Game Review: Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty returns to it's roots with the series' latest instalment: World at War. But with Infinity Ward, developers of the phenomenally successful Modern Warfare, taking a back seat, there were one or two doubts about new developers Treyarch, and their decision to return to World War II. Could World at War silence the doubters, and live up to Modern Warfare's success, or has it taken one too many steps back?

While World at War's campaign has taken a step back in time, it certainly hasn't taken a step back in quality. Taking place during America's Pacific campaign, and in Russia's march on Berlin, the single player touches on scenarios that haven't been touched on by recent World War II games, and with the great diversity in environments and weapons, the campaign will feel fresh from start to finish. And, thanks to Treyarch finally putting in a co-op mode - which was long overdue in Call of Duty - the campaign even has replay ability, something that no other game in the series has really had before. It's another superb effort from a Call of Duty game, as they serve up another rewarding, and addictive, campaign experience.

Every game needs a flame-thrower.

As well as treating us to new scenarios and settings, World at War also allows you to sample the darker, grittier side of war, the side that most of the previous games have sugar-coated with glory and patriotism. This side of war is touched upon in both halves of the campaign, including a fantastically potent opening scene where you'll watch your dead or dying comrades shot by passing soldiers, as you lie back and pray you remain unnoticed. World at War has also upped the gore levels, and while this is occasionally funnier than it is disturbing, there are still moments when it adds a certain perturbing quality to the game, that no other Call of Duty really had before.

The reason for the added gore is probably due to the new game mode that World at War introduces: Nacht der Untoten. Essentially, it's the horde mode from Gears of War 2, you'll fight wave after wave of enemies, testing your skill and endurance. Except this time round, you won't be fighting mere Locust, oh no. You'll be up against hordes of Nazi Zombies, possibly one of the most genius enemies ever conceived. It's a great extra mode to have, and should do wonders in giving World at War a little extra lifespan.

Ever wanted to shoot a Nazi zombie in the face with a shotgun? Well...

What is definitely going to give World at War a massive lifespan is the online multiplayer. After Modern Warfare, Treyarch had a huge job of living up to Infinity Ward's standards, and if anything they've surpassed it. Part of the reason why World at War is better is the same reason why so many people dismissed it: the World War II setting. The guns in World at War suit the realistic weapon damage much better, and while some of the automatic weapons are still overpowered, it feels a little more balanced than Modern Warfare did.

Did I mention there were tanks? Did I mention they were awesome?

Apart from the skin, the multiplayer is essentially the same as Modern Warfare. As before, you'll start from level one, and as you earn experience from killing opponents, winning games and completing challenges, you'll rank up and earn new weapons, perks and other equipment. New perks have been added, and there's finally a purpose to Prestige ranking (allowing you to unlock more classes to customise), but it's more or less unchanged. Which unfortunately means it's still got the same problems that Modern Warfare had.

The problem with the multiplayer is that, despite the weapon changes, it's still unbalanced. While there are a couple of game modes with minimum or maximum level caps, playing anything in-between will put you up against anyone, meaning that you can have two different teams with completely different levels and experience. Treyarch have made an effort to balance multiplayer in other areas; for example you'll get an appropriate amount of points for assists, based on the damage you inflicted, but it doesn't quite do enough. It's a great multiplayer, and incredibly frantic and fun, but a more sophisticated and levelled matchmaking system (see Halo 3) would be appreciated.

While there are some minor issues to be ironed out before the next instalment, World at War is nevertheless a fantastic game, both online and off. Any doubts regarding Treyarch's developer role or the return to the World War II setting will be silenced after the first ten minutes. It's a brilliant addition to the Call of Duty series, and if you're a fan of first person shooters, this is definitely worth a look. You almost certainly won't be disappointed.

9/10

Seriously, there are zombie Nazis. Can you honestly think of anything better?

Ask me about my online kill to death ratio. Please? - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk