Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War
North American cover
Developer(s)	Treyarch, Certain Affinity (multiplayer maps)
Publisher(s)	Activision
Designer(s)	Margaret Tang (director)
Writer(s)	Patrick Doody Craig Houston Chris Valenziano
Artist(s)	Brian Anderson[1]
Composer(s)	Sean Murray
Series	Call of Duty
Engine	Call of Duty 4 engine[2]
Native resolution	600p
Version	1.5 (PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360) 1.5 (Windows)[3][4]
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows Mobile, Xbox 360[5][6][7]
Release date(s)	NA November 11, 2008[8] EU November 14, 2008[9] AUS November 12, 2008[10]
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer, cooperative
Rating(s)	BBFC: 15[11] ESRB: M[12] OFLC: MA 15+[13] PEGI: 18+[14]
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL, Wii Optical Disc, Download
System requirements	See Development
Input methods	Gamepad, keyboard and mouse

Call of DutyDuty: World at War: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is the fifth installment in the Call of Duty series, excluding expansion packs. The game's setting returns to series' trademark World War II setting , after the previous title, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was set in present day. It focuses on the Pacific Theater and Eastern Front of World War II for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions. The game was released in North America on November 11, 2008 and in Europe on November 14, 2008. A Windows Mobile version was also made available by Glu Mobile and different storyline versions for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 were made, but remain in the World War II setting. The game is based on an enhanced version of the Call of Duty 4 game engine developed by Infinity Ward with increased development on audio and visual effects.

The narrative for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions focuses on the initial battles of World War II in the Pacific and Eastern Europe involving the United States, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspectives of Marine Raider Private Miller and Red Army soldier Private Dimitri Petrenko and is based on several historical battles. The multiplayer component of the game contains various game modes and a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons and rewards as they progress, similar to Call of Duty 4. A new feature to the series is the addition of a cooperative mode, which supports up to two players locally and four players online.

The game was the second best-selling game for November 2008 in the United States selling over 1.41 million units. In the UK, it sold twice as many units as Call of Duty 4 in its first week after release, becoming the third fastest-selling video game there. It received positive reviews, being praised for its portrayal of the gritty, dark side of war. It was also praised for the cooperative campaign and Nazi Zombies modes. However, it was criticized for not building on the success of Call of Duty 4. World at War currently holds an 85% aggregate score on Game Rankings and Metacritic.

Contents [hide] 1 Gameplay 1.1 Multiplayer 1.2 Nazi Zombies 2 Synopsis 2.1 Characters 2.2 Plot 3 Development 3.1 Audio 4 Marketing 4.1 Downloadable content 5 Other versions 5.1 Nintendo DS 5.2 PlayStation 2 6 Reception 6.1 Awards 6.2 Sales 7 References 8 External links

Gameplay

Call of Duty: World at War, the fifth installment of the Call of Duty series,^[2] features a more mature theme than previous installments in the series.^[15] The game is also open-ended, as there are multiple ways to complete objectives.^[16] The gameplay of World at War shares features with previous iterations of the franchise. Players fight alongside AI-controlled teammates, who help during the game's missions by providing cover fire, shooting enemies, and clearing rooms for entry.^[17]

Gameplay on the Wii version of the game can be controlled with a gun-like expansion controller known as the Wii Zapper. The Zapper, or Wii Remote and Nunchuk, can be used to aim at targets to simulate marksmanship.^[18]

The game's return to World War II-era warfare reintroduces weapons and technology that have been seen in other games in the Call of Duty franchise, including the Thompson submachine gun, the Mosin-Nagant rifle, and the Panzerschreck anti-tank rocket launcher. The player gains access to these over the course of the game, but may only carry up to two weapons in addition to hand grenades. Weapons from dead enemies can be picked up to replace weapons a player is carrying. Players can also find weapons with additional attachments, including guns equipped with rifle grenades, telescopic sights, and bayonets.^[17]

A character can be positioned in one of three postures: standing, crouching, or prone; each affecting the character's rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage, as there are no armor or health power-ups. After the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red and the character's heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player in deciding whether to flee or throw it back at the enemy.^[17]

Multiplayer

Gameplay in online multiplayer's War mode

World at War includes a similar multiplayer experience to Call of Duty 4. All versions of the game use a similar perk and ranking system^[6] and feature six different multiplayer modes, including team deathmatch and capture-the-flag.^[19] The Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions contain 13 multiplayer maps, with two map packs comprising of three maps each being released via downloadable content. The Wii version contains only eight multiplayer maps and has yet to receive any map packs.

