Vendetta

"I need your help. Do what I say, and we can avenge this massacre."

- Reznov at the start of the level.

"Vendetta" (Italian for "Revenge") is the fourth (chronologically the second) mission of the campaign in Call of Duty: World at War. Private Dimitri Petrenko and Sergeant Reznov, two soldiers from the Soviet Union's Red Army, attempt to assassinate General Heinrich Amsel after surviving an attack by the German Wehrmacht in Stalingrad. It is the first mission of the European Theater.

Characters

 * Dimitri Petrenko (playable)
 * Viktor Reznov (WIA)
 * Daletski (K.I.A.)
 * Heinrich Amsel (K.I.A.)

Plot
Dimitri Petrenko, a member of the Red Army, awakes in a fountain located in Red Square in the city of Stalingrad. He is dazed and his vision comes and goes. The fountain is filled with dead Russians, as well as wounded Russians. A German patrol goes by as some of the Germans walk into the fountain and execute the wounded Russians. Petrenko remains still and he is not noticed. As the Germans move on, Petrenko begins to crawl forward. Suddenly, one of the bodies starts to move in front of him. The man is Viktor Reznov. He tells Petrenko that he needs his help assassinating General Heinrich Amsel, an infamous commander in the German army in Stalingrad. He is responsible for many other massacres throughout the Motherland. Reznov has hunted Amsel for many days now.

Since his hand is injured, Reznov gives Petrenko his sniper rifle, a scoped Mosin-Nagant. The two move to a spot in the fountain where they can see Amsel's men standing guard next to a building. Amsel soon arrives and enters the building while talking to another German soldier. Reznov explains that they cannot give away their location yet or they will be overrun. The two wait until German bombers are directly above them before Petrenko takes out the men standing guard. Reznov and Petrenko close in for the kill when a German armored patrol arrives. The two sneak off into a nearby bar to find another way to Amsel. They sneak into the back where a death card may be found.

As they exit the building, Reznov tells Petrenko that Amsel inspects each German garrison everyday. Because of this Reznov knows where Amsel is going. As they prepare to enter a building that will allow them to flank Amsel's route, a sniper fires on them. The bullet almost hits Reznov. The two duck into the building as the sniper fires again. The two move upstairs where Reznov draws the sniper's fire. Once it is revealed where the sniper is, Reznov draws the sniper's fire again. If the player does not take out the sniper during Reznov's distraction, then the player must kill the sniper on his own by waiting for the sniper to reveal himself and fire on the player.

Once the sniper is taken out, Reznov and Petrenko move downstairs where another German patrol is moving by outside. The two hide as the patrol passes. One of the German soldiers stops and moves towards the window where Reznov and Petrenko are hiding. The soldier sees them and a dog begins barking to alert the others to their presence. Reznov tells Petrenko to hit the floor as German flamethrowers move up to burn the building. If the player does not go prone, the fire will start to burn him/her. As Reznov and Petrenko move through the building, a burning plank falls on Petrenko. Reznov moves it and the two jump down to the street below before the building completely erupts with fire.

Outside, more Germans arrive. They find Reznov and Petrenko and they tell a soldier with a flamethrower to burn their bodies. Suddenly, bullets shoot out from a nearby building killing the Germans. Russian soldiers arrive, surprised at how Petrenko survived the massacre at the Square. They inform him and Reznov that they are about to assault a German communications outpost. Since this will prevent Amsel from calling for help, Reznov agrees to help.

Petrenko and Reznov head to higher ground to provide sniper support. Once the communications building is secured, Reznov shows Petrenko to a good sniping position overlooking the German command post. The two reach the sniping position as German reinforcements slaughter the Russians in the communications outpost. Reznov and Petrenko watch this as they do not want to help and reveal their position. The sounds of battle draw Amsel out of hiding. He is surrounded by many body guards.

The player can kill Amsel anytime he is moving from cover. If the player waits long enough, a car will arrive and Amsel will get in. If the player shoots the driver than Amsel will get out and start running. This is the last chance the player has to kill Amsel before he escapes. Once Amsel is shot a tank spots the two men and it opens up on them. Reznov and Petrenko run further into the building as the tank keeps firing. After killing many Germans trying to enter the building, Reznov and Petrenko reach a dead end. The only way out is to jump into the river below them. They jump as more Germans enter the building.

Trivia

 * At the beginning of the mission, Reznov is referred to as a sniper, but after he gives the player his rifle, he becomes a submachine gunner.
 * The player will have unlimited ammo in this level. When they run out of ammo and switch weapons, Reznov will tell the player "Take the Shot" and the player's reserve ammo will be refilled.
 * Once up in the building (up the ladder) for fire support, the player can't go down, and immediately gets shot down by Germans if proceeding into the street.
 * The dogs in this mission are omitted in the Wii version of the game.
 * This level bears a striking resemblance at times to the 2001 Jean-Jacques Annuad film . Specifically, in both the movie and this level, two riflemen are united in a fountain following the Stalingrad massacre and engage German units from the fountain with a Mosin-Nagant rifle, using the sound of bombs to cover their shots. Later in the level, the player and Reznov enter a department store in trail of a German sniper; this is also a scene from Enemy at the Gates.
 * If the player shoots any German soldier with the scoped Mosin-Nagant without using the scope, Reznov will compliment by saying "No scope?! Nice!", in a surprised tone.
 * This level is not available on co-op.
 * If one reveals their position to the men in the Red Square, Reznov will immediately have a PPSh-41 appear in his hands instead of picking up the one on the ground.
 * There are less planes in this level on the Wii version of the game.
 * Strangely enough, the Kar98k used by the Wehrmacht sniper has no scope.
 * When the mission begins, after Reznov says he needs the player's help, when the player crawls to him there will be a blood stain on the ground shaped like the grim reaper, much like in the asylum in "Eviction".
 * At the spot where Daletski's men come to aid the player and Reznov, there are four Russian soldiers who are dead and leaning up against the wall, the bloodstains behind the one on the far left and the one beyond that one are vaguely shaped like a bag of grenades, the other two are shaped like the grim reaper.

Achievements/Trophies
Architect (30 / Bronze Trophy ) - Complete Vendetta on Veteran.

The Professional (15 / Silver Trophy ) - Kill all of the German soldiers and the dogs in the beginning of the mission, without reloading.

Gunslinger (15 / Silver Trophy ) - Assassinate General Amsel with a pistol shot. (Solo only)

Transcript
Vendetta Vendetta