GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
xx Alien Shooter - Revisited
xx Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded
xx Altitude
xx America's Army 3
75 And Yet It Moves
79 ArmA II
xx Armed Forces Corp.
xx Astro Tripper
75 BattleForge
74 Battlestations: Pacific
75 Bionic Commando
78 Blood Bowl
59 Blueberry Garden
xx Book of Unwritten Tales, The
90 Braid
xx Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island
81 Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
80 Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, The
76 Chronicles of Spellborn, The
67 Codename: Panzers - Cold War
73 Cogs
64 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
70 Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
69 Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
41 Damnation
66 Dark Sector
89 Dawn of Discovery
82 DCS: Black Shark
53 Death Track: Resurrection
xx Delta Force: Xtreme 2
76 Demigod
xx Drug Wars
71 Elven Legacy
89 EVE Online: Apocrypha
81 Fallout 3: Broken Steel
78 Fallout 3: Point Lookout
77 Fallout 3: The Pitt
50 Fenimore Fillmore's Revenge
xx Final Fantasy XI: A Crystalline Prophecy
65 Flock!
80 Free Realms
72 Fuel
78 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
54 Gobliiins 4
63 Godfather II, The
72 Grand Ages: Rome
36 Grey's Anatomy
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
xx Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
xx Helldorado
xx Hinterland: Orc Lords
xx Humans, The
xx Hunter, The
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
72 Killing Floor
xx Larva Mortus
66 Last Remnant, The
20 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
xx Light of Altair
75 Maw, The
79 Men of War
76 Mevo & the Grooveriders
xx Military History Commander: Europe at War
74 MLB Dugout Heroes
63 Monsters vs. Aliens
74 Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
72 Officers
xx Operation 7
xx Orb and the Oracle, The
78 Overlord II
80 Path, The
88 Plants vs. Zombies
xx Pool Hall Pro
xx Pro Cycling Manager: Tour de France 2009
79 Prototype
xx Railworks
xx Raycatcher
70 Restaurant Empire 2
xx Righteous Kill 2: Revenge of the Poet Killer
73 Runes of Magic
xx Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch
72 SBK 09 Superbike World Championship
xx Scorpion: Disfigured
64 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
74 Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
77 Simon the Sorcerer 5: Who'd Even Want Contact?!
86 Sims 3, The
xx Smashing Toys
74 Spore Galactic Adventures
26 Stalin vs. Martians
xx Stateshift
68 Still Life 2
42 Stormrise
92 Street Fighter IV
71 Superstars V8 Racing
51 Terminator Salvation
xx Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
xx Three Cards to Midnight
70 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
61 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
xx Trine
31 Tunnel Rats
xx Up
61 Velvet Assassin
72 Virtua Tennis 2009
76 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 1: Fright of the Bumblebees
73 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 2: The Last Resort
75 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 3: Muzzled!
62 Wanted: Weapons of Fate
xx Warrior Epic
58 Wheelman, The
xx Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey
72 World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
xx WSC Real 09: World Snooker Championship
77 X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition
xx Yosumin!
78 Zeno Clash

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Call of Duty: World at War pc Game Reviews
Call of Duty: World at War
Critic Score
Metascore: 83 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.9 out of 10
based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 193 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Utilizing the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War throws out the rulebook of war to transform WWII combat through a new enemy, new tactics and an uncensored experience of the climatic battles that gripped a generation. As U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers, players employ new features like cooperative gameplay, and weapons such as the flamethrower in the most chaotic and cinematically intense experience to date. Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-operative play, bringing fresh meaning to the "No One Fights Alone" mantra with up to four-players online for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, or two-player local split-screen on consoles. Nintendo Wii will also support a unique co-op mode for two players. For the first time ever players can experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The co-op campaign allows players to rank up and unlock perks in competitive multiplayer by completing challenges and earning experience points, adding continuous re-playability and team-based gameplay. Whether playing competitively or cooperatively – if players are online with Call of Duty: World at War – they always gain experience points. Based on a player’s experience rank and rank of the player's friends, Call of Duty: World at War scales dynamically to provide a deeper level of challenge. [Activision]

PUBLISHER: Activision
DEVELOPER: Treyarch
GENRE(S): First-Person Shooter
PLAYERS: 18
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

