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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Call of Duty 3 delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat during the battle for the Liberation of Paris, the most harrowing campaign of WWII, known as The Normandy Breakout. Through a seamless narrative, Call of Duty 3 delivers the rush of unrelenting battle and breathtaking action of the Allied offensive that changed the fate of the world. [Activision]
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... 100
GameDaily
Combined with the single player campaign, Call of Duty's online play rounds out a very impressive package, one that throttles the senses and shakes the soul.
 100
AceGamez
With a single player campaign that lasts a good eight hours, with loads of replay value in the form of higher difficulty levels and places to explore or do differently, plus the multiplayer mode that supports 24 players online and a thriving community that love war games as much as you should, Call of Duty 3 is one hell of an experience.
100
Times Online
The graphics are top-notch and the sound helps immerse you in the wonderfully rendered action.
98
Game Chronicles
The best thing I can say about Call of Duty 3 is that after playing I actually felt like I had been through a war. There were moments when I would catch myself physically ducking or leaning my body as I tried to look around a corner.
96
XGP Gaming
The campaign is the most intense ten hours I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing in videogame. Online the game has been vastly improved.
95
PGNx Media
Although the singleplayer campaign only lasts for 8 hours or so, this is a game that you will probably want to replay in the different difficulty setting and play for countless hours online.
93
Console Gameworld
Featuring improved multiplayer and spiffed-up graphics, Call of Duty 3 is arguably the best game in the series to date.
90
DarkStation
Now in its third installment, this FPS franchise continues to impress us with some pretty realistic battles, enhanced online multiplayer and much expanded gameplay.
90
Deeko
But there's something I can quite put my finger on, some intangible quality that's missing from this version. Simply put, Call of Duty 3 is less epic. I know that sounds trite, but it's the truth.
90
ZTGameDomain
Treyarch has done an amazing job with this game and has quite possibly constructed on of the best online experiences currently available anywhere.
90
Gamer's Hell
Incredible visuals, super sound design and music, varied missions, and engaging multiplayer make this game a definite buy.
90
Next Level Gaming
From a top notch graphics engine to some really fun multiplayer, FPS gamers will enjoy this just as much as last year. The only knock I can say on the game is that it is maybe a little too much like "COD2."
90
GameBrink
Take one part classic Call of Duty scripted FPS action, add in two parts improved level design, another one part updated graphics, and just about four parts upgraded multiplayer and you’ve got the ultimate Call of Duty stew.
90
Official Xbox Magazine UK
While the [single-player] combat is still brilliant and it looks a lot better, the unskippable cutscenes, unvaried locations, irritating characters and mini-games all really grate. However, adding in the much improved multiplayer with a variety of cool vehicles, Treyarch has really rounded off Infinity Ward's vision. [Dec 2006, p.90]
90
RewiredMind
One of the few games that have glaring holes in the gameplay, and gets away with it scot-free. Why? Atmosphere.
89
Planet Xbox 360
The addition of two new armies as well as vehicles and the multiplayer “class system” polish off the full package.
88
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Call of Duty 3 may not be vastly different to Call of Duty 2, but it is quantifiably better.
88
GameZone
CoD3 does what is expected, in many ways. It delivers the CoD experience with the next-generation console touch. There are some welcomed additions, and the game is a visceral treat. The improvements are minor.
88
IGN
Amazingly, the online environments look nearly as good as the single player experience and the maps seem to be well balanced and heavily tested. The frame rate was excellent and the architecture of the levels is nearly just as detailed as in the campaign.
88
GameSpot
Call of Duty 3 plays every bit as good as its predecessor, and it has improved multiplayer and visuals, too.
87
Team Xbox
If you've played one Call of Duty game, you know exactly what to expect from this one. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
87
Games Master UK
A breathtaking experience but lacking the spark and guile to turn it into a classic. [Christmas 2006, p.68]
86
GamerNode
t's a marvel to behold, a lot of fun, and the very pinnacle of WWII simulators.
86
Worth Playing
Other than a number of glitches and a currently unresolved online issue, the game delivers the same kind of intense experience that made the series a true next-gen contender.
86
Play.tm
Call of Duty 3 looks superb, its action is flowing, its detailing is immense, and its authenticity unmatched, but conversely it provides worthless gameplay extras where extras are simply not necessary, and it detracts from established and proven foundations through occasionally sloppy delivery - in its core single-player element.
86
GamingTrend
It carries with it some of the best aspects of "Call of Duty 2," and adds some new gameplay elements to the series. On the downside, it also brings with it some occasionally braindead AI, and is still a very linear game.
