Just another WWII shooter! I think not.  Call of Duty 3 is out ladies and gentleman, and it is one of the most impressive in the franchise’s history in many ways.  Whether it is graphics, game play, or online play, this game has it all. Including a nice detailed story line following four different soldiers.  This time around it’s a different development team, Treyarch, creating the game, meaning things will be different in both a good and a bad way. Thankfully, I found more good than bad.  Call of Duty 3 lets you experience the Normandy Breakout campaign through the eyes of Canadian, Polish, British and American soldiers.  The online department has improved, allowing an improved 24 online player capability making this game the one to play this holiday season.

 Call of Duty 3 gives an awesome presentation, as with any other WWII themed game it gives that WWII ambiance to the game as a whole.  From the moment you turn on your console and go into the menu, it’s really straight forward. It even has a market place menu incase there are any new downloads for the game.  Once you go online, they have a very easy menu, where you can choose what game type you want with how many players. This is by far the deepest game in the franchise with its presentation.

The graphics in this game are by far some of the best on a next-gen console.  There are a few differences between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions, but not too many.  For example, the lighting is done better on the 360 version. While the PS3 version, has a slightly darker appearance, which does not give it that great real time look. However, it isn’t fair to fully blame the developer, as it was their first game for the PS3.  Still, the graphics are awesome, the explosions have never been better, and crisp environments look amazing.  There is a level where it’s raining and windy; the grass weaves back and forth, adding a cool little effect that separates this game from many others.  The player models have great detail. You can actually see light in their eyes reflecting and their skin looks closer to realism than ever before. At times you’ll notice some of them look like they have plastic faces, but nothing big enough to ruin your gaming experience.  When it’s in a cold environment you can see their breath, which was done in the last Call of Duty, but is still worth mentioning because of the next-gen feel it creates.  Another detail I’ve noticed is when the sun shines, the light goes through the tree’s reflecting onto the field creating intricate shadows. Also, during the fog you can see the layers of it. Treyarch wanted to really show some graphical detail this time and it definitely shows up in the game.  I still think it could have been improved a bit more, but its worthy to be mentioned among the likes of Lost Planet and Gears of War.