Posted: Thursday 6th November 2008

By Jason Palmer

Entertainment Focus was invited to try our hands at Call of Duty: World at War, the latest masterpiece from the good people at Activision. Held in central London, it was a great opportunity to meet some of the games' developers and more importantly, give the war epic a thorough going over.

Based in World War 2, you get the opportunity to play through some of the most historic battles to have ever taken place. It utilizes the Call of Duty 4 engine and coupled with the latest technology brings about a visual experience like no other. We were simply blown away by the detail of this. It's beautifully rendered, totally engrossing and suitably tricky. We tried our hand at the multiplayer which was great fun. Especially with the inclusion of dogs that actually attack you (sadly I learnt this the hard way). The single player mode though really displayed all that was brilliant about this franchise. Playing as US soldiers against the Japanese (including newly added kamikaze attackers who charge at you from all angles) we made our way through the undergrowth as wave upon wave of attacks descended onto us. Once we reached the clearing we came across one of the highlights of the new game, a flamethrower! You can not only burn your attackers but also the interactive environment around you. Hideouts can be levelled and cleared so all that remains is a desolate battlefield. It's so satisfying and with zero lag, the fluid movement and intense visuals, Call of Duty: World at War comes in as a truly breathtaking experience.

There is a co-op mode too which adds a new dimension to proceedings. With up to 4 players online and 2 player local split screen available with a wealth of features linked to the multiplayer such as online stats rankings, missions and challenges Call of Duty: World at War proves it has durability in advanced game play. The level we tried as Russian soldiers involved in a battle which forced us underground during an air raid was unbelievable. The sound of the subway tunnels echoing the raid on street level mixed with the heavy gunfire below completely immersed us in the variety of combat and the story and we loved every second we played. Enhanced AI also results in cleverer enemies who will stop at nothing to take you out.

We really can't praise this title enough. As a fan of the other titles in the series, I was fully expecting more of the same. Instead we have been given a game which pushes itself to breaking point in terms of graphics, sound and atmosphere. It's a great effort and considering the code we played wasn't even the finished article excites us even more. Out on PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, DS and PC on November 14th, it's a game you really can't miss and is destined to be a Christmas gift classic.