Call
of Duty 3 is an impressive installment in the popular combat franchise. It
brings players into real world combat with a cinematic, intense shooter
that brings a new level of realism to the genre. This installment adds
vehicle sequences, additional multiplayer modes along with some extra
features. Its gameplay is challenging and intense as you'd expect, with
smooth controls and an unrelenting pace. Call of Duty 3's visuals show off
the PS3's processing power effectively and this helps to bring the brutal
reality of World War II to life vividly, making it one of the console's
most satisfying launch titles.
Set during the allied invasion of France
after D-Day, Call of Duty 3 brings the battle to liberate the country from
Nazi occupation to life vividly. As an allied soldier, your mission is to
battle the enemy forces through a variety of locations from burned out
villages to country sides while staying close to your unit. An immersive
storyline unfolds throughout the game as you and the allies battle through
the French countryside on your way to the final battle to defeat the Nazi
forces and liberate Paris. Along the way, you'll meet a variety of
character who make up your units. This helps to make the player feel more
immersed in the action, and creates a more interesting gameplay experience
that feels more like a move. There are some drawbacks to this approach,
which we'll outline later, but the overall cinematic feel of Call of Duty
3 makes it one of the more impressive World War II games we've played to
date. This gritty, no-frills approach to combat underlines one of the key
reasons why games in this historical genre are so engaging. Instead of
relying on fancy weapons, gimmicky gadgets and special effects, these
games offer a back to basics experience where the emphasis is on the skill
and instincts of the player.
While
Call of Duty 3 follows many of the standard FPS conventions, there are
some interesting twists in the formula that help to keep things fresh.
Unlike other games, where you are given a single health bar, Call of Duty
3's screen gets blurry and turns red if you take too much damage. When
this occurs, you need to find cover and wait a few seconds for your health
to rejuvenate. It's not as realistic as it could be, but it helps to keep
the game flowing nicely. Each level offers a surprising amount of variety
as you travel from one episode to another, which helps to give each battle
a defined plot. While most combat titles offer the usual one man against
the world, here the operative approach is to work with your unit to clear
out an area. It's tempting to go in with guns blazing, but if you allow
the other soldiers to go ahead of you, they'll clear out an area which
reduces your risk. One of the most important thing you need to do is
listen to the other soldiers since they'll frequently point out the
strategy and objectives during the heat of battle. The game requires some
strategy, since you can't run right into a machine gun nest without
getting killed instantly. The better strategy is usually to find a path
around enemy locations and attack them from the rear or side. You have a
basic set of weapons such as machine guns, pistols and grenades to use,
and can pick up additional weapons and ammo from fallen soldiers you find.
Players can also use a pair of binoculars to scout an area and then target
enemies more accurately using each weapons sighting mode.
Call of Duty 3 takes you through a
variety of realistic locations including burned out houses, fields and
other areas. Each type of terrain requires a different approach. When you
are inside a house or a base, enemies will often take cover behind walls,
making it important not to rush in. However, when you find yourself out in
the open, it's important to find cover behind objects so you aren't
exposed to attack. You also have to be aware of the locations of your
fellow soldiers, since you can usually look to them to see what to do
next. Sound also plays a role in locating the enemies as well, since you
can usually hear the enemies screaming from behind a wall, alerting you to
their location. Battling through each mission involves different, unique
strategies and this helps to make the game feel more realistic with an ebb
and flow that swings from intense battles to reconnaissance and back. One
of the more impressive additions to the game this time around is vehicular
combat. As in many other war games, players can jump into these and
perform one of several different roles. You can sit in the back and use
the binoculars to point out enemy locations or later on, drive a vehicle
through dark areas as you try an evade capture. This keeps things
interesting throughout and requires players to master a variety of skills.
None of this is overly complex, but Call of Duty 3's superb level design
throws enough curves to keep your interest level high throughout. The
game's engaging storyline is integrated into the play itself, which makes
for a seamless experience.
The
controls are fairly standard and the game isn't too difficult to
understand. Most actions, such as shooting, switching weapons, strafing
and ducking are fairly self-explanatory. Players should be familiar with
the basic construction of the PS3 controller, but we found the added
tactile feedback of the new trigger-style shift buttons made it much
easier to push the right one during the heat of combat.In a surprising
addition, Call of Duty 3 supports the new Sixaxis controller's tilt
mechanism to shake off enemies when they come too close to you. You can
also use this new technique to steer vehicles during these sections as
well. It takes some getting used to, but it's definitely a clever addition
to the gameplay and doesn't feel gimmicky at all. Aside from all of that,
the game controls well and most players should have little problem with
the game's mechanics and interface. In addition to its immersive solo
campaign, Call of Duty 3 also includes some impressive online modes which
support up to 16 players simultaneously. While the standard deathmatch,
co-op and capture modes are included, the game includes vehicle missions
as well, where multiple players can each take roles driving and shooting
at opponents. It was a pain to download an update in order to play, but
once we got things up and running, the game performed smoothly and
flawlessly on the PS3's servers.
Call of Duty 3's cinematic approach is
quite impressive and this production polish extends through every element
of the game. This is truly a next generation experience, with a cohesive
appearance and brilliant design that brings the brutality and sense of
danger to life vividly. The sense of scale is also impressive, with large
expansive environments, realistic maps and believable physics bringing the
sensation of combat to life vividly. The use of extensive voice acting is
superb, giving each character a unique personality. Detailed facial
expressions add to the sense of realism. An impressive graphics engine is
quite impressive in most areas and there are plenty of visual treats as
well. From a visual standpoint, the game's graphics engine is quite
impressive, with a remarkable level of detail evident. Light sourcing,
explosions, smoke and weather effects are convincing and feel authentic.
This level of realism is astonishing at certain points. This creates a
palpable sense of danger throughout that makes the experience all the more
visceral. You rarely feel like you're involved in a game, it's more like a
movie throughout. The game's production polish extends to the elaborate
cinematics that ties the levels together, making Call of Duty 3's missions
feel more like chapters in a story than levels in a game.
Call
of Duty 3 is one of the most impressive PS3 launch titles and it delivers
a polished, addictive and truly cinematic experience. From an aesthetic
standpoint, the level of realism is impressive throughout with massive
battlefields, detailed environments, an engaging storyline and intense
battles. You feel like you are literally on the ground throughout the
game, though there are some instances where the design seems to fall a bit
short of its ambition. The biggest problem with Call of Duty 3 is that
several sequences are almost completely linear and this on-rails approach
can feel limiting and constrained. This is especially disappointing when
this occurs after you've played in some of its more open-ended areas.
Still, this push and pull between interactive and cinematic approaches is
handled well for the most part, and Call of Duty 3 largely succeeds in its
goals and objectives. It's not a flawless shooter, but the sheer intensity
and realism of its battles combines to make for a thrilling experience
that should rank it as one of the PS3's best early releases.
Grade: B