96
Cheat Code Central
Treyarch came back this year with an excellent addition to the franchise. Many gamers may look at this game with an "I've been there, done that" attitude. I am here to tell you that this is the best WWII effort so far, as well as the best game in the franchise.
Read Full Review
96
Game Chronicles
Call of Duty World at War is an amazingly fun and addictive game all around. You couldn’t ask for a better FPS value.
Read Full Review
92
IGN
This is a solid, confident shooter with plenty to offer the casual and hardcore alike.
Read Full Review
91
GamingTrend
The game is definitely an incremental step forward for the series, and not a revolutionary one.
Read Full Review
90
VideoGamer
A stunning game that doesn't miss a beat from start to finish and includes one of the most feature packed multiplayer components of any game released this year.
Read Full Review
90
Gameplanet
The single-player campaign involves a riveting and emotional story, and the inclusion of co-op is fantastic. The game itself however is heavily weighted towards multiplayer, as was its predecessor.
Read Full Review
90
BigPond GameArena
Overall Call of Duty World at War is a great game with some great ideas, but it feels too familiar to be a real must have title.
Read Full Review
90
GamePro
The single-player isn't as compelling as Modern Warfare but it's still worth playing nonetheless; the best part though is that there's a deep and satisfying multiplayer component waiting for you when you're done.
Read Full Review
90
GameSpy
It's certainly not the bar-raiser that "Modern Combat" was, especially in the solo campaigns. But with the new co-op play and the rest of the multiplayer content, World of War turns out to be an extremely entertaining and faithful addition to the Call of Duty family.
Read Full Review
90
Games Radar (in-house)
All in all World at War delivers. It isn’t a revolution in Call of Duty gaming, but neither is it a step backwards, like some have claimed. Right now, it’s the best WWII shooter we’ve played, largely because it’s got a solid (if unoriginal) single player, some spectacular multiplayer, and oh yeah: because it’s brutal as hell.
Read Full Review
90
Vandal Online
Perhaps the guys at Treyarch haven't surpassed its predecessor's bar, but it really was too high. Nevertheless, this does not mean Call of Duty: World at War is not a very good game, it is indeed one of the best of its genre, and no shooter fan should miss it.
Read Full Review
88
Game Informer
World at War finally gives us a reason to visit the Pacific Theater with its fun cooperative and multiplayer modes. But the “been there, done that” single-player missions and overall derivative tone keep this very good game from achieving the greatness of its predecessor. [Jan 2009, p.64]
88
3DJuegos
World at War is a great new entry in the epic saga. The new Call of Duty just misses the inspiration that Infinity Ward brings to every project, and which Treyarch still aspires to. This new game offers everything we were waiting for, and has better value in its co-op campaign.
Read Full Review
87
IGN UK
Although World at War too often feels like a refit, it’s a refit of one of the greatest games of the current generation - and one that’s, by and large, been confidently handled by Treyarch.
Read Full Review
86
GameStar
Call of Duty: World at War goes back to the battlefields of World War 2. The game delivers well staged nonstop action and looks good, but the missions are barely connected, just like in the first three games of the series. It's still a good, maybe even a very good FPS, but not fit to hold a candle to its predecessor.
Read Full Review
85
GameSpot
World at War brings proven Call of Duty mechanics back to WWII with great success.
Read Full Review
85
GameZone
Overall the game feels a bit short but is not only a very tasty bit of eye candy, and a treat for the ears as well, but a briskly paced action-adventure that should please fans of WWII first-person shooters.
Read Full Review
85
Computer Games Online RO
World at War is a remarkable Call of Duty title, once again, but it’s clear that more could have been done on the multiplayer side. Unlike the rest of the games in the series, Treyarch studios can’t pride themselves with this latter aspect, which has always ensured the series’ longevity.
Read Full Review
85
GamingXP
Graphics are brilliant, and the new Koop – mode offers a fantastic chance, to accomplish difficult missions together. The single player-campaign isn’t able to satisfy the gamer’s needs.
Read Full Review
84
Gamers.at
World at War won’t disappoint anyone, just as long as they don’t expect it to fully revive the glory of its predecessor. [Issue#17]
84
Gamer 2.0
Treyarch has made vast improvements from their COD 3 work and delivered a solid product.
Read Full Review
84
PC Zone UK
While World at War isn't original and has moments lacking in inspiration (the tank section, ugh) it has refined the linear World War II shooter template as much as perhaps it can be. [Jan 2009, p.60]
80
Total PC Gaming
Shocking, chaotic and uberviolent. For those who can take it, there's a fine game lurking despite the flaws. [Issue#14, p.45]
80
2404.org
Buy it for the multiplayer.
Read Full Review
80
Play (Poland)
Stalingrad, Berlin, Thompsons and Mausers... This timeworn, if eternal setting is explored yet again in even more epic rendition. This game has everything that is expected from such an distinguished series, but after Modern Warfare it's a step back not only in time. [Jan 2009]
80
Meristation
Following the work of Infinity Ward with "Modern Warfare", Treyarch has made a good work following those steps as close as possible, while adding elements of their own. The grim scenario of the Russian campaign is a clear highlight and a triumph for the studio, and the same could be said of the four player cooperative mode. However, we miss more evolution on the graphics engine, and some elements added to the multiplayer experience don't convince us.
Read Full Review
80
PC PowerPlay
Despite some concerns, the game is certainly not a bad one; it's no Call of Duty 3, by any stretch of the imagination – and Treyarch is definitely back in good form. The action is top notch, and the multiplayer will certainly keep people occupied for some time. [Christmas 2008, p.75]
79
PC Format
It's a slick shooter, but the ultra-generic Japan campaign makes it feel very much the cut price CoD4 remake. [Jan 2009, p.94]
77
PC Gamer UK
Lavish, but retrograde and unbalanced. [Christmas 2008, p.96]
75
MEGamers
World at War is nothing but a mutated bastard child of its immortal predecessor.
Read Full Review
73
PC Gamer
In fact, World at War is a deeply symmetrical reapplication of CoD4's brilliant design, though executed with noticeably less polish. [Jan 2009, p.44]
70
Thunderbolt
Just another pretty good game.
Read Full Review
65
Absolute Games
By changing the setting in Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward saved the series from stagnation. World at War is a step back. WWII has been done to death, and even the Pacific campaign feels like a retread of Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault.
Read Full Review
60
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Returning to WWII is not a bad idea as many may think. There are a lot of stories not yet told. Unfortunately heavy scripting, suicidal AI, and lack of fresh ideas ruin the overall impression. [Issue#173]
60
Edge Magazine
Treyarch has taken just enough from COD4 to make World At War a broad success, but it remains firmly in its shadow. [Christmas 2008, p.90]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 6.9 (out of 10) based on 193 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Travis G gave it a10:
Great FPS, Excellent graphics, very real feel. The other reviewers who responded that you just die obviously don't know how to play or were in servers they shouldn't have been in. This is a top knotch WW11 game.

