Call of Duty: World at War

"60 Million lives were lost as a result of World War 2. It was the most destructive conflict in human history."

- Treyarch

Call of Duty: World at War (also referred to as World at War or Call of Duty 5) is a first-person shooter game produced by Treyarch. It was announced on December 2, 2007, and on June 6 2008; the 64th anniversary of D-Day, Treyarch announced it would be named as such and it would take place in the Pacific theater of war as well as the Eastern Front. It was released for all seventh-generation consoles as well as home computers. It is the first Treyarch game to be released on the PC and it has a double development cycle of Treyarch's previous game, Call of Duty 3 and was in development from late 2006. The PC version of the game does not support the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. . The game's first trailer was released on June 21, 2008, and can be viewed here.

Gameplay remains the same from Call of Duty 4. See Infinity Ward Game Engine Mechanics for more information.

The game was re-released in the Call of Duty: The War Collection as part of a bundle.

Single player Campaigns
There are two single-player campaigns in the game: the American campaign and the return of the Russian campaign. There is no British campaign in the game making World at War the first major Call of Duty not to feature a British Campaign or a British playable character.

Overview
The American campaign is set in the Pacific theater on the islands of Makin, Peleliu, and Okinawa. The Russian campaign is set in the Eastern Front, mainly in Nazi Germany. In the American campaign, players take the role of Pvt. Miller as he fights alongside Sgt. Sullivan, Cpl. Roebuck, (later Sergeant) and Pvt. Polonsky. In the Soviet campaign, players take the role of Pvt. Dimitri Petrenko as he fights alongside the merciless Sgt. Reznov and the merciful Pvt. Chernov. In the American campaign, players fight against the Japanese Imperial Army who are known to do the famous Banzai Charge when players least expect it. Most combat takes place in jungles, with ancient ruins of statues, temples and shrines scattering the area. Combat also takes place in small mortar pits with intense fire being put on the player. Bunkers of all sizes are also a common sight in the American campaign, usually having a few Japanese MG's firing away. In the Russian Campaign, players fight against the German Wehrmacht, in the Battle for Berlin. Combat usually takes place in the destroyed ruins of 1945 Berlin, meaning close to mid-range fighting. Players will frequently have to fight indoors where shotguns can dominate if the rooms aren't too big, and where there is a lot of cover to hide behind while reloading. Combat also takes place in open-plan farming villages alongside armoured forces where all combat ranges apply, from long range sniping to close-up room-to-room combat. The last mission of the game takes place in the Russian campaign and it sees the Russian army capturing the Reichstag (German Parliament building) and planting the Soviet Flag atop the building.

Soviet Campaign
September 17th, 1942. The campaign begins in Stalingrad. German stormtroopers have been executing Soviet troops on masse. Two soldiers, Sergeant Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko, survive an attack unnoticed and witness the deaths of their comrades, however Reznov's hand is hurt and he cannot fire. Dimitri takes Reznov's sniper and has a sniper battle with a German sniper.After killing the snipering the two go on hunting General Amsel down. Eventually they are spotted, but, when they escape they are ambushed by another German troop. With support of newly arriving Soviet support Petrenko and Reznov's lives are saved. Dimitri and Reznov then provide covering fire for their fellow allies. Soon they find a spot where they can snipe General Amsel. After killing Amsel, Dimitri and Reznov take heavy fire before jumping in a canal narrowly avoiding death. April 18th, 1945. Three years later, Petrenko is being held prisoner by several Nazis in a house in Seelow, Germany. Just as they are about to kill him, a T-34 blows a hole in the house and kills everyone inside, apart from Petrenko, who is now reunited with Reznov. From there, they burn the land of Seelow. Destory King Tiger tanks.Then they storm a German camp loaded with Panzertanks, while burning everything as they go along. When they finish off the rest, Reznov gives an inspirational speech and they board a T-34, which goes onto destroy all German AA batteries and get to the train station. From there they get the train to Berlin to invade. April 23rd, 1945. The train arrives in Berlin and immediately after disembarking they are already in a firefight. The soldiers, after fighting through a large building under attack by T-34s, storms the Asylum, and eventually take it over, chasing and killing the retreating German soldiers. The Soviets continue their room to room fighting, and eventually, the streets. Reznov's unit continue their fight in the metro, and as a last attempt by the Germans to kill the near unstoppable unit, the metro is flooded.

