"I was there you know.... in the midst of battle.... guns blazing..... carnage all around me..... oh wait... nevermind, I was playing Call of Duty"

Introduction

Call of Duty is, in my opinion, the best first person shooter since the first Unreal Tournament. It is, without a doubt, the best World War 2 game ever made.

Graphics

The graphics in this game are by no means revolutionary, but are clean, smooth, and pleasing to the eye. The maps each have their own personal feel and each time you start a new level, you will look around the map notice how detailed the environments in this game truly are.

Sound

The sound only further helps you to experience the adrenaline rush of battle. You'll duck behind a fence, hearing the bullets fly past your head, begin running only to hear the explosion of a grenade from where you were standing only seconds before. You'll hear your commanding officer yell praises of battle, you'll hear the enemy screaming with rage as he fires his weapon. The sounds helps to tie you into the battle, making you feel like you aren't just playing a game, but are really fighting for your life, amongst your fellow troops, trying to survive while you complete your missions.

Story

That's strange, I wasn't aware that World War 2 games could have a good story. The story in Call of Duty features the events of three nations. First up is the American Campaign in which you follow the events of Private Martin. You will eventually become famous (cliche, but hey, it's still better than Medal of Honor). Then you will fight as British Sergeant Elvis, and finally as a Russian soldier fighting throughout Stalingrad. The story to this game is cinematic and very well scripted, it's actually about as good as Saving Private Ryan. (ha ha)

Gameplay

This is, without a doubt, the most intense game ever. I could explain to you the many reasons why this game is intense, but I think I'll just share with you one of my experiences throughout the first mission as a Russian Soldier:
I ran up the hill along with dozens of other soldiers, my officers sitting at the bottom of the hill threatening to kill anyone who dares to retreat. I continued up, looking from side to side nervously as I watched several of my fellow soldiers die as they were struck by a mortar. I near panicked as a bullet hit me. Where did it come from? Had I just been hit by one bullet in a series of stray bullets, or had some enemy soldier just selected me as his next random target. I shot upwards, I didn't know if I would hit anything, I just shot. Maybe I would live to see victory. Maybe I would join the countless bodies that dotted the battleground. It was all up to me, and I was not about to die!
Well I think that qualifies as a pretty extreme little moment I had there (as least as ardent as you can get out of a video game, I'm sure really being there would have been much more so).
The combat in this game rocks. You will be fighting with dozens of others troops. This isn't like Medal of Honor in, which you alone (or maybe with one or two back up soldiers who just stand there and look stupid). You will be fighting alongside your comrades against even more enemies. I might also say that team AI is great. Unlike most other games, where your teammates are practically walking targets and you pretty much have to rely on yourself, you're teammates will move at a fast pace and fight with quite a bit of skill. You'll still be the ''prime soldier'' but some players may even find themselves struggling to keep up with their group and eventually fall behind and get slaughtered.
Several times throughout the game, I found myself being shot out by someone I couldn't see. I' de hastily look around me, going quickly know I had only precious few seconds to live, but still checking thoroughly, searching for any hint towards movement or any flash from the barrel of a gun.
And now for the flaws. First of all the game is very short. I mean VERY short. Short enough to beat in a single day. But you will find yourself replaying several of the levels over and over. The other small dent in this gem is that the multi player is just your standard run-of-the-mill World War 2 stuff. It fails to capture the sheer profoundness that you found yourself basking in during the single player campaigns. But other than these two small errors, this game is the closest thing I have ever seen to a perfect first person shooter.

Overall

Bye, bye, Medal of Honor. We've found a new king of World War Two shooters. Hell, we've found a new king of first person shooters altogether. This is a great game, though a few casual gamer might not enjoy it. This isn't the kind of game that some random person who rarely plays a video game will pick up, install to his computer and enjoy. This is for the hardcore gamers, seeking a thrill out there next game, looking for something they will remember as one the best games they ever played.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/04