"An excellent game that is already a classic in both terms of gameplay, and history."

Introduction -

As everyone has recently heard, Call of Duty: Finest Hour has been released for the Nintendo GameCube. I didn't purchase it right-off hand because it was a tid pricey, but after a few days, I got to thinking 'this game looks pretty cool, and it has some great reviews ...and it has a great overall score.. so why not?', and one thing led to another, and I eventually bought it at my local Wal-Mart SuperCenter. I am so glad that I purchased this game when I did - our local Wal-Mart was close to running out of stock for them for months to come! Talk about hasty! Anyway, this is a great game that's already taken its place among legends thanks to its excellent gameplay and its historical value. All of the footage that is displayed in this game is actual footage and 0% of this game is fiction. You start out playing as the Russian Army, as that's when WWII actually started; Germany broke its treaty with Russia and betrayed them, so the good ol' Ruskies struck back with full force. Then, it moves onto the British armies, as they play an integral role in WWII as well, and of course, the Americans. All of which, are pitted against the German forces in an attempt to stop Hitler from trying to take over the whole of Europe, and eventually, the world.

GamePlay 9/10 -

As with most GameCube games, CoD:FH is nothing different from the excellent graphics, sound and gameplay we get to experience from it. Call of Duty: Finest Hour is a classic, even though it has been out for only a short while, but most people see past that tiny point. The GamePlay value on this game is very high - you feel as though you're actually there as you come across many obstacles that stand in your path of taking Hitler down, as well as his German forces. But the gameplay doesn't stop there - it gets even more intense as you progress through levels. But hey, we here at GameFAQs are here to help those in need.

Sound 9/10 -

Excellent sound. Period. All of the shooting, the airplanes, the tanks, the motors, the grenades, the missiles/rocket launchers, the footsteps, the screams of dying/injured men, all of it; 100% authentic in its real-time state of gameplay excitement. I especially like playing this game in a quiet room because listening in more carefully results in being able to actually hear your foes approach and gives you the edge over them.

Story Line 9/10 -

A very beautiful story line indeed. Just like it was back in 1940, to 1945 - pure chaos and perseverance. With the Russians, British and Americans having each their own side of the story, it's no wonder why I rate the story line a 9 out of 10. This game is a fine piece of history.

Control 8/10 -

When I first started indulging myself into this game, I found that the controller style was pretty challenging to adapt to and master, but in time, I got the hang of it. It's not as hard as it may seem; the way the controller style is set up, it makes for perfect fighting ability and stealthy exploration, with the conveniently placed controls. Since the GameCube controller has 14 buttons on its surface, most of them play a very important part in the playing of this game. Take time to master the controls - it's a cinch.

Replay Value 9/10 -

100%. You can replay any of the missions whenever you like. There is no equal to this; just pure replay value. That's all that needs to be said about this--not to mention the fact that you can play and watch each mission's story line/cinema as many times as you want, whether you beat it or not.

Challenge? 9/10 -

A fairly moderate challenge. The game has a few kinks in it to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it's not impossible. It's very possible, you only need to know what you're doing, where you're at, and coordinate your efforts while working with your team mates, as many missions require just that. I give it two thumbs up.

Buy or Rent? -

BUY IT! Not to sound like a fanatic, but well... who can hide it? Not me. Buy this game and I can almost certainly guarantee you (unless you hate FPS's or violence) that you'll fall in love with this game. No question.

Conclusion -

Time to wrap things up here. I enjoy playing the game very much, and I'm certain that many of you feel the same way. It's so much fun to get into this, especially at night since the game has a darker visual fix (though that can be changed in the options menu). I like the way the game functions - giving you top-level briefing for each mission, and many of the missions, their own historical cinema (as with the real footage from WWII). If you ask me, this game is a classic-keeper.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/05, Updated 04/10/05