April 30th, 1945. Six days later, Reznov pulls Petrenko out of the water, alive. After shouting at Chernov about pacifism, Reznov gives him the flag, telling him to at least have the will to die for Soviet Russia. The unit fights through several houses, and eventually makes a push towards their target, the Reichstag. After destroying all Flak 88s and making their way to the doors of the Reichstag, Chernov is attacked with a flamethrower, and Reznov is for once nice to him. He takes and reads his diary. As the Soviets enter, they immediately begin fighting dug-in German soldiers and SS in the lobby, and as they continue, they meet heavy resistance in the Theater room, so much so Reznov makes Petrenko go upstairs and provide support with a PTRS-41. As they proceed to the roof, the Germans make a last stand, and the Soviets have to push through heavy resistance. The flag bearer is killed, and as a result, Pentrenko picks it up. As he is about to place it, a German gets up and shoots him with a Walther P-38, before Reznov impales him, then he cuts down the Nazi flag and rallys Dimitri to a point where he can place the Russian flag, declaring that, "As long as you live, the heart of this army can never be broken." From that moment, Berlin is captured by the Soviets as the Soviet National Anthem plays in the backround.

American Campaign
'''Makin Atoll, August 17, 1942. '''Pvt. Miller is held captive and witness to his squad mate's execution, and just before he himself is executed, Roebuck kills the Japanese soldier, saving Miller. Then Roebuck, Sullivan and Miller fight their way to a Japanese military base, when escaping Miller almost gets killed by a soldier with a katana, but Sullivan saves him, then the squad escapes on boats as the Japanese base is destroyed. '''Peleliu Island, September, 1944. '''The squad are sent to take the island via boat, however encounter more Japanese resistance than thought, and when stuck on a coral reef, the transport is destroyed, forcing the unit to proceed on foot through a large trench network and radio in airstrikes to allow American tanks entry. At the end of the mission Sgt. Sullivan is killed by a banzai charger, and as a result Roebuck is promoted to Sergeant. Under the newly appointed command of Roebuck, the unit later advance through a swamp towards a rigged American crash, where, after Japanese detonate hidden explosives, Banzai chargers attack. The unit quickly proceed to their new objective of the Japanese airfield, and after successfully storming the building and successive trenches that followed, before holding the AA batteries long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The unit quickly goes to burn out a Japanese trench, before heading to the mountain via tank to take over the last Japanese outpost on the island along with the Japanese mortar battery. After a flame tank kills all in it's path, the players storm the tunnels and claim the "rock" to be in American hands. Okinawa, May 1945. Two PBY Catalina's attacking Japanese merchant ships get calls the Japanese fleet begin a kamikaze assault on the invading U.S. Navy, and are forced to respond. Hammerhead, one of the Catalina's gets shot down by zeroes. The player's Catalina lands and begins picking up swimming sailors while attacking Japanese zeros, Just before a zero run destroys the flying boat the Navy F4U Corsairs come in the nick of time to save them. On the island meanwhile the unit are tasked with destroying large Japanese bunkers proving a problem for advancing Americans. Once taken the Americans climb above and claim victory of the area, before resting for a large push the next day. The next day, the Americans are immediately woken up for new supplies to take Shuri Castle. After the airdrop, they immediately charge. The party storm the castle, however, as three Japanese "surrender" Roebuck and Polonsky walk up to the three only to be a trap. As a result the player must decide which one will live and which one will die. After that Miller and the survivor (Roebuck or Polonsky) must defend against a massive banzai charge. At the end of the level the survivor hands the dog tags of the victim to Miller in an emotional cutscene, and mentions that the troops can now go home.

