Call of Duty 3

"This series has run out of steam"

As a big fan of the first two games, I was hoping for more of the the tight controls and thrilling sound effects that made this the best WW 2 game series. Sadly it seems that the developers didn't put the effort into this sequel.

Graphics- 8/10 The cinemas in this one look better than any of the previous games. The uniforms also have more detail than before. Sometimes you see some funky animations from enemies and allies.

Sound- 4/10 One of the greatest things about the first two games was the atmospheric sound. Although it's not completely gone, this time around the sounds are nowhere near as emersive. The music that plays throughout the levels gets so loud in some parts that it's hard to hear your allies and the chattering of the Germans. also in your briefing segments at the beginning of missions, if your not looking in just the right direction, you can't hear who's talking. What? Does our soldier have a bad ear?

Gameplay- 5/10 Lots of problems here. Enemies don't miss. Your allies get in the way of your fire or sometimes kill all the enemies before you can get a bead on them. You get shot through walls. Controls are pretty tight, but aiming is complicated by blocking problems. You'll have a clear shot at an enemy and fire 10 or 12 shots and nothing. Move over an inch or two and then you can drop him. Lame. Still lots of variety in the missions.

Story/Presentation- 6/10 This time the entire game takes place after the D-day invasion. This is good and bad. I liked fighting in Russia, North Africa, and Italy in previous CODs. You get to be and interact with more nationalities in this one though. French resistance, Brittish special forces, Polish tank crews, hell even Canadians! Once again, a few characters valiantly sacrifice themselves in this one. Not very moving when you don't really care about the characters, though.

Overall, it feels like they're running out of ideas for these games. Which is fine. I would have been happy with more of the same, but this one is a step backwards. I just wanted a good shooter to kill some time with, I wasn't expecting to be blown away. That said, I would say give it a rental or pick it up cheap if you're desperate for some WW 2 action. There are far better shooters out there.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/02/07

Game Release: Call of Duty 3 (US, 11/07/06)