even riding in the back of an escaping military truck while the bad guys hunt you down.
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You have a large arsenal of machine guns, grenades, rifles, and other arms from the time period. Each weapon is correctly associated with the nation you are currently representing. One of the greatest things about the weapons is the ability to grab just about everything you can see in the battlefield. Are you a little low on ammo? Smoke that footsoldier in your way with the last few rounds and grab his MP40 sub-machine gun. You are instantly back in the action using all the weapons and ammo at your disposal.
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This is a stellar game in the way of looks. Detailed scenery, very realistic models, and lots of other eye candy can be found throughout each of the expansive levels. In some of the outdoor missions scenery stretches out of sight, relatively miles away from your character. I used a Leadteck FX 5900 Ultra when reviewing the game and it really helped to get the full effect of what this game is supposed to look like. All of the screenshots I took are using this card at 1024X768 with 4xAA on.
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Control in the game is also really good. I always set my controls to the standard WSAD movement with mouse control. Character movement is smooth and as realistic as can be expected. You can even crouch, and go completely prone to both avoid enemy fire, and help pick off the bad guys while you are at it. One thing I noticed while moving through the game is how realistically “slow” your character is. Moving from a bunker or other kind of protection across an open area is nothing short of hair raisng every time you do it. Getting in a crouch position and running for cover leaves you very vulnerable and can leave you dead before you know it.
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Call of Duty cont.
I have always been a big fan of FPS ever since I started playing games. This one is approaching a category of its own. Some may say that it is just a little too much like Medal of Honor or Battlefield 1942, but I find it to be one in itself with a great storyline that adds to the fun of playing as each nations soldier. Whether or not the storyline is right in front of you to read, a story begins to develop in your head as you proceed through the game.
The variety of missions keeps the game from becoming boring and repetitive. Although many of them take on the same feel, they are original and try not to have the same concept throughout. This helps keep away from the horrendous practice of copying levels and changing a few things to make a new mission. There is nothing worse than running through the same landscape and killing the same enemies over and over.
Overall the game length is fairly average. If you put it at the hardest level of play, of course it will challenge even the greatest of player. Right from the start COD displays a level of difficulty that many gamers strive to find, but unfortunately miss out on. I hate getting a new game and realizing my four month old nephew could beat it within hours. This will challenge you for a good amount of time. Even beyond the single player missions is the wonderful multiplayer portion of the game that we will take a look at now.
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I recently went to a LAN party of about 10 people and of course one of the games that we play is Call of Duty. The multiplayer features the standard deathmatch, and team deathmatch modes of play. It also has a retrieval game where one side defends an object and the other teams objective is of course to take it from them and live. There is also a search and destroy mode of play where, once again, one team searches and destroys, the other team tries to keep things intact.
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The multiplayer is a blast. Everytime that you die, you have the option of seeing your death from the enemies perspective. Did you get sniped from afar and can’t believe how that guy saw you?? Be patient and you will be able to not only see how he saw you, but also take a gander at the bullet that just went through you. Of course if the shame is too much to bear, hit the F key and skip reliving the death you just faced.
Another aspect of the game that is pretty cool is the shell shock effect your character shows after being in close proximity to a large explosion. The screen swims with blurry and cosmic scenery, the sound goes quiet and hollow, and it is hard to move or react to your environment for a short amount of time. As you can see in the shots below, this is a very vulnerable time and you can easily be exterminated while you are shocked.
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Final Thoughts
Call of Duty struts its stuff with great gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. The great single player missions along with the awesome multiplayer piece equal up to a powerhouse of a FPS. In a world where it has become more and more difficult to differentiate games from the rest of the pack, COD has made it look easy. Definitely add this game to your collection if you can. You will not be disappointed. I give Call of Duty from Activision and Infinity Ward Studios a 9 out of 10 and the Bjorn 3D Seal of Approval.
