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"Call of Duty: World at War"

1/8/09

How many times can you play through a game where all you do is kill Nazis?

I ask myself that question every time I buy another game where all I do is kill Nazis, and then I give the cashier my credit card.  Here's what I can say about the fifth "Call of Duty" game--it does killing Nazis about as well as you can do it, but even I am completely done with killing Nazis.

You once again play an Allied soldier late in World War II, putting the finishing touches on complete Axis destruction by taking out both Nazis and Japanese soldiers bent on your demise.  Over the course of this 8-to-10-hour single player adventure, the game leads you around single-track courses as you gun down soldier after soldier without the help of the multiple comrades running around with you.  This becomes hilarious when you watch other Allied soldiers waiting for you to kill the dozens of bad guys all around them, as if their weapons are only firing blanks.  Ugh.  Thankfully, the developers enlisted the voice work of both Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman to play the officers leading the on-field charge of either the U.S. soldier or the Russian sniper you play throughout the game.

The single-player game is very well done and well produced, and it uses the same game engine used in the superior "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare", so you're in good shape as far as play mechanics go.  The multiplayer component is changed only in terms of maps available and perks; you still have a system that allows for you to earn new perks, new weapons and new weapon add-ons by playing through countless game modes, most of which return from "COD4."  For some reason, I am not as intrigued to earn the right to play with a double-barreled shotgun as I was to get my hands on the G36c machine gun, but, oh well.

"Call of Duty: World at War" is okay.  It's very well done, and if you've never shot Nazis before, it is fantastic.  But, after "COD4", this is a step backwards, especially into territory that has become old hat, to say the least.

Rating:  $40

 

Feedback?  Comments?  Salma Hayek's digits?  justin@bellviewmovies.com

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  Buy this game right away, and don't ask me any questions as to why that's a good move.  A game experience that will almost guarantee repeated controller abuse, lots of ManScreaming and high resale value, you will assuredly play this bad boy for months on end. 

"$40":  Usually after games have been out for a while, they drop in price slightly, or can be bought for slightly cheaper in combination with other new games.  Usually, that's about $40.  You'll feel good getting the game for this price, since it isn't quite run-out-and-get-it-right-now good, but it has enough game in the box for a few weeks' worth of enjoyment.

"eBay":  This game is not too bad, but you'd be better off buying it used from either half.com or eBay.  You also might let a friend buy this game, let s/he beat it, and then try to buy it from them to make them feel better.  Yes, this does tend to feel like "Sloppy Seconds."

"Rental":  Like my cousin Ron, you should always rent games that you aren't sure about first, to make sure that your $50 is going towards something worthwhile.  For games in this category, this is the maximum amount of money ($5) and/or time (3-5 days) you'll need to either gain satisfaction from the game, or beat the game in its entirety.  Rental-rated games are also sometimes perfect for a weekend when you are going to be at home on your ass, with some time to kill.

"Dogshit":  Games like this should have never been released.  If you play this game for any reason, you will regret every second of the experience.  Further, if you can get this game for free, don't do it, because even for FREE, it will still be a negative experience for you!