Post-Downfall
When the level ends, a cutscene starts, showing the speech made by President Harry Truman on the German surrender in Europe, being played over a video showing the surrender being signed and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings (ironically skipping out on the part of the speech mentioning these). After, it shows General MacArthur's speech in Japan on their surrender following the bombings, and finally a factual statement on the war by Treyarch (see top of page). The game then goes on to the Nazi Zombie map Nacht der Untoten, which is part of the Nazi Zombies series which follows a different plotline.

Multiplayer
Call of Duty: World at War has the same multiplayer features as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (i.e. Kill Streaks, Ranks, Perks''). However, its ranking system is very different from that of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare''. For prestiging the player will be rewarded with extra create-a-class slots, gamer pictures (Sgt. Roebuck gamer picture for prestiging for the first time and Sgt. Reznov for the 10th time.) There are also co-op challenges that will give the player XP. Like in Call of Duty 4, class customization is unavailable in local offline multiplayer. Instead, players can only choose from ten default classes. Also, players are allowed to brutally gib enemy soldiers, as in campaign.

A major difference between the multiplayer in World at War and the multiplayer in the Modern Warfare games is the ability to drive a tank in some maps. Therefore, Vehicle Perks are included in-game. Tanks can be used for both tank-based combat as well as killing infantry. However, areas tanks can access on maps are limited, allowing infantry to escape when an enemy tank is nearby. Another feature of the tank is the ability to switch position on the tank from either the main turret or a machine gun mounted on the top (this is not possible if another player is in the other gun of the tank). While using the top machine gun, it is possible to crouch for added protection.

Tanks are relatively hard to take out. While most of time this may occur in tank-based combat (though tanks have enough armor that a driver can easily get out and get away before his tank blows up). The M1A1 Bazooka Perk and the sticky grenades can be used to take out tanks from a more medium to long range approach, but this requires at least two players working together to take it out. Another option is using satchel charges to destroy the tank. This, however, either forces the player to get close to the tank (which is generally a bad idea as either the tank will see the player or might even run over them) or placing satchel charges, moving to another location where they can watch the charges, and then blowing them up when the tank rolls over them (this, however, requires good analyzing of where the tank more than likely is going to go). The difference between using satchel charges and using bazookas and/or grenades is that a single player can take down a tank using satchel charges, but it is a little more difficult to get set up to even have the possibility of taking down the tank.

Ranks
Throughout the players experience in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: World at War, the player will go through a series of ranks. The ranks up to level 65 are listed on the right of the page. The prestige ranks are located on the left. As the player increase in level, the player unlocks new guns, additional grenades, and perks. Once level 65 is reached, the player has the option to go into prestige mode. While this does reset the players rank and all the player's challenge progress, it also works toward unlocking extra class slots for Create A Class.



Character Skins
When using a certain class of weapon in Multiplayer, an appropriate skin is used to match the class of weapon. Each class and faction has a different skin. For example, when using a sniper rifle, such as the PTRS-41, the ghillie suit is equipped. The American ghillie suit varies from other factions (Germany, Japan, Russia) and this is the same for all other classes.

Nazi Zombies
Main Article: Nazi Zombies

World at War also features a new game mode, Nazi Zombies. After having completed the campaign and watched the credits, now unnecessary because of a patch, players automatically start a game of Nazi Zombies in the map Nacht der Untoten. The player must defend against waves of Nazi zombies by buying new weapons, unlocking new areas, and boarding up windows. Boarding up windows or damaging zombies gives points, which can be used to buy areas and weapons. A new Nazi Zombies map comes with every multiplayer map pack.

Call of Duty: World at War Limited Collectors Edition
The Call of Duty: World at War Limited Collectors Edition is a package containing Call of Duty: World at War, a canteen, a metal tin in which to store all Call of Duty games, a week of double XP, and a code for unlocking the FG42 or the M1A1 Carbine early.

Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts
Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts was a version of this game that was made for the PlayStation 2. It is similar but has toned-down graphics. It includes two American campaigns and a British campaign, while removing the Russian campaign. The original version of this game lacks an extra American campaign and a British campaign, although includes a Russian Campaign. Final Fronts also does not feature Nazi Zombies.

