Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Activisions popular World War 2 franchise is back in next-gen form with Call of Duty 3, and while it may not be drastically changed from previous titles, the effects, Multiplayer and visuals are stellar enough to satisfy any fan.

The game is set in 1944 Normandy after the beach landings. Next goal? Liberation of Paris. Like the previous Call of Duty games, players will go through 3 campaigns that have now been re routed from the almost standard Russian, American and British. Although you do play as the Americans and British, the campaigns now include the Canadian and Polish armies. Unlike previous games, I could not favor one campaign over the other. All battles have such a fast pacing and overwhelming movement without playing similarly to one another. A small story element was thrown in the campaigns as well which unfortunately, I could of done without. The Brits and the french are always barking dull insults at each other, an "under dog" Canadian radioman is intent on proving his courage, and the annual "tough-as-nails" American Sergeant saves the day. Either way, the dialogue will get boring.


The first thing that stands out are the visuals, the 360's power is at full force and showing everything. the stunning graphics and effects such as explosions and gun fire almost drop the player into the war. Attention to detail has been severely upgraded leaving every bullet hole a perminent mark in combat. Complimenting the graphics is a top-notch sound design, of course, knowing activision this is no surprise. The amazing orchestral score that is Call of Duty has been returned in full form and better than ever. The pacing of the music is toned to the heat of the battle, the larger the scale of the fight, the more up-beat tune you get. Soldiers are always communicating to you and other squad-mates that glorifies the realism. The boundaries are still set in the game, if you wander to far a mine will make short work of you.


A new combat system has been added in that some may find annoying while myself found it rather innovative. At random points in the game a German soldier will appear when you least expect it where you will dual and struggle to eliminate each other. In reality however, you're just consecutively pushing the two trigger buttons and a final hit to finish him off. These moments will be rare in the game and almost seemed like they were thrown in for a flashy effect. It can also get frustrating when you slip up on your pattern of trigger pushes and are punished by an unexpected death, spawning you back at a checkpoint and leaving you wondering why you died over something that's a small portion of combat.

Tanks are a traditional part in the Call of Duty series, this one included. They are still, however, very aggrivating. Often you'll find yourself being shelled and have no idea where it's coming from until you finally figure it out after a dozen deaths. Your tank crew gets killed too fast leaving you to fend for yourself at many points. Sometimes you'll be faced with about 3 or 4 enemy tanks and only you to destroy them. When being hit, the screen goes blurry imitating human vision, it takes a while to get back into focus but by this time you're already taking a barrage of shells, leaving you virtually blind. Jeeps are also driven at various points in the game. I enjoyed this much more than tank combat as you try to dodge fire from every which way and seeing Germans bounce off the windshield. The controls are surprisingly good, focusing on the trigger button to accelerate and the analogs to control, expect to crash at the beginning but once you get the hang of it, it's a nice alternative to walking. There's also a sequence where your squad is crossing a river and a tiny row boat is your only means of doing so. Of course, you won't be just sitting by hoping a mortar round doesn't land on you, you will be helping your squad row by turning the analog sticks half-way and back up again, prepare to do this part several times, the example that's shown is a little mis-leading.

More small additions are available such as planting bombs is no longer a matter of pointing and clicking, you must now press certain buttons to put together different parts of it, much like a game of "Simon says" it's nifty yes, but it's neutral on a fun scale.

Your squad-mates aren't the brightest of the bunch. They do take cover, throw grenades to clear out rooms and flank enemy positions, but they also stand in doorways blocking your path and run straight into enemy gun-fire. Infact, they would keep doing this until you eliminated the threat. Example, there is a machine gun nest on the top of a hill, a soldier runs right for it and gets mowed down, another soldier spawns from no where and does the same, this routine will keep playing out until you eventually take out the nest. Other than those small complaints, they can be life-saving at times.

Multiplayer this year is even more intense and improved upon. 24 players can now battle it out on 9 maps in game modes such as capture the flag, Deathmatch, Team-Deathmatch and Headquarters (One team attempts to destroy the other teams randomly placed radio and vise versa) But wait, it gets better. Vehicles are also an excellent bonus, added are Jeeps, Motorcycles and Tanks that differ according to either Axis and Allies. Different classes are also available, medics offer the power to heal downed team-mates engineers specialize in explosives and Support gives ammo to those in need. Promotions can also be attained the more kills you get in a round. All this and achievements will keep Call of Duty 3 in your disk tray for some time.


Believe me when I say, this is a true sequal worthy of your money. The multiplayer is better than ever and single player is still an edge of your seat experience. I have no doubt that if your a fan, you'll love it, for those who aren't however, don't expect to be converted.