Call of Duty games have always been best played loud on sound. No other game so makes you feel like you're in a war with the sound of gunfire, explosions, and superiors screaming orders. Thats why I decided to do a Call of Duty: World at War review.  That first play-through always feels great, if slightly disconcerting. I was skeptical about whether or not the Wii's control scheme would be enough to get me to take a second look. The following is my review of Call of Duty: World at War.

 

 

Why would we be interested in a game like this with the Wii Remote? I made a ton of newbie controller mistakes in the first 30 minutes. (No other system in the past ten years has actually made me learn a new skillset for gaming.)  The experience felt uncomfortable because I'm so used to sequels and controls I know how to use the second I pick them up. You move with the nunchuk, aim and look around with the Wiimote, and you shake the nunchuk in different directions to switch weapons and reload. Give yourself some time to get used to this.

 

In the end it is worth the effort.  The game on the Wii Remote is a blast. While I didn't feel like I had a gun in my hand—the Wiimote doesn't feel like a Garand—it does add a level of reality that really pulls you into the game. At one point I was riding on the back of a tank and used the controller to look around through binoculars and call out targets. When the tank under me fired and the controller rumbled, it was very satisfying. There are scenes where you fight over your gun with an enemy soldier and have to move your hands back and forth to fend him off.  This left me a little sweaty and with tired arms. It's much more realistic than just pressing buttons. 

 

I let my PC playing friends play for a few minutes, and while they agreed it was fun, the general consensus was "just give me back my mouse and keyboard." Fair enough. The Wii Remote control-scheme is not as accurate as a good mouse and keyboard. It does add a level of freshness to the experience, and I had a great time playing the game. Swinging the controller to melee a soldier with that great sound design making me feel like I was in the middle of the fight was an amazing gaming event.  

 

I can't wait to see what someone can do when they design the entire game with that control-scheme in mind. Until then, this sets the benchmark for first-person shooters on the Wii. Although the graphics aren't up to par with the PS3 and 360 versions, the controller pulled me into the game much more than a few graphical special effects could. 

 

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