One word that defines this game is undoubtedly "epic". Call of Duty seems to have the knack of completely immersing you into the battlefield, making you feel as if you are literally one among the ranks of fighting infantry amid the gunfire of World War II.
A monumental addition to World at War is the co-op mode. The campaign is as action-packed and intense as ever, thus playing it with up to four other players is amazingly entertaining. The audio/visual presentation is simply astounding and pulls you right into the heart of the game. The overall game play is overly familiar but suffices in bringing satisfaction. However, once the campaign is exhausted, you'll be mainly occupied with the online game play which is the same in mechanics but intrinsically different in game play.
One amazing aspect of the online game play is its sheer versatility. Aside from the various multiplayer modes there are also the co-op modes. You can choose to play missions from the campaign alongside up to three other players either competitively (for a score based on multipliers) or non-competitively. Aside from these two co-op modes, there is also the “Nazi Zombies” mode which can serve to be a gratifying experience. In this mode you and three other players are stranded in a building that is being over run by animated corpses of the Wehrmacht, coming in increasingly difficult waves. As you take them down and fortify your position, you gain currency that you can use to buy weapons, upgrades, and ammo refills. Though it is a spectacular concept, it is rather quickly exhausted; but, it is greatly entertaining nonetheless.
As for the online multiplayer game play, it is undoubtedly quick paced as ever and "in your face" so to speak. However, certain issues present themselves here that aren't prevalent in the campaign section of the game. When it comes to intense player versus player action, little details can easily stem into pertinent issues. The game play provides satisfaction in and of itself; however, the methodology in which it accomplishes the game play can prove to be rather rigid. All the maps, weapons, perks, and heavy artillery mesh together into an experience that is indulgent in one way but bland in another. Indulgent due to the sheer scope of the matches, but bland in the quality of the opportunities you are provided with. A handful of maps are overly large due to the need to accommodate tanks. Though it is an appropriate addition given the world war theme, the usage of such heavy artillery as tanks can prove to fragment game play more than it is able to compliment it. Maps in general are extremely messy and often ambiguous, overly spacious in general, and and can be difficult to successfully navigate around at times. All this can either pose to be a challenge or a nuisance depending on the player and his/her preferred play style. The various fire arms at your disposal provide gratifying game play but do not seem to be properly balanced; as the machine gun is large, clunky, and an extreme encumbrance whereas the sub machine gun is light weight and provides quite an overly efficient movement fluidity in comparison, even if you are to take into account their respective damage/accuracy ratings. The rifle handles extremely well but can prove to be troublesome in keeping up with the automatic counter parts. Sniper rifles have been replaced with bolt action rifles and require you achieve a certain kill count before you are able to attach a scope. However, even if you have the patience to accomplish such a daunting task, attempting to land in a map half-decently suited for sniping can be an issue. This is mainly due to the way in which the maps have been constructed; sniping definitely has a reduced quality in this particular first person shooter. Do no expect to see many snipers, but rather quite a many opponents running around with MP40’s and Type 100 sub machine guns for instance.
In the end, World at War can prove to be quite entertaining and a genuine, refreshing experience; especially if you are touting the newest additions such as the flamethrower or bayonet. However, it is also the type of game that will have varied impacts depending on the taste of the player, especially when considering the online portion. If you are a fan of Modern Warfare, World at War will provide you with a fresh and addicting game play experience provided you can adjust to its nuances. Otherwise, you may find yourself occupying yourself with other titles once the majority of the game has been seen.
