"A very well made WWII games comes to Game Cube"

Call of Duty: Finest Hour is a yet another first person shooter that takes place during the events of World War 2. If you have ever played other similar WWII first person shooters such as Medal of Honor then you'll have a good idea of what to expect, but there are a few differences mainly coming in form of vehicular levels where you get to drive a tank around and accomplish objectives. What separates this game from other WWII shooters is the fact that you get the chance to experience WWII from the eyes of other
Non-American army's and countries namely the Soviets and British forces that had there part fighting in the war. With that being said this game really does a great job of getting its overall message across that no one fights alone.

Story:

The story is one out of history books which should come as no surprise, but the game also portrays a story from individual view points of people who actually fought in the war. It does seem like more of a background check on the person your start the level with, but adds a nice touch. If anything it makes the whole event feel more personal and up close.

Graphics:

You won't find many other Game Cube FPS games besides Metroid looking much better, yet some indoor environments look a bit sparse for my taste. The soldiers all show a good amount of detail and the outdoor environments really drive home the message of war.

Sound:

Besides the noise of guns and explosions you'll hear a great deal of other sounds such as someone yelling something in German to there comrade in arms or your own men in need of help. The sound is really a high point of the game.

Game Play:

The controls are easy to learn and feel very natural. The A.I. of both your own men and enemies leaves a bit to be desired but overall works fine. Soldiers seem to try to look for cover and fall back when needed, but don't expect anyone to do something really smart.
The difficulty level of the overall game can be adjusted to your liking but in my opinion some of the final mission can get very frustrating.

Replay:

There are a few little extras here and there such as the making of the game that encourage replay, and you might have fun using some cheats you're rewarded with. But you'll probably only play this game again just because you want some WWII shooting fun.

Buy or Rent:

It can be beaten in one rental if you have a bit of time on your hands but if you're a war buff then buy this game as the price has dropped. It is a quality made game that you'll probably not mind playing again.

Final Thoughts:

Call of Duty: Finest Hour succeeds where other games fail in terms of making an event like WWII seem like an all out fight for the way of life as we know it today. Never do you feel like it's you or us against the world, but instead everyone fighting for a common belief that needs to be done. Quality is what puts this game a step above others and if you ever had any interest in the military or the history of war in general then pick up a copy of this game;

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/27/06