85
GamePro
Treyarch and Activision have done an great job with COD3 and created an experience that is at once much the same, but also better, than its predecessor.
85
MS Xbox World
Call of Duty 3 is an immersive game, perhaps the single player is not quite as intense and well thought out as Call of Duty 2's was, but it is an excellent game in its own right.
85
Gamers Europe
There aren't many other games that come close to the furious firefights and genuine sense of battle invoked by some of the set-pieces that crop up here, and short of sticking a colander on your head, digging a trench in your back garden and then getting a mate to shout in German while shooting at you, this is about as close as you'll get to the real thing.
85
Game Informer
A legitimately good game that beats the pants off of plenty of products on the market this holiday season. There’s little to complain about outside of the lack of innovation. However, it pains me deeply to see this franchise, which has done so much to push the first-person shooter genre forward, moving down the dark path of mediocrity that Medal of Honor has been walking for the last several years.
85
Game Almighty
From the depth of field effects to the smoke, the textures on the guns and even the grass, it all simply looks smashingly better on the 360.
85
Armchair Empire
While the single player campaign isn’t a drastic improvement over previous versions of the series, the multiplayer goes the distance, providing one of the best experiences available on Xbox Live.
85
Play Magazine
The craft behind Call of Duty 3 is impressive. Treyarch deftly handles the stellar design duties passed on from previous developer Infinity Ward. [Jan. 2007, p.74]
85
Digital Entertainment News
Call of Duty 3 packs in more impressive features than any previous installment: gorgeous graphics and audio, an intense single player campaign, and a wealth of multiplayer options. Even if it isn’t the most original game, Call of Duty 3 is certainly one of the finest.
85
eToychest
Visually, Call of Duty 3 absolutely trumps the previous game. While profound launch titles like "Call of Duty 2" always strike a special cord, it is exhilarating to see the console mature and develop so far after only a year.
85
DailyGame
COD3 packs more impressive features than any previous installment: gorgeous graphics and audio, an intense single-player campaign and a wealth of multiplayer options. Even if it isn't the most original WWII game, it's certainly one of the finest.
85
Game Over Online
In the end, I still feel as though Call of Duty 2 offered a superior singleplayer experience to Call of Duty 3. The later relies too much on the numbers game, particularly with the use of German respawns, and while the result is a more action-packed experience, the battles simply aren’t as memorable.
85
Gamers' Temple
Great multiplayer gaming will have you hearing the “call” again.
85
ActionTrip
A great play. It is not the best 360 game or even the best FPS on the 360 (Gears of War owns that title), but if you want a game with a worthwhile single-player campaign and a great multiplayer component (games with 4-player split-screen rock), then you cannot go wrong picking up this game.
84
AtomicGamer
The idea of a focused single player campaign in one country during World War II is interesting, but the execution could have gone better and the action is just about exactly what you'd expect.
83
GamingExcellence
The visuals are mind-blowing and the sound is simply incredible, especially with the score it has.
83
Pelit (Finland)
Call of Duty 3 takes a step in the wrong direction. The graphics are awesome but the gameplay is too restricting. Normandy was a bad choice, since it has been done far too many times already. Multiplayer is great fun, though. [Dec 2006]
82
GameTrailers
It has its moments, but overall, it’s a disappointing step sideways for one of the more revered franchises in the industry. The good news is that it’s the most in-depth multiplayer shooting experience on the consoles, making it a game still worth picking up.
80
Total Video Games
Call of Duty 3 continues the heritage of the franchise to great effect. The new structure builds towards a steep and shell-shocking climactic crescendo, and shows a clear unravelling of events that precipitated one of the most important battles of the Normandy Breakout, making the experience much less fractured than perhaps it's been in the past.
80
PALGN
As a single player it’s a disappointment and something that would be better played when found cheaper. However, if you’re after a multiplayer game look no further.
80
Gamestyle
A mixed bag. The single player game, on the one hand, feels rushed, with bugs all over the place, ropey AI and cut scenes that can't be skipped; on the other hand, it offers some lovely missions and action. Multiplayer is Call of Duty 3's saving grace.
80
Boomtown
The scope for large online battles and some great fun action in the single-player mode make this a worthwhile purchase. Fans of "Call of Duty 2" will really have a lot of fun with it. But Call of Duty 3 could have and should have, been better than this.
80
Games Radar (in-house)
Building on the already solid (if a little claustrophobic) linear design of "Call of Duty 2," Call of Duty 3 introduces just enough new tidbits to keep even the most weary veterans in the fight.
