Thrilled in action

After Call of Duty IV's brief foray into near-future combat, the fifth title in the consistently brilliant series, takes the franchise back to its World War II roots. This time, the action alternates between two protagonists - US marine, Private Miller, engaged in the bloody Pacific theatre against ruthless Japanese forces, and Russian solder Private Dimitri Petrenko out on the Eastern front and making headway into Germany.

Veterans will know what to expect - an intense series of explosive missions, based around relentless full-on combat. And on that level Call of Duty: World at War does not disappoint. Once again, you're surrounded by computer-controlled allies as you belt from one cover point to the next, bullets zipping by and explosions lighting up the skies around you. From sub-machine guns to single-shot bolt action rifles, the weapons have a superbly realistic feel and sound, while the environments, whether they're thick, dark jungles or burned out cities, are enormously detailed and riddled with interesting hideaways and sniping points.

The horror, the horror

One important element to note: Call of Duty: World at War is an uncompromising shooter with some shocking scenes of brutal violence. Japanese commanders slice the necks of POWs, wounded soldiers are shot in cold blood, and the two new weapons - the flamethrower and bayonet - are notable for their savagery. Indeed, the very nature of the Pacific war is grimly visceral, especially the Japanese banzai attacks - where soldiers appear out of the undergrowth charging toward you with blades at the ready.

Fans of the excellent Call of Duty IV multiplayer system will be pleased to find that Call of Duty: World at War employs the same addictive set-up. As you battle through the various online modes you gain experience points, opening new weapons and perks. The latter are special abilities that can be mixed and matched to tune your performance- Deep Impact, for example, gives your bullets extra penetration while Steady Aim improves your accuracy.

Backwards compatibility

Cleverly, several Call of Duty IV favourites have been re-thought for the more technologically limited WWII setting. Instead of UAV jammers, then, you get simple camouflage to keep you hidden from enemy reconnaissance. The rewards for good play have had similar treatment - in Call of Duty IV achieving seven kills without reply allowed you to call in an attack helicopter. In Call of Duty World at War, this is swapped for a pack of killer dogs! A strange idea, but horribly effective.

Call of Duty: World at War has even made some brilliant additions to the multiplayer set-up. Best of all, there's now a four-player co-op mode, allowing you to attempt the missions with three friends; a welcome evolution for the series. For competitive players, Treyarch has re-instated a Capture the Flag mode, which was ejected from Call of Duty IV, perhaps to the disappointment of hardcore purists.

Oh no, not zombies!

The unexpected treat is the Zombie Nazi co-op 'minigame'. Here, you and your mates are barricaded into a house and must fight off waves of undead stormtroopers, while repairing damaged defenses. Your aim is to last as long as possible as the attacks become more and more ferocious. Like the similar Horde mode in Gears of War 2 it's intense, hugely exciting stuff, with participants desperately shouting commands to each other as the undead lumber in.

For the most part, however, Call of Duty: World at War takes few risks. This is a by-the-numbers World War II shooter, grittier and grimmer than most, but still a mission-based romp through familiar set-pieces and historical shoot-'em-up cliches. Those hoping for another step forward beyond Call of Duty IV will be disappointed, but then that was always going to be a big ask. Instead, this game digs in, pulls out the big guns and gives a majority of players what they want - adrenaline-bursting action on an epic scale.

GAME's Verdict

• Relentless, thrilling action
• Excellent multiplayer modes, including co-op
• Exciting story and good locations

• Doesn't move the series on
• Very brutal at times
• It's another WWII shooter

Review by: Keith 'Private Hell' Stuart
Version Tested: PS3
Review Published: ??.??.??