Call of Duty

The most impressive aspect of Call of Duty is its immersion factor. From the sound to the chaos going on around you. Instead of feeling like it's you alone against Nazi Germany, you really end up feeling like you're just another soldier trying to do his job and get home. And the action is fast and furious almost from beginning to end.

The game involves US, British and Soviet campaigns. At times you'll feel like you're part of Band of Brothers and at others you'll feel as though you're starring in Enemy at the Gates. Both movies are borrowed heavily from, especially the latter. The Soviet campaign has some of the best set piece action, including the crossing of the Volga as you try to make it up the banks in Stalingrad...without a weapon. Simply amazing.

Frankly, the game is full of set pieces, including some pretty spectacular firefights in the US campaign, like the storming of a POW camp and the taking of a French village--only to have to defend it against counter attack the following morning.

The weakest part of the game is the middle--where you play as a British soldier. Much of the action is singular, in that you aren't fighting alongside your buddies. However, there is the taking and defending of the Pegasus Bridge in that campaign, where you do fight with fellow soldiers, and it is over-the-top.

If there are really any weaknesses in the game it's the Quake III engine, which while heavily modified for Call of Duty, is past its prime. (The benefit to that, however, is that even with a modest machine, you're not going to have problems running this game with decent settings!) And other than the fact that it's got better immersion than other World War II shooters, it's not breaking any new ground. It's a better version of what we've already seen. One other negative worth mentioning is the length. Granted, you get a lot of bang for your buck, but if you have any experience with shooters, you'll easily finish this game in under 10 hours. It took me a week of casual play to finish. Unfortunately, this is a growing trend in gaming and I don't see it changing. You will, however, get some added value out of the multiplay options. On a positive note, however, with such a short length, there is very little filler, and this is the only game I've ever owned that I decided to play again, immediately after finishing the first time.

If you don't mind paying the full price, this is a "must have right now" game. If you decide to wait for the price to drop, it's still a must have. It's like driving a race car...without a seatbelt!