80
VideoGamer
It might be a predominantly linear path shooter, but who cares? When the atmosphere and level of action on offer is this great, the fact that I can't wander off to see what's behind a tree half a mile to the East really doesn't bother me.
80
3DAvenue
The storyline and atmosphere keep the game from getting old but those who want something new probably won't find too much of it here.
80
X360 Magazine UK
Not likely to win any new fans to the series but seasoned players should be satisfied. [Issue 14, p.94]
80
games(TM)
Yes, it's bigger and more beautiful, but it's ostensibly more of the same; better executed, but unlikely to win many converts. [Christmas 2006, p.120]
80
Official Xbox Magazine
It's still a great ride; just don't expect to be as bowled over by it as you were when you strapped in for it last year. [Jan. 2007, p.72]
80
XboxAddict
They did great on the multiplayer but could of put a bit more time into making it work more than it does.
78
WHAM! Gaming
The visuals and sound design really do drive the package well enough to create what's hopefully as close an experience to the real thing as any of us would like to have.
77
Xbox World Australia
Neither revolutionary nor even remarkable when viewed as part of its franchise, but for fans of WW2 action or first-person shooters, there's a lot to love here, particularly in multiplayer.
76
Cheat Code Central
The only major problem I have with this game is that it has all been done before. If you’ve played several WWII shooters, you won’t find anything really new here. If you are a fan of the genre, you should definitely play this game.
75
Extreme Gamer
In Call of Duty 3 we have more of the cinematic heart pounding action that fans have come to love from the series. Call of Duty 3 keeps a good pace and delivers exactly what I expected.
75
Gaming Target
At the crunch of it all though, the numerous flaws and glitches are rarely enough to stop Call of Duty 3 being a great WWII experience.
74
Gamer 2.0
Call of Duty 3 could have been more than just another copy of previous installments, but with unnecessary gameplay mechanics, dumb AI, and a forgettable storyline, it brings nothing new in terms of enjoyment. Gorgeous visuals and a great multiplayer simply could not save Call of Duty 3 from being just a different battle in the same tired war.
70
Thunderbolt
Call of Duty 3’s unique ideas aren’t enough to separate it from the rest of the pack and it doesn’t maintain the incredibly high standards set at the start of the game.
70
Sydney Morning Herald
Discerning gamers will find that this third excursion to the frontline is enjoyable but a little unpolished. It is, however, the best-looking 360 game to date.
70
Edge Magazine
This serves well as a third chapter, conscripting much of what has gone before while upping the testosterone and providing some glamorous distractions to pry your attention away from how little control you actually have over events. [Christmas 2006, p.81]
70
Yahoo! Games
Despite a few dodgy-looking moments, however, the visual presentation is praiseworthy. The sensation of navigating expansive, violently scarred landscape remains impressive.
70
Eurogamer
If you spend a lot of your time online, then it's far more than a consolation 'bonus mode' to make up for the lacklustre single player offering - it's without doubt one of the better online games that console gaming has offered us all year.
68
Electronic Gaming Monthly
After playing Call of Duty 3, I wonder if maybe it isn't time for a break from WWII first-person shooters. [Jan. 2007, p.98]
67
Gaming Age
CoD3 is a game that is slightly repetitive if not lackluster in its single player - the first level is insanely awesome though.
65
1UP
Whereas "Call of Duty 2" did an incredible job creating the illusion of an open environment, it's just the reverse here. You feel hemmed in and herded along at every turn, and the pacing also reflects that. Unless you rush forward, progress in the game grinds to a halt -- no considered approaches or tactical positioning, just advance and keep firing.
60
360 Gamer Magazine UK
Featuring a solid frame rate, masses of detail and some amazing character clothing, Call of Duty 3 is without a doubt a fantastic looking game (albeit unfortunately out-classed by "Gears of War" right at the last minute), the problem is, the same level of effort, style and execution simply hasn’t been put into the gameplay which, unfortunately, feels like a regression from "Call of Duty 2" and wastes a lot of time with unwanted cut-scenes that only serve to interrupt the action.
60
Xboxic
Yes, the multiplayer is fun, but playing as just Americans and just Germans grates, and the single player is far worse than it ever should have been.
58
Game Revolution
Call of Duty 3 feels too much like a collection of outtakes from the other two Call of Duty games. It’s silly, fast and hilariously fun, but it’s also sixty bucks.
Buddy gave it a1: Johan A. gave it a3: Danny gave it a5: Serge gave it an8: Mark T. gave it a10: Alejandro R. gave it a9: Rami K. gave it a0: |
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