Call of Duty: World at War (Nintendo DS)
A version of this game was made for the Nintendo DS. It includes the Pacific campaign, the Russian campaign, and a British campaign.

Call of Duty: World at War Achievements/Trophies
There are 46 achievements/trophies in Call of Duty World at War for the PS3 and Xbox 360 worth 1000 gamerscore. Map Pack 2 adds an additional 10 achievements/trophies worth 250 gamerscore total. Map Pack 3 gives 10 more achievements/trophies worth 500 gamerscore total.

Launch trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMUZDdtjVi8

Differences from previous Call of Duty games

 * Compared to past Call of Duty games, World at War is much more serious: there is minimal humor in the game, and the atmosphere is very dark with themes of hatred and vengeance. Even the menu music, used in Vendetta, is quite unsettling. On the other hand, World at War has some very fictional/comical elements, such as Nazi Zombies, which is absent from the Wii version. Furthermore, the color palette consists of mostly colors in a dark tone.
 * World at War is the goriest Call of Duty game to date. It is possible to mutilate and rip apart enemy soldiers, and it is possible to tear off enemy heads, arms and legs. Ripping open the torso and seeing the ribs, and similar areas of the body is also possible with high-power weapons like the MG42, Type 99 and FG42. Also, blood splatter is more realistic, and it is common to see the enemy in large pools of red blood splattered everywhere. Some fans thought that World at War deserved an 18 from the BBFC instead of 15. Much of this gore is not present in the Wii version due to graphical limitations. Blood is still present, however, and meat chunks appear when a soldier is shot in the head.
 * Profanity is much more frequent in World at War. Words like "fuck," "shit," "bitch," and "bastard" are all much more common in the American campaign. Even in the Russian campaign, the soldiers often use swear terms in their own language, like "ebaka" (ебака, "fucker"), "svoloch" (сволочь, "bastard"), "mudak" (мудaк, "asshole"), and "chyort" (чёрт, "damn"). When playing with the Marine Raiders in multiplayer, if the player wins, he may hear "Outstanding Marines! Out-fucking standing!" as he can hear in the single-player campaign.
 * Most of the profanity is gone when the game is censored, which can be done in the options menu. When profanity is off, swear words are not omitted; however, the sentences are changed to not include swearing. For example, Sullivan says "Tojo's at home in this shit." When censoring is on, he says "Tojo's at home in this muck." However, at the beginning of Little Resistance, when Sullivan normally says the "plan's gone to shit," the latter two words are simply omitted, although the words are still mouthed.
 * This is one of the few console Call of Duty games to not feature any quotes about war after the player dies in campaign mode.


 * This game does not feature a training level, unlike many other Call of Duty games.


 * World at War marks the first use of bayonets and M2 Flamethrowers.


 * This is the first Call of Duty game to feature the Imperial Japanese Army and to be placed largely in the Pacific Theater.


 * World at War is the first main series game with no British campaign, but it sees the return of a Russian campaign, which last appeared in Call of Duty 2.


 * World at War is the first Call of Duty game where weather affects the HUD.


 * World at War is also the first Call of Duty game to feature cooperative gameplay.
 * With the graphic content reduced, This essentialy turns this M rated game into a seemingly T rated game.

Trivia
thumb|320px|right|World at War Wii gameplay online


 * On the cover, there is a Marine with a Thompson. The Thompson is an M1928 Thompson, the Thompson in game is based mostly of the M1A1 Thompson, there is also another Marine holding a Thompson behind him, it is the same as in game.


 * Almost every single weapon in the game has the same reload animation as their Call of Duty 2 counterparts.


 * If the player shoots off an enemy head they will still scream, even though they lack a head.


 * Strangely, in World at War, the player can shoot or kill quite a few of his allies as long as they are not major characters without restarting from the last checkpoint.


 * On the Wii version, the campaign alone takes up 64 blocks of space.


