Call of Duty

"I can honestly say that this is the best WWII shooter I have ever played"

As most gamer know, there is not exactly a shortage on fps these days, especially ones based of the Global Conflict known as World War II. This epic war coasted the lives of over 50 million people, and was the first war to be fought with semi-modern weaponry. No longer did armies stand in long lines firing at each other, nor have men sit in a trench peeking their head up only to find a bullet. This War was the first war where human life was actually valued as the most precious thing on the battlefield. Obviously, that would make a great story for a movie or game, which it has already in probably over a 100 titles in both media areas. Not to mention that WWII packed plenty of Action and Emotion, which is the perfect basis for a shooting game. Those two elements have been used to make games like Max Payne 2 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The team at Infinity Ward was able to shape those two elements to make a game which was truly revolutionary. Now I haven't ever given a game 10/10 in a review, but that's how good this game is.

Gameplay: 10/10

This is what really hooked me into the game. They're many WWII FPS out there, namely the Medal of Honor or the Battlefield 1942 series. The reason that most other FPS set into he WWII era fail to comparison with Call of Duty is that they do not blend the right amount of action and emotion. Anyway, back to the description of the gameplay. What exactly can you expect from a FPS? Look, Aim, Shoot. This is the formula which keeps the FPS genre the most popular. Most FPS have you alone against hundreds of enemies in a struggle to win the fight. Call of Duty however puts you right in the midst of the largest conflict along side your brothers in arms. This creates so much emotion that you will often feel like you are watching a movie rather then playing a game. Instead of you following the usual route of the American Campaign, this game spans across three different fronts. You will fight as an American Paratrooper, a British Special Agent (Yes you still are in large battles), and a hardened Russian Solider. You have one goal in this game, Berlin. You have a wide array of weapons to choose from in this game since 4 nations arms will come into your hand in the game. Your enemy, the Germans, are hardened veterans. This game isn't exactly easy. The gameplay is that of "DUCK AND COVER!!!". You must take cover and pop up once your enemies reload and pop on of their heads. Each nation has a standard rifle, along with a pistol and machine gun. You also will ride on and drive vehicles such as tanks or jeeps. The gameplay is what really makes a game, and Call of Duty ahs PERFECT gameplay.

Graphics: 10/10

Actually I would have given this category a 9/10, but since this game is scaled
so well, I bumped it up. What I mean is that the dev. team was able to tweak the game so that it can run on low end computers without much trouble at all. As long as you have the recommended specs, be prepared to witness the glory that is Call of Duty. The atmosphere in this game is amazing, you actually feel like you're inside the war. All the environments are perfectly drawn and plotted. Nothing is ever repetitive, considering that you are in three different parts of Europe. The rubble in the cities and the quiet country side all look authentic. The character models look great. You can even see the little tools that came with the infantry. Your guns look superb, sharp with scratches and lots of other little things. All of the uniforms look outstanding, even the German snow uniforms (which usually look bland since they are white). The lighting and shadow effects are amazing, and really stand out. The sheer vastness of the levels is breathtaking.

Sound: 10/10

The sound in this game is outstanding. It is appropriately performed my orchestras and symphonies and creates an almost perfect atmosphere. Nothing
sounds more appropriate then charging down red square listening to inspirational Russian music. All the weapons and explosions sound top notch. Listening to this game is 5.1 surround is breathtaking, it feels like you're actually in the game. The voice-overs are pretty good, considering this game is a war game. The only problem I had with the sound is that the music didn't play enough, but it isn't bothersome enough to knock it down a rating. The menu music is all great and very appropriate for the mood. Overall the sound is unbelievable; I can't believe that Infinity Ward did this great of a job.

Multiplayer: 10/10

Where to begin, I had a blast playing multiplayer. You can choose from several slightly modified SP levels that feel like they were actually built for multiplayer. You can choose which side you want to be on, Axis or allied, and pick which weapon you want to start out with. Depending on which map you are playing, different teams will be available. The multiplayer is very similar to "Return to Cast le Wolfinstien". You might find that online community is very tough, but once you get used to the game it will be a blast to play multiplayer. You can download user created maps as well. It seems like this game was designed to be modded, because the internet is full of modding sites for this game.

Final Recommendation: STOP READING THIS REVIEW! Go get the game now! Trust me; it's worth the money you pay for.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/04