World War II may have ended in 1945, but that hasn't stopped the axis and allies from waging war against one another on the video game front. Call of Duty 2 was one of the Xbox 360's best games when the system launched last November. The game made use of the console's power to generate outstanding visuals and sound, immersing players in combat like never before. With Call of Duty 2 developer Infinity Ward having moved on to other projects, the series has been placed in the hands of Treyarch, the developer behind Call of Duty 2: Big Red One. It did not disappoint. Call of Duty 3 plays every bit as good as its predecessor, and it has improved multiplayer and visuals, too. Call of Duty 3 takes place in 1944 during the Normandy Breakout. After landing successfully on the beaches of France, the allied focus was on getting the Germans out of France and liberating Paris, which was under Nazi control at the time. As was the case in the last game, you're placed in the role of several different soldiers and you'll participate in campaigns for America, Britain, Canada, and Poland. Each country's campaign has a unique storyline that is supposed to get you emotionally involved with the characters, but the stories aren't very interesting; there's a soldier with a strong distaste for the French, an overbearing sergeant, and a young radio operator who has been labeled a coward. Though the stories aren't particularly engaging, fighting for four different armies works because it gives you a sense of not only how much effort it took to wrestle control of France from the Germans, but also that it wasn't just the United States that lost men and women in World War II. Once again, the game opens with a brief training mission, though it's a little shorter this time around. Here, you'll learn how to fire weapons and throw grenades, as well as how to move around. The controls are identical to Call of Duty 2, both in how they are laid out and in how they feel. You can fire your weapon with a quick pull of the right trigger, but this doesn't allow for much accuracy. For precision aiming, you'll want to pull the left trigger, which raises your gun to eye level and lets you use the weapon's sight. Here, you're vulnerable during the time it takes to raise your weapon and while you wait for the blurring effect that simulates your eyes focusing to clear up. It's a subtle effect, but it works really well and it's not overdone. You can also perform a melee attack by pressing the right analog stick. Clicking the left analog stick brings up your binoculars--an unfortunate button-mapping choice because it's far too easy to accidentally push the stick down when you're scrambling for your life. You can toss smoke grenades to create cover and frag grenades to clear large groups of Wehrmacht. Call of Duty 3 also lets you scoop up grenades thrown by the enemy and toss them back. To prevent your grenades from being returned to sender, you can "cook" a grenade by pressing and holding the right bumper, which lets the grenade get closer to detonating before you throw it. This is an important technique to master--not only because it's useful, but also because screwing it up results in a grenade exploding in your hands. Because there's no health bar in the game, you'll need to watch the screen when you're getting hit. As you get shot, the edges of the screen turn crimson and close in around you the more you get hit.Read full review
I am giving four stars because I am comparing it to COD 2. The graphics are vastly improved, but it is a little more glitchy than I would have liked. It is not that uncommon to get stuck on in-game objects, and that gets annoying sometimes. Otherwise, a fine game that is still just as fun as its predecessor. You get better weapons, and I feel like better missions as well. If you liked COD2, this one is worth picking up, but there are still better multiplayer games out there.
I love this game. It is so entertaining to play. I am very happy that I was able to get it.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Great game, lots of fun! You won't be disappointed!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Had this title years ago, and was a dummy to sell it. Had to have it again. Very fun and interactive way to blow off steam. Great game, great graphics, and a whole lot of fun!!!
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