When the player reaches level 65 on multiplayer, they unlock the option to gain "prestige". If they choose to do so, they will return to level 1 and will gain an extra weapon slot and a new symbol. Further weapon slots are available once you reach prestige 2, 4, 7 and 10.^[20] Thus a player can end up with a total of 10 weapon slots as opposed to 5. It is possible to gain prestige up to ten times, each time the player gains a different symbol unique to that level of prestige.

The game also features a co-operative gameplay mode which supports two players via split screen and up to four players online. The Wii version does not include online co-op, but two players can play through a "squadmate co-op" mode which allows both players to experience the game through the same screen and point of view.^[6]

Nazi Zombies

World at War also features a separate cooperative mode called Nazi Zombies. The only map included with the base game is called Nacht der Untoten (German for "Night of the Undead"). Others are purchased as parts of map packs on consoles, or included in patches on PC. It consists of up to two players locally or up to four players online working together battling against an unlimited number of waves of Nazi zombies. Players gain points by either killing the zombies or repairing boarded-up windows. These points can be used to gain access to more powerful weapons than the starting M1911 pistol, and to remove blockages to new areas such as couches or doors inside the bunker. Guns are bought from outlines on the walls or the Mystery Box, which offers a random weapon. Zombies continually break the boards on the windows or certain walls to gain entrance and to find and kill the players; when all players die, the game is over. Downed players can survive if another player revives them or will respawn at the end of a round with only a handgun.^[21] The game mode originally had to be unlocked upon completion of the campaign mode, but was later made available without this prerequisite.

Synopsis

Characters

During the single-player campaign of the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, the player controls three different characters from a first-person perspective. Only two characters, Private Miller and Private Dimitri Petrenko are available on the Wii version. The player assumes the role of Private Miller of the United States Marine Corps' 1st Division and Private Dimitri Petrenko of the Soviet Red Army. Private Miller's campaign starts as he is captured by the Japanese while scouting Makin Island and is rescued by Corporal Roebuck (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) and his men from the Marine Raiders squad. He then continues through the Pacific campaign and ends at Shuri Castle on Okinawa Island.^[22]

Private Petrenko's campaign starts when he is part of the 62nd Army in a water fountain where he pretends to be dead and watches German soldiers execute the rest of his unit in Stalingrad. Along with an injured comrade, Sergeant Reznov (voiced by Gary Oldman), he seeks revenge on the Germans and the "architect" behind the attack, Nazi General Heinrich Amsel. Three years later, they meet again on the Eastern Front, alongside a third character, Private Chernov. They advance towards Berlin with the 3rd Shock Army under the command of Commisar Markov, where they capture the Reichstag and, after Chernov is killed by a German flamethrower Petrenko plants the Soviet flag after being shot by a hidden German that is then quickly killed by Reznov.^[22]

The third playable character in the campaign is Petty Officer Locke, a weapons operator on a PBY Catalina flying boat, who is only playable in the mission "Black Cats". This character is not available in the Wii version. Locke's squadron makes a raid on a Japanese merchant fleet in the Pacific Ocean and later rescues the survivors of a destroyed U.S. fleet.^[23] Other non-playable characters in the game include Private Polonsky (voiced by Aaron Stanford) and Sergeant Sullivan, who are in Private Miller's U.S. squadron.

