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Print"Call of Duty 3"
Realistic imagery brings to life a cast of characters, battles and more.
Publisher: Activision, Infinity Ward
Price: $16-$24
Game systems: PlayStation 3, XBox 360
Rating: *****
Prior to the release of Activision’s third WWII adventure, we gamers were told that Activision’s overnight superstar series was taking a turn for the brutal, that “CoD 3” would bring us closer to the frontlines than ever before. They were telling the truth.
“CoD 3”, contrary to other, more long-ranged shooters before it, focused on whites-of-their-eyes, up-close-and- personal warfare. It’s the most cinematic game I think I’ve ever played, even more so than its successor. I could instantly tell how much better it looks than “CoD 2.” Soldiers’ faces are really alive; colors and reflections shimmer with a kind of vibrancy that simply wasn’t there before.
Plus, there are now hand-to-hand and rifle-to-rifle engagements.This game and its granddaddy, “World at War,” both fall into the category of putting a brand-new shine on something we didn’t think could get any better, but wouldn’t you know that it sure can. This is especially true of “WaW,” only in a more edgy and violent light did it unfold. “CoD 3” also focuses on a single campaign (Normandy Breakout), which sounds boring at first, and perhaps gets to be that way later in the game. But it ended up making me realize that Jerry was a lot tougher than anyone really let me know.
“CoD 3” follows the more straightforward, urbanized American campaign, the daunting, perilous exploits of S.A.S/Maquis operations, the all-out murderous adventures of a Canadian Highlander, and the rather shifty, undecided-feeling life and times of a Polish tank commander. All this leads me to say that it’s got the most and best variety of any title in the series, all the while maintaining the unstoppable flow of combat realism. It also features the steadiest learning curve, ranging from “hard” to “Total Nazi Overload” instead of only the latter to “GAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
We can also admire Activision for its productivity as a company, one that seems generally unaffected by economic recession. Activision just came out with “Prototype,” a game that’s as fun as it is challenging, and it has “Guitar Hero: World Tour” already out and “Modern Warfare 2” on the way. In short, “CoD 3” is the best of what the series is about, and then some. Keep it up, Activision.
Matt Noyes is a TulsaPeople editorial intern. Have a video game you’d like him to review? E-mail contactus@tulsapeople.com.
