Call of Duty: World at War (hereafter referred to with the gibberish noise ‘Codwaw’) is a game about personal touches. Now, when we say ‘personal touches’, you might think we're referring to its visual fidelity and meticulous attention to detail. Sure that's a factor, but we could just be talking about the way the combat requires a more personal touch from you (like shish kabobbing up a storm with your trusty bayonet). You may even think that the term ‘personal touches’ relates to the way Treyarch has included not only online four player co-op, but some old school split-screen multiplayer action too.
True, extra multiplayer options are always welcome, but a better ‘personal touch’ is the way Treyarch decided to include an awesome unlockable survival horror mode. Finally, you might even be under the impression that ‘personal touches’ is what some hardcore fans will give themselves when they rediscover the ocular orgasm that is the Cod4 engine. Yep, that is exactly what we meant...
Duty just called. Will YOU accept the charges?
Speaking plainly, Codwaw has been an uphill battle for the developers. Despite their minor, largely ignored, successes with Call of Duty 3, these guys have been living squarely in the shadow of 'the good Call of Duty developer' Infinity Ward (the talented team which brought us Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare). Besieged by rabid fanboys and horny Infinity Ward groupies, Treyarch has also had to deal with the bitching of yet another group of idiots; the cry babies who cringe at the sight of 'yet another WWII game’. Take it from us, life ain't easy when you're named Treyarch. But God bless ‘em, despite all the odds being against their favour they've managed to Semper Fi and knock the sceptics and the sheep out of the ballpark with this very worthy addition to the hallowed Cod series. How did they manage to do it? By sticking to what works...
Like the WWII Call of Duty games before it, Codwaw's narrative jumps between two very different stories on two separate battlefronts. The first covers the exploits of Private Miller of the US Marines as the he goes head to head against the very unconventional Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific. The second storyline follows Pvt Petrenko, a Russian sniper in Stalingrad who rips off every cool scene from the movie Enemy at the Gates, before he decides to whip the sour Krauts all the way back to Berlin.