Plot

The opening scene of the campaign

The game starts in Makin Island at night on August 17, 1942. Private Miller watches the torture and execution of a fellow soldier by Japanese soldiers. As they turn towards Miller, he is rescued by his crew and they assault the island, replicating the Makin Island raid. The following mission then starts two years later, where the Americans assault the Japanese-held island of Peleliu. Miller calls in rocket strikes to take out Japanese Ha-Gō tanks. At the end of the mission, Sergeant Sullivan is fatally impaled through the stomach by a Japanese soldier who bursts through a door wielding a katana. The next mission starts in a swamp area of Peleliu, with Corporal Roebuck (now promoted to Sergeant after the death of Sullivan), as they travel to the Japanese-held airfield. Miller acquires a flamethrower, Rifle grenade launcher, and bazooka during the mission.^[22]

The game then jumps to the Soviet campaign on September 17, 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad. Dimitri Petrenko wakes up amongst dead bodies of his fellow soldiers in the city's fountain, as the Germans shoot them. After they have gone, he meets Sergeant Reznov, a soldier from another unit. Reznov tells Dimitri that he wants to kill General Amsel, the man behind the Soviet casualties. After eliminating some German soldiers, Dimitri follows Reznov through buildings and streets as they kill Germans on their way, using sniper rifles and machine guns, until Dimitri kills Amsel; at which point they run away and jump into the river while being pursued by German soldiers. The following mission starts three years later at the Battle of Seelow Heights, near Berlin (where the Red Army had, in Reznov's words, taken the fight to "their land, their people, their blood."), where Dimitri has been captured and is in an abandoned house with three German soldiers. He attempts to steal a fallen comrade's Mosin-Nagant, only to be kicked in the face by a German soldier. At that moment, the Red Army attacks the abandoned house. One of the men who bursts in is none other than Sergeant Reznov, along with his subordinate, Private Chernov. Reznov is in awe that Dimitri has cheated death a second time in his presence and speaks of him as a hero. Together the Soviet troops advance through German lines, as Dimitri aids them with a Panzerschrek, as they reach a German camp.^[22]

The game returns back to Peleliu, where the Americans are pushing further inland through the island. Miller and his unit take out enemy mortar crews so their tanks can go inland. They then disable Japanese guns, facing out to sea and the Island of Peleliu falls into the hands of the Americans.^[22]

A firefight in the streets of Berlin

The following mission campaign returns to the Battle of Seelow Heights. Dimitri is at the controls of a T-34 tank as he helps the Soviet Army to reach the train station by destroying German tanks. He, along with Reznov and the Soviet troops, board a train to Berlin. Upon arrival, they engage German soldiers in buildings and around the streets, as the Germans are retreating. The following day, Dimitri watches a fellow Soviet execute a surrendering German soldier, much to the shock of Chernov ("This is not war - this is murder!"). They then move through buildings and streets clearing out Germans, until they reach the entrance to the Berlin U-Bahn. At the entrance, some German soldiers are encountered trying to surrender. However, due to the events in Stalingrad, Dimitri's comrades refuse to let them surrender and Reznov allows Dimitri to choose their method of death - he can kill them himself with his gun or let the other Red Army soldiers kill them with Molotov cocktails. They head into the U-Bahn and start fighting German resistance around the platforms until a surge of water engulfs the tunnel.^[22]

After the battle of Peleliu, the game shifts to the Battle of Okinawa and the mission "Black Cats", where the player takes control of Petty Officer Locke, in a PBY Catalina flying boat. He destroys Japanese PT Boats and merchant ships from the aircraft and then, on the way back to base, aids a U.S. fleet under attack. They rescue American sailors in the sea, while Locke shoots at Japanese PT boats and kamikaze planes, until more U.S. aircraft arrive. The game shifts back to Miller as he and his squad make a ground assault on Okinawa after the aircraft mission. They clear out Imperial soldiers from machine gun bunkers, allowing American tanks to progress. In the following mission, they are ambushed while retrieving ammunition before starting their assault on Shuri Castle. Miller kills Japanese crew around mortars and the courtyards. The Americans then storm Shuri Castle and clear most of it out. However, they then encounter some Japanese soldiers who pretend to surrender. When Polonsky and Roebuck go to disarm them, they attack them and pull out grenades. The player is given the choice of which of the two to save, with the other Marine being killed. The surviving Americans fight off a final Japanese counterattack and take Shuri Castle, capturing Okinawa. Miller is then given the dog tags of the fallen marine from his squadron by the survivor.^[22]

