Call of Duty 3

[Shayne]

So I have Call of Duty 3 on pre-order over at EB and I was super excited about the title.  However now that I spent the last 30 minutes (my lunch) reading over some previews and checking out some videos I can't help but be a little apprehensive about this title now.

1.  not being done by infinity ward
2.  massively multi-platform release (xbox, xbox360, ps2, ps3, wii)
3.  1 year development time
4.  basically an expansion pack

...really is a bummer when historically the Call of Duty series has been on of the best FPS franchises available.  While it might not be a total bust, however I no longer will be as eager and will watch the reviews very closely.  The graphics not being up to par is a negative for certain, but I'm more interested in the heavy action that the CoD series has always done very well.

[Mr. Analog]

Well that sux, I love CoD, and CoD 2 improved greatly on the original. I guess we'll have to see what it's like when it comes out (or whenever it's leaked on the interweb).

[Shayne]

Well, the first reviews are in.  IGN gave it an 88%, the review seems very favorable overall, and i think the "Another Take" gives the best view of the game for me:

The Normandy Breakout? What the hell is the Normandy Breakout?

Unlike some of the jaded editors in the office, I'm still a big fan of World War II games. I remember my first time storming Omaha Beach in Medal of Honor: Frontline, and I was hooked. But, after a while, you can't help but get the been-there, done-that feeling about WWII shooters. Throughout the years, however, the Call of Duty franchise has managed to recreate historic battles, many of which are relatively unknown to the average gamer.

Which brings us back to the Normandy Breakout, which happens to be the Allied campaign following D-Day that resulted in the liberation of Paris. Whereas COD2 was spread across Africa and France and Russia, COD3 is much more localized. As Americans, British, Polish and, finally, Canadians, you'll liberate Paris from four sides, which helps to bring a cohesiveness to the single-player game that COD2 lacked.

Although Treyarch took over for Infinity Ward, the gameplay mechanics remain largely the same. With a regenerating health system, you fight your way from objective to objective and through a variety of scripted moments -- what COD does best. Although the missions are fun and well laid-out, including vehicles as well, the gameplay mechanics are getting a bit stale. COD3 is fun, don't get me wrong. But after playing Rainbow Six Vegas and even Gears of War, both with outstanding cover systems, I can't help but wish something like this would be applied to a WWII game. In the end, the single-player missions feel more like an expansion pack to COD2, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that this franchise needs a breath of fresh air.

Fresh air is exactly what the multiplayer game received however. Completely revamped, COD3 plays like a next-gen Battlefield 1942, complete with classes of soldiers and a ton of vehicles. Scouts can call in artillery strikes; medics can inject their miracle needle to save a re-spawn, and support gunners can lay down the .50 cal and obliterate people. In short, the COD3 multiplayer is outstanding, a complete overhaul on the mediocre mode in COD2. With a ton of game modes and huge, sprawling maps, COD3 could jump on top as one of the most popular multiplayer games this holiday season.

Clearly Treyarch put the most focus in overhauling multiplayer, and the effort has paid off. With a decent, more focused single-player campaign and an excellent online mode, COD3 is a great WWII shooter. Still, this series is in need of something new, be it a whole new campaign outside of Europe or even WWII.

Oh, and COD3 has the best looking grass of any game in history. Snap!

Source: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/744/744720p1.html

Still on the fence if i should pick this up or not.

[Shayne]

1Up on the other had gave it a 6.5/10: http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155038

[Shayne]

Gamespot 88%: http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/callofduty3/review.html?page=1&sid=6161282&part=rss&tag=gs_reviews&subj=6161282

[Shayne]

An interesting comparison I think...(all Gamespot)

8.2/10 : PS3 : http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/callofduty3/review.html?sid=6161718
8.8/10 : X360: http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/callofduty3/review.html?sid=6161282
7.2/10 : Wii : http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/callofduty3/review.html?sid=6162053

...it really shows how valuable Multiplayer and it would also appear that graphics are being taken into account (not that much though)

[Shayne]

Graphical comparison of the same game, it also shows how the controls are done for the same scene on each machine.  Interesting

[Lazybones]

Just for some contrast

Madden NFL 07 on Wii - 8.4

Madden NFL 07 for the Wii isn't just a quick and dirty port. It's an excellent use of the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities that revitalizes Madden in a number of ways.

Madden NFL 07 on PS3 - 7.9

Madden NFL 07 delivers a very good game of football in the series' PlayStation 3 debut.

Madden NFL 07 on 360 - 7.9

Madden NFL 07 is a marked improvement over the previous 360 version, but some design quirks and missing features prevent it from being the system's first great football game.

[Shayne]

Ah, i didn't see the Madden review.  That is one game I constantly heard great things about how the Wii motion was added in.

[Darren Dirt]

Just for some contrast

Madden NFL 07 on Wii - 8.4

Madden NFL 07 for the Wii isn't just a quick and dirty port. It's an excellent use of the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities that revitalizes Madden in a number of ways.

Madden NFL 07 on PS3 - 7.9

Madden NFL 07 delivers a very good game of football in the series' PlayStation 3 debut.

Madden NFL 07 on 360 - 7.9

Madden NFL 07 is a marked improvement over the previous 360 version, but some design quirks and missing features prevent it from being the system's first great football game.

The bold part above is what I expect to see in an awful lot of Wii game reviews over the coming months... The gaming community *needs* a "revitalizing" rather than just slightmodificationofgenre-expansionpack-2ndinseries-franchisespinoff-laterrinserepeat...

[Shayne]

Obiviously not now though

Ugly graphics; poor sound effects and awful music; the few generic tracks in the game get old quickly; controls feel loose and unresponsive.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/wii/driving/gtproseries/review.html?sid=6162042

The Bad:  Newly-added Wii tilt controls feel totally half-baked; core action is utterly devoid of depth; very little variety to the environments; overly repetitive sound effects; monster-on-monster combat is almost nonexistent.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/rampagetotaldestruction/review.html?sid=6161992

If they add the movement @%&# in and it works great and doesn't detract from the game play I am all for it.  However as I have said over and over again, i DO NOT want a movement sensing device as my main controller for my console.  It just does not fit how I enjoy gaming.  Great for a second console though

[Darren Dirt]

lol -- Rampage: Total Destruction is hella fun with the normal NGC controls; I don't know why they redid the game for the Wii, I can imagine it would be more arduous and less fun if you got tilt your hand to do the same thing as for(i=ad;i<nauseum;i++){button-mash}

[Shayne]

Oh, to be fair, the biggest game on the Wii has issues too *shrug*  HOWEVER, I have heard that Metroid uses it near perfectly.

The Bad:  Wii-specific elements feel tacked on; graphics and sound sometimes go from nostalgic to dated.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/thelegendofzelda/review.html?sid=6161993

Though, Zelda was built as a NGC game.