Experience the Call of Duty

The highlight of the Call of Duty series isn’t the stellar game mechanics, but rather the heroics found in the midst of a chaotic battlefield. The games allow you to truly experience what it was like to be a young soldier in combat during the Second World War.

Reinforcements have arrived.

The developers have pushed full-speed ahead with that concept in Call of Duty® 3, crafting the most heart-pounding first-person experience ever, utilizing the high-def, next-gen horsepower of Xbox 360™ to do it.

Getting Ready
Like any good first person shooter, COD 3 eases you into the game. The first mission finds you sitting with some fellow soldiers in a field, taking a bit of friendly target practice.

Pick up your gun and unload a few rounds into some target helmets to get the hang of the controls. Throw a grenade or two at the unfortunate barn to get your arm in shape. Get used to moving, shooting, and tossing explosives while you experience the soldierly camaraderie of shooting the breeze with your pals.

The Battle Begins
Word of nearby German troops reaches your base and now it's all business. Hop into a convoy truck and it's off to battle. Here you get to witness one of the hallmarks that made Call of Duty famous: The scripted moments. These fly-on-the-wall sequences intensify the drama of the game, as well as reinforcing the idea that you are one very small person in one very large, very real world.

The remnants of a once-great city.

Once you're jolting on your way to the battle, you notice a lone private running to catch up with your truck. Your comrades urge him on with friendly taunts, and just as you reach out to help him into the truck, a mortar round explodes, and he's gone. Your truck is thrown off the road. Someone drags you free of the burning wreckage, and then it's time to shake the cobwebs from your head, because the battle has begun.

The Campaign
Unlike previous WWII titles, COD 3 finally does away with the traditional, but now cliché, storming of Normandy. Much more importantly, it focuses on one campaign—the liberating battle of Chambois—instead of bouncing from one embattled corner of the continent to another.

Also, by telling the story of a single campaign from the American, British, Polish, and Canadian perspectives, the story manages to be varied while still building a singular narrative.

First Person Mini-Games
In an effort to further personalize the first-person experience, Call of Duty 3 also introduces mini-games that can dramatically effect your interactions with the enemy.

Lay down covering fire to protect your allies.

Here's an example: You enter a building and get ambushed by an enemy soldier. He hits you upside the head with his rifle-butt. You grab the rifle, and the two of you begin to struggle. The screen prompts you to rapidly pull the triggers in succession. Do it properly and you can seize the weapon from your enemy, and hit him with the butt.

Moments like this take place throughout COD 3, offering a change of pace from the traditional FPS mechanics, as well as keeping you constantly on your toes.

Call of Duty 3 sets a new high standard for presentation with its attention to historical and graphical detail, as well as sound design that is unparalleled, even among other top-tier next-gen titles. If Call of Duty® 2 introduced us to the potential of Xbox 360, then COD 3 shows us the spectacular reality of it.

Article by Ryan Treit