The penultimate mission starts as Reznov drags Dimitri out of the U-Bahn to regroup with Soviet infantry and snaps at Chernov, who has been writing a diary of his experiences by giving him the Soviet flag to plant when they take the Reichstag, telling him "no one will read this [diary]." They clear out buildings along a street to proceed towards the plaza outside the Reichstag, where Dimitri destroys Flak 88s and they take out the remaining German infantry defending the entrance to the Reichstag. As they are advancing up the stairs, however, Chernov is killed after a German flamethrower burns him alive. Reznov is devastated by the death of Chernov and, before continuing, he takes Chernov's diary with him, saying "Someone should read this." As they enter the Reichstag, they kill German soldiers in corridors, a lobby, and the main room. After that, they clear out remaining German infantry on the roof of the building. Dimitri then moves up to plant the Soviet flag, which has been dropped after its second bearer was killed in the gun battle. Before he can do so, a wounded German soldier rises up and shoots Dimitri with a pistol. Reznov comes to Dimitri's aid and kills the German with his machete. He helps Dimitri up and cuts the swastika off the flagpole at the top of the Reichstag. Dimitri then plants the flag, signaling Soviet victory over Germany. A final cutscene details the end of the war in Europe, the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the peace accord signed as a result.^[22]

Development

[hide]System Requirements
Requirements Microsoft Windows[24] Operating System Windows XP or Windows Vista CPU Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz or AMD 64 3200+ processor Memory 512 MB (1 GB for Vista) Hard Drive Space 8 GB of free space Graphics Hardware 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT or ATI Radeon X1600 Sound Hardware DirectX 9.0c compliant card

World at War was announced on June 23, 2008 by Activision, who confirmed that the game was to be released in fall 2008, and that the series would revert back to its customary World War II setting.^[25]

The game had an approximately two-year long development cycle, double that of Treyarch's previous entry to the series, Call of Duty 3.^[15] The game is powered by an enhanced version of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, with several improvements made to the physics model. Environments are more destructible and can be set on fire with the flamethrower, which features propagating fire. Not long after, Treyarch released the modding tools for Call of Duty: World at War. These tools were the same ones used to create all the other Call of Duty series games, but with slight changes version to version, which can be downloaded online.^[15] Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman were cast as voice actors for the game. Sutherland voices the narrator and squad leader of the American campaign, Sergeant Roebuck, while Oldman voices that of the Soviet campaign, Sergeant Reznov.^[26][27] A full-sized replica PBY Catalina was constructed for motion capture use.^[15]

Audio

The music for Call of Duty: World at War was composed by Sean Murray. He was hired after Brian Tuey, Treyarch's audio director, approached Murray. Murray stated that they had worked together earlier on True Crime: New York City, the sequel to the first True Crime: Streets of LA, and that "he [Tuey] knew I would bring a fresh approach to Call of Duty: World at War". This also led to Adam Levenson, the audio director of Activision, being called in to help them. Murray also said that he wanted to make the music more fun and intense, but also "a specific musical path that follows the psyche of the gameplay".^[28] The soundtrack mixes both old and contemporary techniques for a unique audio presentation that contrasts preceding World War II games.