 * The game features many possible references to the movie "Saving Private Ryan", such as: the name Pvt. Ryan appearing and the associated "Saved Private Ryan" achievement, the American player's name is Miller, a possible reference to Cpt. Miller, Pvt. Polonsky's personality is also similar to that of Pvt. Rieben, and Pvt. Chernov has the same views of the war as Upham. The use of 'improvised mortars' by tapping the tail on a surface the throwing was present in the climactic battle of the movie and the game.


 * The Game also features many blatant references to "Enemy at the Gates". For example, in Vendetta, the player wakes up in a fountain full of dead bodies, and is ordered to shoot at enemies when there is a loud noise.


 * It is noted that the Germans in game will shout the same words in the same voices as they did in Call of Duty 2.


 * Any time the player takes too long to move, kill, or destroy an objective, grenades will be thrown at him constantly even if there are no enemies around, telling the player to get a move on or he'll die. Eventually, if the player outruns the trail of grenades, they will stop being thrown for a period of time, but will come back later on if he still chooses to not do an objective.


 * Not only does this game show the brutality of the Axis Powers (ex. Japanese torture and the massacre at the Red Square) but it also shows the merciless nature of the Red Army, as the player commonly sees them execute unarmed enemy soldiers, even if they're surrendering.


 * The Wii and PS2 versions lack the Nazi Zombie game mode and the Black Cats level.


 * If playing on an American mission, a player can pick up Japanese Kiska grenades if the player uses all of the American grenades. The Japanese Grenades look like grey cylinders with a plug on top.


 * This game seems to have undergone a huge overhaul, because the presence of a sticky grenade and the recently discovered deleted British weapons, indicates that a British campaign was to be present.


 * This is the first game to have the same number of Allied powers in the game and Axis powers in the game. There is the US and USSR vs Germany and Japan.


 * With the new update, Nazi Zombies appears to be accessible from the main menu. If the player clicks on it and chooses multiplayer, however, they are still sent to the level selection menu that appears if they had chosen co-op campaign.


 * In the South Park episode "The Ungroundable", everyone in computer class is playing Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer.


 * The PPS-43, Sten, Lee-Enfield, and Bren were apparently intended to be featured in this game. Oddly, they were dropped in the next-gen versions of the game but remained in the DS version with the exception of the Bren.


 * In the launch trailer, Roebuck and Reznov are shown more than any other characters.


 * In the multiplayer mode, Asylum, Dome, Hangar, and other maps have strange ghostly sounds in certain areas of each map. Similar sounds can also be heard in their single-player counterparts (in the case of Asylum and Dome which are set at the Asylum in Ring of Steel and at the final battle of Downfall).


 * Sometimes, the player can find names of randomly generated characters repeating, like Sgt. Buffaloe, Cpl. Buffaloe, and Pvt. Buffaloe can all appear in your squad at the same time.


 * In the Wii version, some sounds are different, such as the sounds the pistols make.


 * Also in the Wii version, the creepy sounds in multiplayer are taken off.


 * In many missions of the Russian campaign, especially on Eviction, there are usually randomly generated characters with the name Sidorenko, this is a possible reference to the real-life Russian sniper hero Ivan Sidorenko.


 * When playing in a big lobby the rules will say no cursing, but if the player wins as the Marines, the commentator will sometimes say "Outstanding Marines, Out-fucking standing!" This is similar to the PC counterpart where sometimes profanity is illegal on the server, but then cussing can be heard by the characters and announcers.


 * If the player quits and restarts a level right at the beginning (before the first mission is given), it is possible to get a major AI glitch where friendlies don't really shoot at enemies, and many times enemies can be seen looking at the player without shooting (which will continue indefinitely if the player refuses to kill the enemy). If the player does this with Blowtorch and Corkscrew, it will continue to Shuri Castle where at times the infinite respawn system will continue far beyond the player activating the "trip wire" to turn it off and will consequently be overwhelmed by enemies that shouldn't even be there.


 * At first, Call of Duty: World At War was banned in Japan for strong, gory violence and cruelty against Japanese soldiers, but the ban was later lifted.


 * Interestingly, even with the Censored option on, bayonets will still cause enemies to bleed.