Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"All flash, no substance"

The thing is, I have actually reviewed CoD: WaW a LONG time ago, but after forming a much different, more negative opinion of it, I had my review deleted. It has still been quite a while before I finally got around to re-writing it like I did now. I am more of a fan of the original Call of Dutys, and personally wasn't too astonished by CoD4 (if you want to know why, just read my review of it). WaW has done some things even worse, but there were still some things that Treyarch managed to execute extremely well. This review is gonna be presented the way I presented my CoD4 review as that's how I see best fit for talking about these games.

The Good:

Moving back to WW2 was obviously a risky choice with the modern turn people have gotten used to in the fourth game, but I actually liked it. Many complain that there are too many WW2 shooters and not enough Modern Warfare games, but that's far from true. The only reason it feels that way is because MW games are always the same in plot (CoD4's setup was Holy(woodly) unoriginal), whereas WW2 games have more room for different theatres. You just never get it since too many of these games are US-Developed and so would only focus on the American Allied side. There are PLENTY of battles around the world that haven't even made it to gaming yet. While CoD5 doesn't introduce them, it does tackle war theatres that don't come around often; The Pacific War, and the Soviet Stand. These are certainly more interesting than yet another plot of stolen nukes in the Middle East aided by (God knows why) Russian villains.

You have to compliment the atmosphere of this game. Although nowhere near as horrific as these movies, the feeling of the levels will remind you a lot of moody films 'Flags of our Fathers' and 'Enemy at the Gates' (one level is based off it, like in COD1). It is partly due to the graphical improvement of the engine where everything is less colourful while still looking real enough. Weather effects are even better, with water splashing on the screen under a thunderous storm during a bloody battle. The intro vids while each level loads, are masterfully presented with a good feel of what to expect in the following level. Musical score certainly helps, with samples like its epic Soviet Choir and creepy hymn in the main menu. There is so much stronger feeling of the gloom that is war, that atmosphere in the campaign is every bit as convincing and dark as the Nazi Zombie mode you unlock at the end. The storyline here is filled with very realistic characters, and I cannot forget Reznov and Chernov in the Russian campaign. They give a strong feeling of reality, and unlike before, I was a bit saddened when a character died.

Gameplay is familiar and will definitely remind you of the previous instalments, but it manages not to feel totally the same. I have noticed bigger physics improvement, and bayonet combat does bring up a whole new level of intensity, and burning up the environment or corpses with the new flamethrower weapon is very beautiful in an ugly way. The tank level has some feature of destructibility which you don't see in many vehicle-based games. Throwing around mortar bombs by hand in the final level did have an odd feel to it but never ceased to be hugely entertaining. I also must mention the awesome 'Black Cats' mission, clearly inspired by 'Death From Above' but instead is so much better and has more replay value. But the biggest addition to the series is by far, the gore. If you have a shotgun or a machine gun, limbs will fly right off enemies with blood gushing right out as they reach for their wounds under pain. The detail put into an AI's dismembered body is so big that this must NOT be played by children. It will certainly be entertaining for many, but Treyarch has done a competent job of realising the horror of war through this level of bloodshed. It's not Painkiller entertainment; it REALLY shows you how graphic war can be. You'll certainly find it fun, but you'll also be disturbed by the fact that it isn't even close to the real thing.

The Bad:

The biggest problem I have with War Games these days is the insensitive depiction of foreigners as completely evil while US Nationalism is glorified. While I could accept that at the beginning of the 21st Century when games were still young, it's become annoying to constantly face this kind of experience (being Non-US American). In WAW, the Japanese are portrayed in the most sadistic, demonically evil manner I have ever seen in a game. It's not that I have too big a problem fighting them while playing as US Soldiers (Again!) – They certainly make exciting opponents if documented well – but here, they are just dumbly suicidal and completely inhuman monsters that deserve everything they get, with your own characters shouting racist remarks at them. Granted, the Japanese Army in WW2 was responsible for some HORIFFIC attrocities not neccessarily based in the Pacific only, but they were still human beings unlike the way they are presented here. At least even Infinity Ward is more considerate than that. The first level intro had a very distasteful way of making the Japs look about as remorseful as a Disney villain while an American POW whose throat is about to be split shows all defiance, and no fear even when he gets a lit cigar stuck in his eye (I smell a 48-star Flag waving). And the Germans don't seem much better. Apparently every one of the foes you face in combat is a Nazi, and not ordinary soldiers like the 'Wehrmacht' which are the ones your Soviet comrades always seem to execute like shameless murderers, with only one character regarding those actions as inhumane.

As usual the campaign is short, and while you get more replay value with the zombie mode, the search for hidden 'death cards' won't be so appealing unless you play the multiplayer. Short campaigns can definitely be saved if the storyline in them is good. While there is a story to this game's campaign, you really get two separate ones that don't bear any relation to one another whatsoever: one Pacific, and one Eastern Front. Therefore it's best to review them on their own merits. The EF was pretty good with those awesome characters I mentioned; Reznov and Chernov and actually had a bit of heart and development. But the Pacific one was absolutely shallow; all I saw was that intro scene where you're saved from certain execution only too late for the flag-waving-throat-slit-patriot-with-a-cigarette-in-his-eye, then you fight in different islands, losing two of your squad members along the way with an ending dialogue acknowledging the horror of the Marine's ordeal, but of course no real acknowledgement for the 'inhuman' Japanese soldiers.

While at least the single-player was fun, besides the really one-sided black/white image of World War 2, the multiplayer kinda lacked what I previously enjoyed. CoD4's multiplayer was a real highlight, and IMO the only big reason to get that game. WaW re-introduced the familiar formula with a couple of vehicles. In some ways, it's a good and bad thing; you are still getting the same phenomenal experience as you did before while fighting against fellow players, whether it be online or LAN. On the other hand, what was really suited to an experience of more modern warfare really feels out of place for the WW2 setting. It certainly does not quite fit in the same way the multiplayer style did in Red Orchestra.

Conclusion:

I certainly found the campaign to be a lot more atmospherically engaging, intense and believable than before. It's good to see that it includes the Theatres that don't always involve around the over-used D-Day, even if it sticks to locations we have already fought in in WW2 games before. Nevertheless, its ethically un-balanced and somewhat glorified portrayal won't be too appealing to every Japanese and German-speaking gamer who loves playing single-player a lot. It is certainly one of the better Call of Dutys in the last few years, and at this stage might be worth the dropped price from what it cost when it first came out. Just be sure to take it for what it is, and you might find big enjoyment in playing it.