The new technology of occlusion, which changes the sound made by nearby object depending on objects blocking its path e.g. walls, has been added to World at War. The game has various levels of "muffled" sound depending on the objects it travels though e.g. a more muffled sound through a thick wall compared to a slightly muffled sound through a thin short wall. For the first time in a Call of Duty game, the player is able to tell the difference between someone walking next to the player and someone walking above or below the player, as well as telling the difference between a shot fired in the distance and a shot fired close by, but behind a solid object.^[29]

The other technology of flux was also developed using field recording systems. The World at War crew traveled to a desert with mountains on both side of the range to test the frequencies of sounds made by World War II weapons. Microphones were placed 60 yards (55 m) behind and 60 yards in front of the gun to test the echoes. This was later replicated and developed in the studio for the game software. It means that players will be able to pinpoint a sniper rifle shot, as it reflects off them, as well as hearing the initial 'pop' of a hand grenade blowing up and then the grenade's loud "whoosh" sound that begins where the grenade blew up, and ends behind the player. The flux system also combines with the occlusion system.^[29]

Marketing

The first trailer for the game premiered on Xbox Live on June 21, 2008,^[30] and arrived on PlayStation Network five days later.^[31] A beta of the game's online multiplayer mode was released for the Xbox 360 on October 10, 2008.^[32] A PC version of the beta was later released on October 28, 2008.^[33] Those who pre-ordered the game at GameStop, GAME and EB Games in Australia or North America or who are members of the Call of Duty official website were given codes which allowed them to download both beta versions of the game.^[34]

Coinciding with the release of the game, McFarlane Toys produced four action figures. Three are different varieties of US Marine Corps infantry, and the fourth is a British Special Ops soldier.^[35]

A collector's edition of World at War was released on November 11, 2008 in North America and November 14, 2008 in Europe.^[36] It includes several bonus items, among them a stainless steel canteen imprinted with the Call of Duty series logo and a metal storage tin. The collector's edition also gives the player access to an unlockable weapon and the opportunity to earn double experience points in the online multiplayer mode, as well as a specially colored clan tag to denote the player's VIP status. This edition of the game is only available for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 platforms.^[37]

Downloadable content

On February 26, 2009, an update was made available to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as the addition of a new multiplayer map, Makin Day. The update included several bug fixes which removed glitches in several multiplayer maps and player movements, and provided more information in the stats display.^[38] The Makin Day map was released for Microsoft Windows on February 6, 2009 in the downloadable patch 1.2. Makin Day has a similar layout as the existing Makin map,^[39] but includes subtle changes such as daylight, reflected in the tide being out along the shoreline as well as some reworked areas of the map.^[39]

Screenshot of the gameplay in Verrückt Nazi Zombies game

On February 10, 2009, Activision and Treyarch announced that downloadable content (DLC) was under development for World at War, entitled Map Pack 1. This first installment of DLC includes four new multiplayer maps: Nightfire takes place in the ravaged streets of Berlin, Knee Deep involves several destructible Japanese fortifications, and Station consists of the damaged remnants of a U-Bahn (underground rapid transit system). The fourth map, Verrückt (German: crazy, mad), is an additional map to the Nazi Zombies mode, and includes new weapons and power-ups intended to expand the experience. In Verrückt, the four players are separated into pairs. The pairs must then unlock more rooms to turn on the power, moving the door separating the players. Electric barriers, perk machines, and bouncing betties were objects and traps added to the map. Perk machines were included to give players a multiplayer perk until they go down, including "Sleight of Hand", "Double Tap"', and "Juggernaut". A new perk was introduced, "Quick Revive", which allows a player to revive other players faster.

Map Pack 1 was released on March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, while the Windows version received the DLC along with an update on April 9, 2009.^[40] Reports stated that Map Pack 1 sold over 1 million copies in the first week of availability, setting an Xbox Live record for the number of downloads in a week.^[41] It was also the first zombie map in which the characters spoke. This feature was used along with messages written on walls in the maps to establish a small story about the zombies hidden in the maps.

