After the colossal success of COD 4: Modern Warfare, many people wondered if the developers of COD could outdo themselves. Spoiler alert, they did with COD: World at War only a year later. Developed by Treyarch and released in 2008, World at War is set during World War 2, and it blew my mind.

The campaign mode is just as amazing as the multiplayer mode, and it comes with icing on the cake: the Nazi zombie mode. World at war is compatible with PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360 consoles. Simply put, three stages were split into 13 missions which get progressively harder as you go on.

Vivid Imagery And Gameplay

Coming off the contemporary setting of Modern warfare, Treyarcs took a huge risk taking us back to the early 1900s. The first great thing is the opening montage. It uses real-life footage, which simultaneously gives you a history lesson and makes you forget that you are going into a game.

There are two basic modes called the American campaign and the Soviet campaign. In the American campaign, you wake to the torture and execution of your team of US Marine just before another team of marines rescues you. You plan and execute an assault on Peleliu with them, then proceed to Japanese-held Okinawa.

The Soviet campaign begins again with you being the sole survivor of a gory assault by the German troops. You play dead and watch soldiers being killed off around you before being saved by Sergeant Viktor Reznov. You war with Reznov and his men, cheating death multiple your 13 deadly missions. The American and Soviet campaigns were divided into 13 missions, namely: Semper Fi, Little Resistance, Hard landing, Vendetta, Their land, their blood, Burn them out, relentless, blood and iron, a ring of steel, eviction, black cats, blowtorch & corkscrew, breaking point, the heart of reich and downfall.

Immersive Soundtrack That Keeps You Going

There is nothing like a great score to immerse you into the world war ranging from somber music to the aggressive rock guitar riff that gives you that edge of danger and keeps you going. The score punctuates every stage of the gameplay and matches the dark tone perfectly—spooky music when you are stuck with Nazi zombies that won’t stop making one jump.

Asides from the score, occlusion was used extensively in this version of COD. This brought great depth and reality to the world, creating muffled shots, sniper shots, and echoes that show dimension. Another dimension-defining feature was the tracking of footstep around the player. You can distinguish between footstep sounds from behind, beside, above, or otherwise. There was a scene where you got to take down warships over the ocean, and you could tell the different distinct sounds of the water.

Pace That Keeps You At The Edge Of Your Seat

It is easy to get bored in many action games because of the monotony of the campaigns, but World at war avoids that trap. It plunges you into the depths of the action and comes up with great surprises along the way that keeps you on your toes. The enemies will keep coming at you if you stay stationary, which compels you to always advance and go into the heat of the assault.

The enemy is always coming at you in different ways. Unlike previous versions, they don’t just run and shoot at you. The Japanese soldiers often use Banzai charges and guerilla tactics that stun you during attacks. You would think you are walking in a clear area until a wave of armed soldiers dressed in camouflage swarm your unit, causing major damage.

Every game level gives the flexibility and expansiveness you would expect from COD but balances it with the pressure that keeps your blood pumping. There are multiple entries and exits around you and multiple routes to execute your task.

Topnotch Close To Realistic Graphics 

It would be an injustice not to write about the insane graphics of World at War. It is still referred to as the most graphic and gory COD to date. You see chunks of meat flying out the head of soldiers, and you also get to inflict your own ‘slow-motion’ sniper shots.

Players are so in tune with the game’s feel because it makes the world feel real. You see the streets of Soviet cities burning and covered in smoke, then begging to float in rafts and taking out massive warships. All this happens with little or no noticeable glitches.

The Nazi Zombie Campaign

This is probably the best part of the game that no one saw coming. I’m sure Treyarch did not expect it to be as successful as it was, and it has become a staple ever since in the COD franchise. This level can only be unlocked by finishing the campaigns; just after the ending credit lies an even better campaign to go through. You are to protect yourself and your team from a nonstop wave of Nazi zombies. 

Two simple maps which leave you stuck amid zombies. The need to survive and barricade yourself from the zombie gives you access to special ammo and bombs.

An Incredibly Impressive Weapons Locker

True to the time, the weapon locker of the world at war had some vintage weaponry from rifles such as the M1A1 Carbine, SVT-40, and the STG-44 to the classic Walther P38 and M9A Bazooka. There is even the option to use an M2 flamethrower.

I have never seen some of the guns in this locker, even in movies, which shows how much detail went into designing this weapons locker. The nature of these guns made it harder to take clear and precise aim. At first, this was a frustrating experience, especially coming from the precise ammunition in the previous version. This makes you a better shot after every try. As you rise in rank, you gain access to better weapons you would need in further missions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, World at War is a well-written, graphically appealing, and fast-paced action experience. It is very grounded in reality and depicts the horrors of war in the most direct, unpretentious way. I felt like I was a  real part of it with an intense booths-on-the-ground technique.