So the time has come for yet another Call of Duty game, this one by Treyarch the developer behind World at War. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I wasn’t super excited for this game because guess what I was. But don’t worry in a couple of months I will be bitching about it as much as I bitched about Modern Warfare 2, but that’s another review. This post is only going to go through the campaign and what I thought about it. Tomorrow I’ll go into more details about the Mulitplayer and what I like and don’t like about that.
Gameplay – 10 out of 10
Nothing really new in the gameplay department from what I could see, I did feel a bit more sluggish than I did in Moder Warfare but nothing horrible. Just like most FPS nothing out of the ordinary here. The new guns were fantastic additions to the game as well. Using explosive darts or Valkyrie missiles are just to name a few.
Graphics – 9 out of 10
I will give it to Treyarch on this one, they graphics were outstanding. They really honed in on the facial expressions and it was the scenery was just amazing. There were a few parts where people would walk-through each other so collision detection wasn’t always there but overall they did a bang up job.
Story – 8 out of 10
The story was very engaging and very dark. Something I had not seen in a Call of Duty game before. From brain washing to assassination attempts you are thrown into a roller coaster of a ride. They story did very good to grab you right from the beginning and keep you hooked. A lot of times I was playing through it I didn’t even notice what time it was. Now I will say comparing it to that of Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 I didn’t find the story as interesting but non the less this is a completely different game so comparing the stories side by side is pointless. Fact is I would have no problem sitting down and going through the story a few more times because I am sure I missed stuff.
Acting – 8 out of 10
With academy award nominees and winners such as Gary Oldman and Ed Harris would you expect anything less than an 8. With only a few minor cheesy moments overall the acting was great. I felt they were really part of the story and not just sitting in a room reading a script. I’ll even tip my hat off to Ice Cube for his role.
Length – 6 out of 10
No real surprise here as these games are built for multiplayer not single player. Never the less I still wanted more from the story, it really got me hooked and I wanted to learn more. I hope some of the DLC they are planning this next year also means more campaign stories.
Replayability – 10 out of 10
Like I said above, the story is engaging and you will want to play it a few times just in case you missed stuff. Also the weapons you get to run around with are always fun. One of my favorites was the explosive arrows you get to fire with a cross bow. The animations of the guy when you stick him are absolutely hilarious. I plan on going through the campaign a few more times not just for the trophies but also so I can play the story again. Also keep in mind the Zombie mode, a mode that you have unlocked right from the beginning and another map that you’ll unlock when you beat the game. This is something you should never get tired of and to this day people still rave about how great zombie mode was in World at War.
Difficulty – 8 out of 10
I did my play through on normal and there were some challenges through out the campaigns. One in particular is the Vietnam level where it seems as if you are fighting a never ending swarm of “charlies”. I can’t imagine what Veteran is going to be like as some of the levels you are just in the middle of so much crossfire it can get very intense. If you are use to other Call of Duty games I’d say Normal is probably the route you could go. But if you are really looking for that challenge Hardened or Veteran has your name on it.
Overall – 8.4 out of 10
Just like most Call of Duties the campaign will not disappoint. You’ll be engaged the whole time with the story and it is a great seaway into multiplayer as you’ll have at least some experience with the weapons. If you are not a multiplayer fan then this is definitely a rental and you can have it beaten with in a week or less depending on how much you play. If you are Zombie fan you could probably get away with buying this game and have hours of fun playing with friends on the zombie modes. Expect a multiplayer review sometime this week.
