After playing the demos, I bought Call of Duty last Thursday night. Saturday night, I finished the single player game. Absolutely kick ass.
After the first night of playing, I was impressed, but not amazed. After moving deep into the game, I am amazed. The game is fantastic and a must have for any FPS player. This is the first single player game I've finished in years.
The game takes you into World War II as one of the Allies. You play scenarios from the American, British, and Russian vantages. The Russian scenario is the longest and the best, taking you from Stalingrad to Berlin. There are several different types of missions including simple assualts, commando raids, even tank battles. The V2 level was the hardest & funniest one for me to finish. I consider myself a good FPS player, but the V2 level was HARD. The spy mission on the Battleship Dornitz is also superb.
The goal of reaching the Reichstag (German Parliment) is palpable after going through all three missions and I could feel my heart racing as I burst into the main hall of the building.
Inside the Reichstag, the final battle.
Victorious over the Third Reich, waving the flag in the heart of Berlin.
I haven't played the Multiplayer yet, but there looks to be several game modes that don't involve pure deatmathc style carnage, more like RtCW with team objectives. I'll give it a try and report back.
Technically, the game is perfection. Based on the Quake 3 engine, the game is fluid and smooth with clean animation. The weapons are fairly balanced, but the sniper rifle is a bit too precise of a shot. I could hit targets with the scope at a distance and never miss. A little more weave would make it more challenging. The sounds are fantastic and add to the immersiveness of the game. I wouldn't suggest playing with the speakers up or the neighbors will be calling the police. The first Stalingrad level is utter madness and the sound brings the chaos over the top.
I anxiously look forward to any expansion packs for Call of Duty. Too bad it will be months before I see them.