Games In Action Blog

Monday, December 11, 2006

Call of Duty 3 Review [Wii]

Call of Duty, a reputable franchise if there ever was one. Renowned for brilliant World War II first person shooters that push the boundaries of the genre to new levels and leaves the others in the dust. Call of Duty 3 is no exception, on the Xbox 360 it is one of the most graphically impressive games on the console, running at full 720p at a super crisp 60fps. Demonstrating the full prowess of the Xbox 360 as a next-gen console. But the Xbox 360 isn't the only place to experience this franchise this year, the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii both offer there helpings of the WWII shooter and this review will focus on the latter. Call of Duty 3 on the Nintendo Wii is easily one of the better launch titles for the system and gives true meaning to the well spoken cliche, "It's the game play not the graphics."

Graphics
As expected, the Wii's inferior power (as a games console) means that the C.O.D.3 on the Wii will not live up to it's 360 cousin's amazing graphics. However, they get the job done. They are crisp, they are good and they do allow the player to make the crucial shots at the crucial moments. Of course, I am currently rocking a composite connection on a 720p HDTV so the graphics aren't as crisp as they would be on a 480p EDTV with component connections, but with PAL it's bearable, and of course I take this into account when rating the graphics. However I am still impressed and the fact that the ALL the particle effects of the game on the 360 version are present on the Wii version brings the graphics rating up to an impressive, 6.6/10.

Game play & Controls
The game play and controls are brought to life by the impressive use of the Nintendo Wiis incredibly innovative controller and game play mechanics. Treyarch have utilized the full capabilities of the Wii controller, it's aiming capabilities, and the motion sensing abilities. The aiming is obviously used to aim your gun, point it at the screen and pull the B trigger to shoot, simple and clean. However in the first few minutes of play, it feels incredibly clumsy which could potentially put some off but finish the first stage of the level and you'll soon be racing through the rest of the level and the game. One thing that strikes me about the control and aiming system is that it feels a lot more real. Seeing your gun moving on screen as you aim and the way you sometimes think to yourself as you shoot, "if I miss this shot I'm stuffed" makes the game feel more realistic to play then the PS3 and 360 counterparts. The motion sensing is used for melee combat, and fittingly too. Thrust forward with the Wii remote to melee attack a foe in regular shooting combat, however down on the d-pad also activates this as sometime you're aim can be thrown off by the thrust and of course then your foe beats you down. Rifle wrestling is also done using the Wii remotes motion sensing, and following the on-screen instructions as best as create a strange satisfaction when you finally knock the enemy down and hold his gun in your hand looking over his dead body knowing you acted out the motion for the character to succeed. I am very impressed with the controls and the game play, so I will give controls an 8.5, as they are still to be perfected, and game play a 9 as it is very fun after you get used to it and is easily a very usable, pick up and play scheme.

Now with the final verdict for all the elements of the game, time for the conclusion. Call of Duty 3 is a fantastic game to play, but not necessarily to look at. However they are more than bearable and easily one of the better looking Wii launch game, providing you can get your hands on the elusive component cables for your HDTV. This game leaves my review with a very impressive 8.1/10. Well worth it, even if you have COD3 for the 360 or PS3 and especially if you enjoyed them.