Activision’s Call of Duty franchise has long represented some of the finest shooters that the FPS genre has to offer. Transplanting players into different soldiers throughout WWII and beyond, the series has offered intense situations and accessible controls to make it one of the most critically and commercially successful shooter franchises around. Last year’s Call of Duty 4 was the best received entry, bringing the series from World War II into a modern setting and bringing the gameplay to a whole new level.

Developed by Treyarch, the crew behind the third Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: World at War is the fifth entry to the series proper. The game takes a step back, taking the series out of modern times and back to World War II. World at War uses the Call of Duty 4 engine to great effect, featuring the same great graphical effects as its predecessor and some intense WWII action battles and situations. While the game lacks some of the flair of its predecessor and retreads some old ground, it offers up some great new features, including an online co-op mode, making it worth a look from fans of the series or of shooters in general.

As in other Call of Duty games, World at War puts you in control of more than one soldier at different times, this time as a Russian soldier in Stalingrad and during the fall of Berlin, and as an American soldier fighting in the Pacific front. The game will switch between the two at different points, with a cut scene describing the next sequence and setting the stage.

One of the most apparent differences that the game has from the rest of the Call of Duty franchise is its very mature atmosphere. The game is bloodier than the rest of the series, with the firefights taking a much gorier turn than the rest of the franchise. Blood will frequently spurt out of bodies when shot and you’ll be able to dismember your enemies if you hit them straight on with a weapon like a shotgun or from even from a distance with a sniper rifle. The whole atmosphere forgoes the standard heroic movie-like vibe of previous WWII shooters in favor of a darker feel, with suspenseful situations and bloodier firefights throughout.

World at War brings some great new weapons to the game, including double-barreled shotguns and the flamethrower. The flamethrower is the most important weapon addition in the game, since it factors in to several missions within the game. You’ll be able to take down several enemies at once using it, as well burn snipers out of trees and other pretty gruesome, but nonetheless satisfying things.

The main problem with Call of Duty: World at War is the sense of familiarity that gamers are likely to have with it. The game walks a very familiar line, with many of the situations within the campaign having been done in other games. While there are a few standout missions, like the plane gunner mission, a lot of what’s here has a distinct “been there, done that” feeling to it.

One element that does add something new to the Call of Duty table is the co-op feature. Players are able to get into four-player co-op stages from the single-player campaign. While some of the missions like the Stalingrad sniper mission or the gunner mission over the Pacific can’t be played cooperatively, the rest of the campaign, including the more intense missions like the assault on Shinto Castle can be played with three other players.

Aside from the co-op feature, the competitive online features aren’t too shabby either. There are the standard mainstays like Free for All, Capture the Flag, and so on, as well as a new take on the spawnpoint capture idea, in the new War mode. In War, instead of scrambling for spawnpoints, you are given one at a time that you must capture, while your enemies will also be vying for the same spot on the map, making the firefights a lot more focused and intense.

Graphically, World at War benefits from the Call of Duty 4 engine, and features some great character models and some really cool looking environments. There are some problems in the PS3 version, including some murky textures in places as well as some bouts of framerate slowdown.

Soundwise, the game sounds very good. The sound effects are great, in line with the rest of the franchise. The voice work features Kiefer Sutherland on the American campaign as your commanding officer, and Gary Oldman as your Russian commander, each lending their own grizzled personalities to the roles and sounding quite good. The music also works well for the most part, although the occasional Meshuggah-esque guitar riff takes away from the game’s setting.

Call of Duty: World at War is a solid entry to the franchise that adds some nice elements, like co-op, to the mix. Unfortunately, some of it feels like old-hat at this point, and the return to World War II feels a bit tired, especially right on the heels of last year’s great addition to the franchise.

Gameplay: 8.5
Call of Duty: World at War plays very well, utilizing the series’ tried and true control scheme and providing some action-packed moments. The new weapons are also pretty awesome, especially the well-implemented flamethrower segments. However, there is a distinct sense that the game retreads familiar territory.

Graphics: 8.5
The game uses the Call of Duty 4 engine to great effect, with some highly detailed and expressive character models and great looking environments and lighting effects. The PS3 version does have a few framerate hiccups here and there when the action gets hairy.

Sound: 8.5
The sound effects are top tier, as in the rest of the series. The voice work is very well done, featuring Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman as your American and Russian C.O.s, respectively. The music sounds good for the most part, but the occasional chuggy metal guitars feel anachronistically out of place.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.0
While the more mature take is a nice departure for the series, going back to World War II feels too familiar.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The online features, especially the new co-op mode and the competitive War mode, are very nicely done and well implemented.

Overall: 8.5
Call of Duty: World at War is a solid entry to the franchise, offering some pretty intense gameplay and nice new online features. However, the return to WWII means that it feels like a game you’ve played before.