CoDWW: The World Will Soon Be at War … in a Year

Platform: PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Writer: Sonny Go
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Website: http://www.callofduty.com/CoDWW

MOST gamers have grown tired and weary of games set during World War II. While it may be a period that merits fascination with documentaries, movies, video games, and stories from grandparents who were veterans of the war, it really is getting old. However, that scenario is more on the European theater, where the Germans swarmed their neighbors like a plague, and the allied forces flew in to fight the Nazi hordes. This time, here is a game that lets you fight off Japanese berserkers. Loyal otakus and weeaboos are advised to look away.

Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter game under development for the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, and the PC. As the fifth installment of the Call of Duty series, minus the expansion packs, it is scheduled to be released in 2009.

Plot
This game features two campaigns set in World War II—one in the Pacific theater led by the United States Marine Corps, and the other in the Eastern front of the European theater led by the Soviet Red Army. The enemies are now more vicious than the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army were. World at War is aimed for more mature audiences who can actually stomach the brutality of war in a video game, showcasing a whole new degree of realism and in-depth experience inaccessible in history classes and war stories from grandparents. Each level will dig deep into the mentality and the chaos that was World War II, previously unseen in similarly themed games.

Development
There are a lot of expectations for the fifth installment of the series that toppled Medal of Honor as the most popular WW2 game out there. Infinity Ward, the developers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, did well in upgrading the gaming experience with various improvements and innovations. Now, with the new game, World at War developers Treyarch are set on evolving the series even further with the new game. With both Call of Duty 2: Big Red One and Call of Duty 3 among their credentials, they are looking forward to pulling it off with flying colors.

Call of Duty: World at War will have a two-year development, which is double that of Call of Duty 3. They will be enhancing Infinity Ward’s COD4 engine by making various improvements on physics and lighting, among others. Environments are now more destructible, especially flammable elements that can be set on fire with the flamethrower. Bullets will also be able to bore holes through thin wood, making gaps big enough for players to climb through.

Gameplay
The game will feature various improvements in both design and gameplay. Swimming will be introduced for the first time, which includes conditions of being able to move only in half-speed and not being able to sprint while on water. Also, flamethrowers will be reintroduced since Call of Duty: United Offensive that can interact with various flammable elements in the environment. The game will be more open-ended, drifting away from the more linear progression of previous titles, giving the player more freedom and flexibility to accomplish missions.

Multiplayer
The game will feature co-operative gameplay for four people — split-screen on consoles and online play for the PC. The four can act as a squad and play through missions, utilizing teamwork and taking advantage of gameplay dynamics. Vehicles like boats and heavy machinery will also be featured, as well as new multiplayer squad-based gameplay and a perk system similar to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was developed by Infinity Ward.

The competitive multiplayer is still there, making the most of many elements from Modern Warfare that will be implemented in the new game with various improvements. More items will be included in the perk system, like a flak jacket for protection against grenades. Also, the inventory has been modified to suit the period. For example, they replaced the claymore mines with detection lasers used in Modern Warfare with a simple trip mine more commonly used during the 1940s.

Weapon customization first used in Modern Warfare will be implemented again for this game. Accessories like bayonets, grenade launchers, and other things like decals and color will be available upon completing challenges that are part of the perk system.

While there is a long wait involved and there will be other great games coming our way during that time, this title does merit at least a post-it note stuck to your monitor for months and months. It is no Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3, but it is a good example of a video-game franchise that has been consistent throughout the years since the first title. Efforts like these are what make PC games something to wait for with their progression along with the more dynamic evolution of hardware compared to consoles.

For more information, news, and updates regarding the game’s ongoing development, visit the game’s official website.