DwightDeGroff.com - Tech that Matters

I purchased Call of Duty: World at War (COD:WAW) last week from STEAM and have spent quite a few hours playing both the single and multi-player modes of the game. World at War is a return to World War II (WWII) for the Call of Duty series – a change that I welcome after having spent a few years away from first person shooters (FPS) set in that time.

The single-player mode was not earth-shattering – the genre has not been radically enhanced as a result of this game… but I don’t feel it has been degraded either. The game play is solid enough, though the scripted “Infinite troops rushing until you reach the next checkpoint” nature does feel a bit forced on occasion.

The sniper levels were a bit too short for my liking and without any real “use” at the end of the day. No grandiose assassinations or organizations that only “I” can tumble. Still… enjoyable.

Playing “gunner” on an amphibious plane, rescuing sailors in-between gunning down Japanese “PT boats”. I can only imagine having to make the decision between continuing to fire on enemy boats or reaching down to grab the sailor in the water screaming for help… wow.

The multiplayer… meh… the leveling is almost too fast – compared to Call of Duty 4, at least. I’m already on my third “prestige level”. One thing I have enjoyed is the surprised expressions I imagine on enemy’s faces when a “Private” lead the opposing team.

The weapons are all familiar to anyone who’s playing a WWII FPS before, the BAR, the M1 Garand, the Thompson and the MP40… even the Springfield sniper rifle complete with scope. What’s new to the scene are the “perks” (introduced with COD4 I believe?) that add a new dimension to the “same old” gameplay. That… and the freakin’ dogs! Get 6 kills in a row and you’re entitled to a pack of dogs that fights for you… running around the battlefield mauling enemies who aren’t fast enough to “pump them full of lead”. The dogs are much more effective at killing that “you” are… if they get within reach they automatically kill you sending you to a quick “kill cam” shot of your death repeated for your viewing pleasure.

Summary: worth some play time, especially if you’re new to the Call of Duty series, but don’t expect it to change the first-person shooter genre.

As you can see from my “ultra-cool, ultra-trendy xfire gamer profile” I’ve been playing a bit of Call of Duty 4, lately. It’s a First-Person Shooter, that basically takes place in modern times. A few weeks ago, I told my friend Jerm that it was high-time he got me hooked on a video game for a change of pace. He poked around for a while, but finally suggested COD4.

I haven’t enjoyed the multiplayer aspects of a FPS for a long time, so it’s been nice to get back into it. Out of 55 ranks, today I hit 54, so I’m nearly maxed out. The simple, but significant “RPG” elements in the game create a variety that I’ve found lacking in many other games of this type. So far the re-playability has been good in multiplayer.

We’ll see how it “plays out” as I try to figure out what I really want to be spending my time and resources on. Any suggestions? I love comments – if you’re reading this, let me know. Prease?

This is post #1 for the week, as promised. Since it’s “so early” in the week you may even get… TWO!