On April 30, 2009, Activision and Treyarch announced Map Pack 2, which was released on June 11. This DLC contains an additional four multiplayer maps: Banzai takes place deep in enemy territory, Corrosion involves a dilapidated Russian train yard, and Sub Pens features a bombed-out submarine pen. The fourth map Shi No Numa (Japanese: "死の沼" marsh of death), popularly known as "Zombie Swamp", is an additional Nazi Zombies map and features a Red Army soldier, a Wehrmacht soldier, an Imperial Army soldier, and a Marine Raider, fighting against undead Japanese soldiers. The map introduced "Hellhounds" as new enemies. This map is the first zombie map to allow the players to leave the structure they are in and explore the surrounding swamp. This map also adds a new trap, dubbed "The Flogger", which is two spiked, rotating logs, and the zip line, which transports players quickly from one location to another. Map Pack 2 added ten new achievements or trophies.

On July 20, 2009, Activision and Treyarch announced that Map Pack 3 would be released August 6, 2009. This DLC will also consist of three new multiplayer maps and a new Nazi Zombies map. The three multiplayer maps are Battery, which takes place on an armored island somewhere in the Pacific surrounded by anti-ship mines, This map was based of off Fort Drum (El Fraile Island) in the Philippines, Breach, which is set in the overcrowded streets of Berlin, Germany. The third multiplayer map is called Revolution, which is based on an industrialized city in Russia. The new zombie map will be called Der Riese (German: The giant). It will be based in some type of factory environment in which players must fend off zombies,^[42] with access to teleportals and a machine which allows players to modify and upgrade their weapons by means of a machine called "Pack A Punch Machine".^[42] As with the previous pack, Map Pack 3 added another ten achievements or trophies.

Other versions

Nintendo DS

Main article: Call of Duty: World at War (DS)

The graphics and gameplay shown on the Nintendo DS version

Call of Duty: World at War was released for the Nintendo DS on November 11 2008 in North America,^[43] and on November 14 in Europe.^[44] It was published by Activision and developed by n-Space, who used the same game engine as their previous title, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.^[45] The game's scenarios are also based on World War II's Pacific theater and Eastern front with American, British and Soviet campaigns.^[43] Up to four players can be supported online with four different types of game, as well as perks and rank-ups.^[45] Compared to Modern Warfare, it has improved in-level geometry, has more responsive sprints and crouches and 3D-modeled guns instead of 2D sprites.^[45] However the flamethrower, which is new to the game series, is rendered with 2D sprites.^[45] The framerate is just under 30 and has lots of voice-over during the missions.^[46] Players are able to defuse mines and send Morse code with the touch screen, as well as using mortar rounds, an anti-air gun from a battleship, parachuting and using mounted guns.^[45] There is also a tank mode which allows the player to turn the main gun and fire machine gun rounds at the same.^[45]

PlayStation 2

Main article: Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts

The PlayStation 2 version, titled Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts, differs significantly from the main versions. Developed by Rebellion Developments,^[5] Final Fronts features 13 missions set near the end of World War II and provides a "companion experience" to World at War. Aside from the two U.S. campaigns in the Pacific and Eastern Europe, Final Fronts also includes a third campaign involving the British advance on the Rhine River. The U.S. campaign follows Pvt. Miller and the squad from World at War, but here Miller is of the 2nd Marines Division, instead of the 1st. It goes in and around his missions from World at War. The Western Europe campaign is from the perspective of Lucas Gibson, of the American 80th Infantry Division. His missions are located in Luxembourg and Austria. Most of the Europe campaign, the player controls Pte. Tom Sharpe of the British 6th Airborne. The PlayStation 2 version, however, does not feature Nazi Zombies. The melee attack is not a knife slash or stab, but simply a hit from the butt of the gun. Like other versions, the game includes a flamethrower and a tank mission, but the latter is on-rails rather than free roaming. The tank mission is from the perspective of a tank gunner named Alex.^[47]