Joe L gave it a0:
Ive tried again and again to play this game on multyplayer and my word ford lack of nasty words Its jsut frustrates me the players . there are to many cases during play where "THE GAME" its self is working against you. No matter how hard I try and ive played all the call of duties as some record of proof i don't know , no matter how hard I try the game always leave me with guys running around holding down left click . The levels are sometimes to busy to the eye with no visual rest that you cant even see your attacker or figure out what happened. There's nothing more frustrating then the player getting killed and not knowing why or how or where from. i say this all knowing what faults in my argue ment there may be but none the less I give this a zero too many times im left frustrated and want to leave my computer.

HATE IT gave it a0:
I got to admit, I bought this game on steam on a weekend sale for 25 dollars. Not even a month past, the game was on pre-load mode from Steam. I tried to delete the local content and play again, but when i deleted the content, it was removed from my game list. STEAM SOLVE THIS RIGHT NOW OR I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MY FREAKING REFUND!!

Sam D gave it a9:
This game is pretty great compared to other WWII shooters in my opinion. The graphics I would give a 10 to, overall game-play a 10 as well. I don't have too many bad things to say about this game, maybe the quick heal health system (don't really like the Halo 3 style of health regen). So for all of the dumbs out there that keep on comparing this to COD Modern Warfare... This is a World War II shooter. Its a game built on the storyline of the most destructive and costly war that ever took place on this planet. So stop crying about not being able to run and gun with your M4. Grab an M1 and go kill some Nazis.

Ian S gave it a4:
They took a great game, re skinned it with slightly poorer graphics, and unnatural looking animations. Then they unbalanced the guns, broke the special abilities, and set it all in badly designed maps. CoD4s utter brilliance still shows through, but its obscured by Treyarch's utter amateurism. n.b. how did they manage to introduce so many new bugs to previously stable systems that they appear to have made no other changes to?

D M gave it a0:
Buggy c&@p! no sound... no refund... no support. I just spent the last 3 hours of my life trying to get the sound working and my computer is less than 6 months old! requirements: on board sound or better, I don't think so! I have a realtec HD on board AND a $2000 m-audio projectmix! very disappointed! consoles look better everyday.

Tyson W gave it an8:
single player squad ai is awful. its like who ever made this game didn't care about it being a repetitive mess though the 4 hours is took me to complete the campaign. fighting hordes of enemy's just isn't fun to me especially when im the only one shooting and hitting varies enemy's while your squad mates just sit there and bark orders at you. multiplayer on the other hand is just fun. with loads of different game modes especially my favorite nazi zombie's :). final there's a game that did an rpg feel for a shooter right. you earn different upgrades and get to customize your load out how you see fit. all in all i say buy this game for the multiplayer don't expect much for single player besides a headache and thoughts of suicide lol.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use