Call of Duty: World at War (2008)

The game drops you into the Pacific and Eastern Front campaigns, letting you experience the brutality of jungle warfare against Japanese soldiers and the push into Berlin against a desperate German army, I love both of them and can't really decide which one I like the most. The single-player campaign is cinematic and dramatic, featuring well-designed missions, a darker tone, and a powerful soundtrack that underscores the chaos of battle, this is a way more brutal and visual game than the previous titles, specially when compared to the modern entries. I can't really talk much about the competitive online multiplayer since I have never played it at the time.

But it also introduced Nazi Zombies, a surprisingly addictive survival mode that quickly became a fan-favorite and a permanent fixture in future titles, and this one I played a lot since you could get into this mode without an internet connection. Some players may find it a bit restrictive or simplistic by today’s standards, and the game’s age shows in its graphics and scripting, nevertheless, this is a raw, atmospheric, and challenging shooter that successfully captured the brutality of the conflict and paved the way for many future innovations in the franchise.

What really makes this entry stand out is its portrait of war’s cruelty, the Pacific missions in particular feel oppressive, with enemies ambushing you from trees, tall grass, and hidden bunkers, forcing you to move carefully and use fire to flush them out. On the Eastern Front, the sheer scale of destruction and the relentless Soviet advance create a sense of desperation that drives the narrative forward. The game doesn’t glorify combat as much as it immerses you in its chaos, constantly reminding you that survival often comes at a heavy cost.

Overall, this title feels like a bold transitional chapter for the franchise, it carried forward the cinematic presentation established in Modern Warfare while daring to adopt a much grimmer tone and historical setting, proving that the series could still evolve without abandoning WWII. Even today, this title remains memorable for its atmosphere, intensity, and the foundation it laid for future modes and storytelling approaches, securing its place as one of the most distinctive entries in the series.

FPS - Follows U.S. Marine Private Miller and Soviet soldier Dimitri Petrenko as they fight across the Pacific and Eastern Fronts, respectively, to bring an end to World War II.

PROS:

++ Tone and atmosphere. What sets this entry apart from all the past games is its tone and how it oozes in the atmosphere department. The overall tone is gritty, serious, and really emphasizes the horrors of war. This is also evident in that there is more blood in this game compared to past entries, and certain guns can even dismember enemies. In this game, war didn't feel like a noble thing, but felt like a matter of survival. Though it lacked setpieces, it made up for it with excellent atmospheric levels.

++ Campaign. I found the level design and enemy placements to be great. There was always ample cover so it never felt unfair. The battles felt large in scale. There was also enough variation that it didn't get boring (e.g. controlling a fighter plane, assassination mission, controlling a tank). And even though it goes back to WWII, it explores the Pacific fronts for the first time, and looks at the Eastern Front in a more personal level which lent to an experience that felt fresh, rather than a tired formula.

++ Weapon selection. The weapon selection was great, and they all felt powerful to use thanks to the game's great sound design. The highlight is easily the flamethrower or the Molotov cocktails.

++ Phenomenal music. There were multiple times in the campaign when I had to stop and acknowledge the music in this game. It felt epic, grand, and exhilarating. Sometimes it would even be catchy as seen in the mission where you control the fighter plane.

++ Zombie mode. Even though it was just an experiment in this game, the Zombies mode they created would go on to become one of my favorite side modes in all of gaming. The included map (Nacht der Untoten) is incredibly basic, but still quite fun in its own right. However, the DLC maps (Shi No Numa, Verruckt, and Der Riese) add new mechanics that become staples in the mode: perks, pack-a-punch, and wonder weapons.

++ Aggressive AI. The combat was fun because the enemy AI was incredibly aggressive. Japanese soldiers would beeline towards the player to bayonet them. Enemies would also frequently throw grenades which kept me moving. They also were more hidden in this entry: sometimes wearing ghillie suits, sometimes up in trees, and sometimes hiding under a trap door. It all adds up and made the game not feel like a mere shooting gallery.

CONS:

-- Technical downgrade. In terms of polish, I think it's a slight downgrade from COD4. Some shots don't register and there are some visual bugs here and there. I also thought that the overall visuals weren't as impressive as COD 4's, even if they were built on the same engine.

-- Story. Though the campaign was great, there wasn't really much of an original narrative here. The U.S. fights the Japanese, and the Russians fight the Germans. Though there are memorable characters like Reznov, the narrative doesn't come close to Modern Warfare's.

-- Lack of setpieces.

MISC:

Didn't get to try the multiplayer co-op and competitive modes.

Call of Duty: World at War is a great game but came as a surprise after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. At the time, I (and I think many others) thought the series had shifted towards “the future” and was continuing the Modern Warfare theme. For this reason, this game came “out of nowhere”.

Nevertheless, the shift back to WWII, was welcome, and Call of Duty: World at War showed new perspectives to the war with the addition of the war against Japan. In the game, you take control of Private C. Miller against the Japanese army in the pacific war. You start in a POW camp where you witness the slaughter of your fellow marines. The camp is attacked and you break free and rejoin your squad, taking the fight to the Japanese and securing the island of Makin. After this, further in the story, you assault the island of Okinawa and start the painful conquest of the endless bunkers, hideouts and death traps the Japanese had laid out for you. In this campaign, you are presented with choices of who you want to save in the end, Roebuck or Polonsky, both squad mate since the beginning of the campaign. This adds some moral and emotion to the story.

In the second part of the campaign, you play as Private Dimitri Petrenko and awake in a body filled fountain in Stalingrad. You escape the Germans and meet up with your squad. Heavily outnumbered, you try to assassinate the German General Heinrich Amsel, but this attempt fails. You escape via the Volga River and the next mission begins. Now you fight in the battle of Seelow Highs, in which you blast your way through the German lines in your T-34 Tank. Your hatred for the enemy is endless and no mercy is shown, making this the most violent and brutal installment thus far in the series. Finally, you reach Berlin in the final mission and, after getting badly wounded, you help your comrades get the Soviet flag up above the Reichstag.

I really enjoyed the story and think this is one of the best, along with Call of Duty 2.

The Graphics and animations in Call of Duty: World at War are greatly improved and the addition of dismembering enemies came out of the blue. I was surprised and flabbergasted when I shot an enemy and his arm flew off. Like I said before, I think this game is the most brutal and violent of them all, in terms of gibs, story and overall feeling.

In the audio department, I was surprised as well. Sound of gunfire and explosions are really good and the music is excellent. This is an example in which the visuals are backed perfectly by good sound design.

Call of Duty: World of War is also the first game that introduces the “Nazi Zombies” mode, in which you defend a small map against waves of zombies. Like the rest, this mode is brutal and so much fun to play and laid the foundation for the rest of the series.

In conclusion, Call of Duty: World at War is still a great game and one full of happy memories.

Definitely would recommend this gem.

first play

played on gt 730 i3 7100
The game starts from two storylines one with British/American attacking the japan area, and Russia attacking Germany.

the missions are interesting and fun to play, and unique in the franchise till now. The Character of Reznov and Dimitri is my favorite in this game.

Already played it once and this time enjoyed it just as much, because of the impact, even though the game is old and the graphics are not great, the music storyline, weapons, and gameplay make this game rememberable and worth playing sometime again.

My advice is don't watch any reviews of this game, just install and play to see if the game is good or not, the weapons and enemies' impact is really great and close to real-world warfare.

One of the Best COD games.

edit oct-2025:

Can play this game again any time, just didn't play till now as don't want to ruin the good memory the first time playing gave.