I, like countless people on the web, am here to review the game Call of Duty
by Infinity Ward. I can sum this game up in one word. Brilliant. Intense.
Awesome. Stunning. Oh, wait, that's four words. Of course, what you'll be
reading are my interpretations and opinions, but you already know that, having
read multiple reviews already.
There were a lot of mind-blowing moments, and some moments that made me
sweat, and even a couple of moments that made me say, "Huh?" In the end, I had a
feeling of accomplishment and pride, which is something that I usually don't
have at the end of a game. Because of that overwhelming feeling, I really liked
this game. But don't take my word on it (er,
words?), check out some of the screen shots.
German Anti-Aircraft Guns
Pick a word.
BRILLIANT
A look at the war from three different Allied perspectives was
brilliant. It allowed the player to see what it was like for the different
soldiers fighting in the war. As a behind-enemy-lines airborne operative for the
Americans, the player gets to experience some immediate action. As a British
soldier, the player gets to practice the art of stealth to finish a majority of
the missions. As a Russian soldier, the player must again rely on fast action to
fulfill the mission objectives.
Overall, the mission objectives are not always clear, but the user can always
find out what they need to accomplish for each level. There are many weapons
involved in this game from the four different armies. On many occasions, the
player is forced to pick up an enemy weapon because their own weapon has run out
of ammunition. This seems like a very realistic trait of the game, and was one
that made for a little bit of variety.
Russian Comrades Prepare
A majority of the action was made to feel realistic to the player. For instance,
I really felt like I was fighting with a bunch of guys at my side during those
large missions. I really felt like I was alone during my stealth missions. I
really felt like all my comrades were getting shot right next to me during the
Russian missions.
INTENSE
Defending a bridge with incoming Germans ALL OVER THE PLACE was
intense. The tanks are shooting. The infantry soldiers are showing up
everywhere, and they're not there to socialize. My weapons were getting low on
ammo. How do I pull this one off?
How about this one? You've got no weapon, only a clip of ammo. You have to run
up a hill to reclaim Stalingrad, with German machine-gunners laying down grazing
fire. Keep your ass low to the ground and find some cover. But hey, the Russians
were shooting each other if they took steps backward. As far as I could tell, a
clip was what a lot of men died holding.
Me And My Gun...Err...Clip
AWESOME
Getting to be a sniper for a while was awesome. A lot of times the
enemies would have their heads up over the top of their cover. One shot to the
helmet, and it literally flies off of their head. The soldier falls over dead.
That's all it takes. I was amused for the better part of an evening playing the
British campaign and popping enemies helmets off. Actually, you get to do it in
all of the campaigns, which is pretty cool.
Just Missed This Guy...
...Didn't Miss This Poor Sap Though
The reality of where you hit the enemy with your weapon, and how powerful your
weapon is, determines whether you actually kill the enemy with your shots. So,
if you hit your enemy in the gut with a low caliber weapon, they can still get
up and attack you. That makes sense. But, if you shoot them in the head, they
have a much harder time getting up because they're instantaneously dead. That
makes sense, too.
Running through the Reichstag to plant the Russian flag on the roof was purely
awesome. You get to see the room where Hitler gave his speeches. If I were just
a little smarter, I could tell you what the name of the room was, but I was just
a dumb Russian soldier who could shoot a rifle and drive a tank.
Hitler's Auditorium
STUNNING
The merger of the graphics and sound/music to provide the player with
a feeling of intense action going on all around is, in a word, stunning. There
was nothing as intense as hearing an incoming mortar whistle, and the picture on
the screen shaking when it goes off just a short distance away. It made my heart
thump extra hard, and that's not just because I've eaten too many cheeseburgers
this week.
In The Trenches
The pacing of some of the missions and the music involved also works to get the
pulse racing. It produces a sense of urgency in some cases, adding to the
overall gaming experience. The pacing of the game is sometimes so fast that the
player doesn't really have time to take a break and look around. Hey, those
trees and bombed out buildings look really cool, but the player would never know
because they never have the time to stop and look around. They're spending more
time trying to figure out what's around the next corner. I don't think that I
ever looked up at the sky the entire game. I hope it looked cool.
HUH?
Throughout the entire game there were only a few times where I said,
"Huh?" They mostly occurred in the Russian Campaign. During the first mission as
a Russian, they only give you a clip to fight with, and then shoot you because
you're not charging the Germans. Hey, if we've got enough guns to shoot each
other, give us guns to shoot the enemy. That's not rocket science. Heck, that's
not even remedial science, which is what I took in high school.
You Look Like Tank Commander Material
Another thing that made me scratch my head also occurred in the Russian
campaign. They're praising me for my abilities as a sniper. So what do they do?
They put me in charge of a tank. Then it hits me. Of course! Everyone who's good
at a sniper rifle should be in charge of a tank. What? Why? I have no idea. I
still don't. Must be why I had a hard time with remedial science in high school.
Actually, out of all the missions, I found the tank ones to be the most boring.
There just wasn't enough action or stealth for me.
German Tank Garage
Occasionally I'd see one of my own soldiers shooting at the enemy, but no sound
or bullets were coming from the gun. That was another "Huh?" moment. How can
they shoot somebody without actually firing their guns? They don't know, because
they're only AI. Plus, they can really take bullets when they need to. Some get
shot quite often, yet still run around and cover me. Are those forgivable game
traits? I say they are. Of course, I have a rather large willing suspension of
disbelief.
CONCLUSION
I liked this game. If you're into percentages, I give this game an
arbitrary percentage. If you're into stars, hey, it got some stars. If you're
into a rating, how's 483 out of 521? Play it. You might like it as much as I do.
