Call of Duty is a WW2 shooter created to end all other WW2 shooters.  Its highly addictive gameplay, as well as its wonderful graphics engine blow games like Medal of Honor, and Battlefield 1942 out of the water.  Many times have developers tried to grasp the historical FPS and have failed, leaving games like The Deadly Dozen. But Call of Duty has players emerge themselves from the safety of boot camp to behind enemy lines during the deadly Normandy invasion.  

The game is set in the beginning stages of WW2, from the time of the American intervention.  You play first as a airborne paratrooper sent in to signal the rest of the allied air-force.  Once complete, the real hell breaks loose, and you are rejoined with your comrades in arms against a seemingly invincible foe.  After a few missions, you switch roles with a British soldier fighting along the road to victory, until then you play as a Russian.  But the real test of the Game’s abilities does not come until much farther in the game, when you start the Russian campaign and engage battle with the Krauts at Stalingrad .  The battle of Stalingrad is one of the most detailed, breathtaking sites I have ever seen in a shooter before.  The sheer wonder of it leaves me speechless as you witness the hundreds of weaponless Soviets charge up a hill to their inevitable doom.  Fans of the movie “Enemy at the Gates“, will be pleased at the games resemblance to the movie as well as it’s historical accuracy.  The Russian campaign also features the ability to drive a Soviet T-34 tank and conquer the measly foes that dare try to stop you.                       

What is truly great about this heavy combat focused game is the atmosphere.  Tanks rolling to the combat beside of you, luftwaffe aircraft pounding the land to shreds, machine gun nests blasting away at enemy ranks with its deafening whirr.  The game makes you feel like you are in the actual war, not some floating arms carrying a Springfield rifle.  Another feature that sets the uniqueness of the game is its heavy reliance on taking cover, and counting on your fellow soldiers.  Games like Medal of Honor left players wonder how a single man could take on the entire German army without a scratch.  It made you wonder why people even died in WW2 in the first place, since Medal of Honor made it seem so easy to kill thousands.  But Call of Duty features many teammates to battle along side with you, making the experience seem much more realistic.  

Another great aspect to the game is the beautiful level design.  The graphics are stunning, and seem almost realistic.  Something about the maps themselves, make it feel like you really want to play and not get bored.  That’s what I hate about many games. Getting bored, really fast.  And Call of Duty never becomes boring really fast.  There are many different things you can do in each level, making it a fun challenge deciding what strategy you want to utilize before entering a new area.  You could snipe from far away, knowing you have little health left.  You could replace your M1 Garand for a fast firing STG 44 and enter a room guns a blazing.  The possibilities are endless.                       

But look at me, ranting and raving about how good this game is when in fact there is its share of downsides.  One for instance, is no matter how much you try, beg, plead, or cry, the explosion effects will never change.  Every time you plant an explosive, see a bomb go off, or fire a Panzer Faust rocket launcher, the same large crystal shape explosion plumes from the wreckage.  Sometimes it can be real odd seeing the same explosion on two different targets at the same time.  Another con is the actual length of the game.  Depending on your skill, a moderate gamer can probably beat this game relatively quickly on an easier setting.  It can leave you begging for more after the measly 2 ½ hours are over.  You could replay the levels over again, but that can get repetitive.  Or better yet, you can engage in multiplayer, but can sometimes be hard for slower connections.  

Call of Duty has received high ratings and even higher recommendations and I full heartedly believe in all of those people’s judgment.  I can only speak great things about this wonderful WW2 shooter.  Call of Duty takes what most first person shooters try to be and create it into something worthwhile and enjoyable.  Except for its slightly short campaign, this title is by far the best WW2 game I have seen in a long time.