Reception

[hide] Reception
Review scores Publication Score DS PC PS2 PS3 Xbox 360 Wii Game Informer 8.75/10[48] 8.75/10[48] GameSpot 8.5/10[49] 8.5/10[49] 8.5/10[49] 8.5/10[49] GameTrailers 8.7/10[50] 8.7/10[50] 8.7/10[50] 8.2/10[51] IGN 8.3/10[52] 9.2/10[53] 4.5/10[54] 9.2/10[53] 9.2/10[53] 8.0/10[55] Official Nintendo Magazine 92%[56] Official Xbox Magazine 7.5/10[57] PC Gamer UK 77%[58] X-Play 4/5[59] Aggregate scores Game Rankings 78.54%[60] 84.11%[61] 84.67%[62] 85.44%[63] 83.65%[64] Metacritic 75[65] 83[66] 85[67] 84[68] 83[69]

Call of Duty: World at War has received generally positive reviews. The game currently holds a 84% aggregate score for the Xbox 360 version and a 85% aggregate score for the PlayStation 3 version at Metacritic.^[67][68][70]

IGN applauded the developer Treyarch for its decision to stage World at War in the Pacific theater of World War II, but also noted that the scope of the campaign hurt the continuity of the plot, with some missions taking place several years after others and disrupting the flow of the narrative. The addition of a co-op mode was also complimented as helping to increase the game's replayability, and the multiplayer mode was described as "definitely an area where World at War shines." IGN concluded that World at War was a "solid, confident shooter with plenty to offer the casual and hardcore alike."^[53]

Official Xbox Magazine's main criticism was that Treyarch had not expanded upon the success of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but had instead created a "play-it-safe sequel" that used elements of Call of Duty 4 but added "nothing noteworthy of its own." Other flaws pointed out by the reviewer included the lack of excitement in the campaign storyline and the few differences between the Pacific theater missions and European theater missions, stating "you could just be marching through another European town with a lot more trees." Overall, the game was described as being more like an expansion pack in the Call of Duty series rather than a full game.^[57]

GameSpot praised the darker, grittier portrayal of the World War II settings, but at the same time noted that the game used "well-worn source material." Some positive points noted by the reviewer include the "well-acted dialogue" of the characters Sgt. Roebuck and Sgt. Reznov, as well as the solid and fast-paced single player/co-op campaign. Describing the game as a whole, the reviewer stated that by returning to the World War II setting, "World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence."^[49]

1UP.com noted the significantly increased graphic violence and gore (even over the M-rated Call of Duty 4) as a positive improvement in realism saying, "While enemies died en masse in previous installments, dismemberment and gore were essentially nonexistent. That's no longer the case - here, legs are severed, men cry out in agony as they reach for lost body parts, and gouts of blood fly as bullets pierce flesh." and that "World at War portrays the horror of WWII more accurately than ever before, and it even comes across as almost too much at times...until you remember that real servicemen actually witnessed similar events."^[71]

Awards

The Wii version of Call of Duty: World at War was awarded Best Shooting Game for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards.^[72]

Sales

Call of Duty: World at War was the second best-selling game for November 2008 in the United States, selling over 1.41 million units.^[73] The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were the second and ninth best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 1.33 million and 533,000 copies respectively.^[74] The Xbox 360 version was the sixth best-selling game of 2008, selling in excess of 2.75 million copies.^[74] The Wii version ranked as the 19th best-selling game and the seventh best-selling Wii game of December 2008 in the United States.^[75] It received particular interest in the United Kingdom, where it doubled the amount of first-week sales compared to Modern Warfare on the PS3 and Xbox 360.^[76] It also became the third fastest-selling video game in the UK behind Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.^[77] As of June 2009, Call of Duty: World at War has sold over 11 million copies.^[78]

References

1. ^ "Call of Duty: World at War". GameFaqs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/data/944199.html. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
2. ^ ^{a b} Andy Robinson (2008-06-09). "News: Call of Duty: World at War - first details in OXM". Computer and Video Games. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=190547. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
3. ^ Call of Duty: World at War PC Patch + Map Pack 2! – Sponsored by Treyarch & GGL
4. ^ Call of Duty: World at War PC Updates
5. ^ ^{a b} Thorsen, Tor (September 4, 2008). "World at War raging November 11, beta incoming". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/callofduty5/news.html?sid=6197246&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title;3. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
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