Call of Duty Achievements

Call of Duty® 3 takes a much broader view of achievements than its predecessor, Call of Duty® 2. In COD 2, you scored achievement points for completing the training, completing the game, and gained individual achievements for beating levels on Veteran difficulty. By contrast, COD 3 offers all manner of goals, many of which will require a unique effort to acquire.

Aim carefully to conserve ammo.

Basics and Standards
The following achievements require little or no explanation and represent the 'common' achievements found in many games.

• Basic Training (5 points): Complete the training at the beginning of the game. This requires no special effort, but it is always wise to cover the basics.
• Two Missions: Call of Duty 3 offers campaigns from the perspective of four different armies. Receive an achievement for completing the first two missions of each army.
  • American (20 points)
  • British (20 points)
  • Polish (15 points)
  • Canadian (10 points)
• Won the War (50 points): This end-game achievement is handed out after you complete every campaign. This is a well-earned achievement, and anyone who has it is truly deserving of respect.
• Grizzled Veteran (150 points): Win the war on Veteran (hard) difficulty to earn this achievement.

Charging in under vehicular cover.

Ranked Achievements
New to COD 3 is gamerscore recognition for your online exploits. You earn points for every ranked game you play on Xbox Live®, and as you do, you'll move up through ranks that describe your online standing. Each successive rank offers another, higher bump in your gamerscore:

• Lieutenant (15 points): Earn 1500 points.
• Captain (25 points): Earn 3500 points.
• Major (35 points): Earn 8000 total points.
• Colonel (60 points): Earn 25000 points.
• General (125 points): Earn 50000 points.

Online Goals
The following achievements are earned through the multiplayer game, and while they have very specific criteria, most will be earned naturally as you play. Only worry about focusing on specific goals after you've spent some quality time online, and then you can see which goals you missed.

• Supply Officer (35 points): Supply your comrades during a multiplayer match.
• Doc (45 points): Revive a set number of your comrades during a match.
• Mark of Commendation (25 points): Destroy at least one enemy HQ and successfully defend your own.
• War Hero (22 points): Be responsible for capturing the final object in War mode.
• Capture Commando (25 points): Reacquire your flag after it's been stolen and successfully capture the enemy flag and return it to your base.
• Victory Medal (27 points): Earn the highest individual score by the end of the match.

The aftermath of war.

Miscellaneous Goals
The following goals apply to the single-player experience, and don't follow any specific structure. Use the accompanying tips to gain these achievements.

• Conservationist (20 points): You must conserve ammo for this achievement.

Tip: This is less about conserving ammo than it is about being accurate. This is easiest to achieve on the first level when the difficulty is at its lowest.

• Hot Potato (25 points): Throw back five enemy grenades for this achievement.

Tip: Don't go grabbing every live grenade you see. Watch for ones that have just hit the ground, so you'll have enough time to throw them back. You should be able to accomplish this achievement naturally as you play.

• Rifleman (15 points): Earn this achievement by beating a level using only a rifle.

Tip: The first level starts you off with a single-shot rifle. Stick with that, and you can score this achievement from the get-go.

• Assault Trooper (15 points): Same as above, only limited to machine or sub-machine guns.

Tip: Pick this achievement up the first time you start a level with a sub-machine gun.

• Scavenger (15 points): Use only German weapons throughout a level to earn this achievement.

Tip: When beginning a level, use a melee attack to take out the first enemy you see. Take his weapon and use it for the rest of the level.

• Still Ticking (30 points): Get through a mission without dying or reloading from a checkpoint.

Tip: Again, it's good to keep this achievement in mind in the first level as it's the least challenging level in the game.

• Allergic to Bullets (25 points): Don't get shot more than ten times.

Tip: Stay patient and use cover. More than anything, your impatience will be what gets you shot. Make sure to consult your compass to keep an eye on enemy movements.

• Closer Quarters Combatant (100 points): Complete a level using nothing by melee attacks.

Tip: This is probably the most difficult achievement to complete, but if you play on an easier difficulty setting, you can rely on your comrades to do much of the fighting for you. Move carefully from cover to cover, rely on your allies, and remember that you don't always have to kill every enemy to complete a level.

The achievements in COD 3 encompass every element of the next-gen war game. Like many recent games, the achievements can be very challenging, but none of them are impossible if you try.

Article by Ryan Treit