Call of Duty

Infinity Ward parachutes behind EA's enemy lines with Call of Duty. It's a World War II first person shooter that aims to show the side of the war from US, UK and Russian eyes. Can Call of Duty beat Medal of Honor at its own game?

EA's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault was one of the best implementations of the Quake III engine. Now much of the team that created it have returned to the events of the Second World War in Call of Duty.

Infinity Ward's game also makes use of the Quake III engine, but adds plenty of bells and whistles to stop things getting stale. While many of us look at PC release schedules and despair at the cost of upgrading to be able to play Doom III or Half Life 2, it's great to play a game that will run on today's modest systems.

Many European gamers have bemoaned the US-centric view of many games, which seem to believe WWII started in late 1941. At last, we have a game that acknowledges the sacrifice made by the UK and USSR, though Poles, French, Yugoslavians, etc. may still feel left out.

The action is split between US, British and Russian forces. Some of the strongest moments come in the Russian section, especially the Battle of Stalingrad. The river crossing here echoes the movie Enemy at the Gates.

The major set pieces within the game rival anything that appeared in Allied Assault, and there are moments better than that game's classic Omaha Beach landing. The retaking of Red Square for example is both scary and exhilarating. Some gamers may hate being led by the hand by scripted sequences – but the fact remains that these moments draw you in to the atmosphere of the events portrayed. Call of Duty is one of the most atmospheric shooters to date, and the most respectful to the memory of those that took part in the conflict.

Some players may find the constant use of scripted events tiresome. Yet, here we felt that they were a real boon to the game, dragging the player into an evolving tail – not of single heroes, but of a dramatic and important moment in history. The scripted events pull the player into the game making the emotional involvement much stronger.

It's obvious that Infinity Ward has squeezed every last drop of performance from the Quake III engine. The game looks great – especially during those scripted set piece moments. The sound is even more awesome – this is a game you have to play with the volume cranked so you can feel every crunch of mortar rounds, every bullet whizzing by.

The online multiplayer options are fun if nothing revolutionary. Don't expect Battlefield 1942 or Wolfenstein's class-based system. But the maps are well designed and the atmosphere just as good as the single player game.

[Alex]

PC first person shooters are my kettle of fish. This year most of my gaming anticipation has been focused on Half-Life 2 and Doom 3. Yet, in Call of Duty I've found a wonderfully immersive gaming experience. It feels like you're playing inside Band of Brothers and Enemy at the Gates. For once scripted events really pay off and this is a dramatic and explosive ride into one of humanities darkest hours.

[Jen]

Call of Duty is a little short, but it is immensely satisfying. The multiplayer element didn't do much for me but as a single player game, it is the mutt's nuts. I really enjoyed Medal of Honor and this game takes the similar themes to the nth degree. Even with the aging Quake III engine the game looks great and sounds even better.

[Harry]

Did the Brits take part in World War II? Hollywood and the games industry have taught us that WWII was all about the USA. But here we have a game showing the war from the viewpoint of both the UK and Soviet forces – for that alone it is to be commended. Call of Duty is an atmospheric shooter of the highest quality.