Call of Duty (PS3) Review
Posted by Andrew Mellick on 12.13.2006
The latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise has hit the beaches of the PS3, but can it make it up the hill or is it dead in the water?
I have personally never played any games in the Call of Duty series before, so when this little bundle showed up on my doorstep I was excited but also a little concerned. I was excited to finally give this series a whirl on one of the most powerful consoles ever but I was concerned for two reasons. One I’ve played other war games before and become supremely frustrated with how difficult and repetitive they can be. I didn’t want to have to spend 45 minutes pinned down behind an overturned truck taking headshots every time I blinked in the name of “realism”. I’m sure war is hell, but I don’t want to play in it. Secondly, I’ve always been on the fence about WWII games. I, as I’m sure many of you, had relatives that fought and died in that war. There is something that always turned my stomach about playing a game based on one of the most gruesome times in this history of the world.
For those of you out there who are grizzled veterans of the trenches of Call of Duty fear not. I was able to get some time with a few people who share your passion and gave me some insight as to what I should look for in this latest incarnation.
On with the show!
Here’s the story. Taking place in 1944, the game starts with a successful land on the beaches of France. Now the battle really begins as the allies’ have to complete their main objective which is to get Germany out of France and free Paris. You are placed in the boots of many different soldiers throughout the game, seeing action while fighting side by side with American, British, Canadian, and Polish soldiers.
All these angles give a very unique and engrossing perspective on one of the biggest turning points in WWII, Normandy.
Graphics
The graphics in this game are awesome. They really do show what next generation games should look like. The facial features are expressive and match with the subtle movements of the hands and body of soldiers. No overly exaggerated hand gestures are needed. The faces of characters can actually convey their emotion. This makes a big difference in how the game feels.
The landscape is jagged and torn by the effects of many hours of battle. Some vehicles are in flames while others have bullet holes and a few are completely unscathed. Buildings are tattered and covered with dirt and debris. Bodies of fallen soldiers are strewn about in a vast array of positions and expressions. This setting really does show the bleak nature of war.
Machine guns fire as empty cartridges fly out of your gun. Smoke grenades go off and smoke actually billows like smoke does in real life! A grenade goes off as you hit the ground and watch as dirt scatters for 50 feet; as realistic as you can imagine. Rain falls and water ripples as you crawl through the wavy grass that lines the shore of some out of the way river.
All these elements combine to create a truly beautiful and horrific picture. Interactive environments receive damage making the battlefield ever-changing. Bottom line, the landscape is a living entity. It changes and shifts and can be your alley or enemy.
Gameplay
The game is a first person shooter so you know what you’re in for. Lots of getting behind cover, popping up, taking out a few soldiers, go back down and get your health back. You get the idea. However, the creative environments and ease of controls make this a fun experience.
I finally got to see the motion sensor in action on the PS3. Picture it; you’re out of ammo, overrun by soldiers, don’t have a prayer, what can you do? Just start moving the right side of your controller forward like your butting the soldier with it. Your character will respond with a gun butt from his weapon of choice. This motion is incredibly responsive and fits in perfect for a game like this. Seeing as it’s a move that would be done in frustration, it is fun to swing your controller wildly, yelling expletives at your Nazi foes.
The only control issue I had was with the grenades. You simply press and hold R1 to pull the pin and release when the grenade is at the point you want before it blows up. However, there is no arch shown. This means, if you are trying to get the grenade into a window or over a hill, it turns into a battle of trial and error; this can waste a lot of grenades and can cause some accidental deaths of your allied buddies.
Sound
In a war game, sound is extremely important as to convey the ambiance of real battle. Call of Duty is really able to capture what, I’m assuming, war sounds like.
You’ll hear as empty cartridges clink off of stone floor, grenades explosions sending clumps of dirt thudding to the ground, and soldiers screaming out orders in foreign tongues.
What is really well done is how gunfire sounds. Seeing as CoD3 boasts 19 different guns, covering everything from pistols and machine guns to sniper rifles and anti aircraft, the necessity of each weapon having a distinct sound is a must.
Some machine guns fire loudly and have a slightly slower firing rate; others are faster but fire more erratically and make more of a buzzing sound. Some rifles shoot a more muffled shot, while others make a loud cracking sound when fired. You get the idea; these distinctions make each gun its own unique experience with pros and cons.
Lasting Appeal
So the campaign is over and you have won the day. There is not much else to do in single player. So what’s a boy (or girl) to do with this game you just blew your hard earned scratch on? Why, take your war to the World Wide Web of course.
The online play for CoD3 is solid; you can try your hand at Battle, Team Battle, Capture the Flag and more. Online play boasts 9 maps located in everything from blown out cities and factories, to sprawling countryside.
The menus are easy to use and well designed. CoD3 makes it simple to jump in and start fighting for your country. The only problem is, due to the fact that there are so few PS3’s out there, you will be lacking in fellow allies and axis to battle.
Fun factor
Overall CoD3 is a blast.
For a first timer like me the games difficulty was well balanced. The learning curve wasn’t too steep as the game does well to ease you into the battles.
I was impressed with the games visuals and controls. The cut scenes are right in the game, creating a realistic feel with nonstop action. On top of all that, the sounds of gunfire, and enemy cries really helps to bring the environment to life.
As for my conscience, I feel like it is clean, after playing this game I actually have more respect for what these guys went through. There was a point after my plane went down and I was lying on the ground with a bunch of other guys who parachuted out and I couldn’t move but I could see as I watched a German soldier go through the bodies and kill anyone alive. He got to me and I was freaked because I couldn’t move and then another soldier shot him from the undergrowth behind me.
Now, I’m not even trying to compare the death of a character in a video game to staring death in the face on a battlefield. I am saying that this game portrays the horrors and fears of war better than anything that I have ever seen. It really does justice to just what a hellish experience war must be.
Graphics
9.0
Amazing visuals and interactive environments make for a living, breathing battle field.
Gameplay
8.0
The gameplay is simple and fun. I was not a fan of the grenade system though.
Sound
9.0
Developers did an incredible job capturing every sound from how a particular gun sounds when fired, to subtle splashes in a babbling brook.
Lasting Appeal
7.5
The single player is fun, but there is not much need for too many play throughs and the lack of competition does cause the solid online effort to suffer.
Fun Factor
8.5
This game is a lot of fun. A few parts were a bit frustrating but easy to overlook when taking into account the entire game.
