Call of Duty World at War is a 2008 first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360, in November 2008. It is the fifth main installment of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game is also the first title in the Black Ops story line. World at War received ports featuring different storyline versions, while remaining in the World War II setting, for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2. It was the first game in the series to feature the zombies mode featured in later sequels. A Windows Mobile version was also made available by Glu Mobile.
The narrative for the campaign mode focuses on the Pacific and Eastern Front theaters of World War II, involving the United States, Empire of Japan, Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspectives of Marine Raider Private C. Miller, US Navy Petty Officer Locke and Red Army soldier Private Dimitri Petrenko, and is based on several historical battles. The multiplayer component of the game contains various game modes and a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons and rewards as they progress, similar to Call of Duty 4 and repeated in many following Call of Duty entries. Vehicles, in the form of tanks, that players can control appear on certain multiplayer maps. The game also contains downloadable content called “map packs”, which can be purchased online. A new feature to the series was the addition of a cooperative mode, which supports up to two players locally and four players online.
Development for World at War took two years and began after the release of Treyarch’s previous title, Call of Duty 3, which was also set in World War II and was their first title they developed for the series. The game is based on an enhanced version of the IW engine game engine developed by Infinity Ward with increased development on audio and visual effects. Treyarch utilized the engine to make more parts of certain environments destructible and introduce limb dismemberment and realistic burns to character models. The game was announced by Activision on June 23, 2008.
World at War received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at its intensity and violent nature, though it received criticism for its lack of innovation. It was also a commercial success, selling 3 million copies in the United States within the first two months of its release, becoming one of the best-selling titles of 2008. It also marked the beginning of the Black Ops subseries, as characters from the game were carried over into its sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010). The Xbox 360 version of World at War became backwards compatible on the Xbox One in September 2016.
Overview
World at War [5] features more mature themes than previous Call of Duty installments and [6] is open-ended, giving the player multiple ways to complete objectives,[7] but otherwise generally plays like previous iterations of the franchise. Players fight alongside AI-controlled teammates. They help during the game’s missions by providing cover fire, shooting down enemies, and clearing rooms for entry.[8]
When playing the Wii version of the game, instead of using a normal controller, such as the ones used by the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, an optional gun-like expansion controller known as the Wii Zapper can be used. The Zapper, or Wii Remote and Nunchuk, can be used to aim at targets to fire at them and simulate marksmanship.[9]
The game’s return to World War II-era warfare reintroduces weapons and technology. The player gains access to these over the course of the game, but may only carry up to two weapons in addition to hand grenades. Weapons and ammo from fallen foes or friendlies can be picked up to replace weapons in a player’s arsenal. Players can also find weapons with additional attachments, including guns equipped with rifle grenades, telescopic sights, and bayonets.[8]
A character can be positioned in one of three stances: standing, crouching, or prone; each affecting the character’s rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage, as there are no armor or health powerups. When the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red and the character’s heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player in deciding whether to flee or throw it back at the enemy.[8]
The single-player campaign includes thirteen hidden “death cards”, denoted by playing cards attached to makeshift war graves. There is one in each level (barring those that take place in vehicles); collecting them unlocks cheats for Co-op mode, such as reduced enemy endurance and “paintball mode”.