GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer 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

75 Age of Booty
xx Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
65 Armored Core for Answer
65 Baja: Edge of Control
79 Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
71 Battle Fantasia
29 Beat'n Groovy
85 Bionic Commando Rearmed
69 Blitz: The League II
xx Bolt
93 Braid
76 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
42 Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2009
84 Call of Duty: World at War
82 Castle Crashers
76 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
62 Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant
30 Crazy Mouse
xx Damnation
63 Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3
89 Dead Space
xx Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon
47 Disney Sing It
49 Domino Master
80 Duke Nukem 3D
89 Fable II
53 Fable II Pub Games
54 FaceBreaker
93 Fallout 3
85 Far Cry 2
65 Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
87 FIFA Soccer 09
62 Fracture
74 Galaga Legions
93 Gears of War 2
90 Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
63 Gin Rummy
45 Golden Axe: Beast Rider
57 Guilty Gear 2: Overture
85 Guitar Hero World Tour
xx Hei$t
xx High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance!
68 Infinite Undiscovery
xx Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2
81 Kingdom for Keflings, A
67 Last Remnant, The
89 Left 4 Dead
59 Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, The
48 Legendary
76 LEGO Batman
73 Lips
64 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
84 Madden NFL 09
82 Mega Man 9
72 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
81 Midnight Club: Los Angeles
79 Mirror's Edge
50 MLB Stickball
51 Monopoly
76 Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
68 Moto GP 08
68 Namco Museum: Virtual Arcade
83 Naruto: The Broken Bond
84 NBA 2K9
77 NBA Live 09
71 NCAA Basketball 09
65 Need for Speed Undercover
67 NFL Head Coach 09
89 NHL 09
69 NHL 2K9
43 PDC World Championship Darts 2008
79 Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode 2
43 Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball
89 Portal: Still Alive
xx Prince of Persia
74 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
85 Pure
xx Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord
65 Quantum of Solace
41 Rapala Fishing Frenzy 2009
92 Rock Band 2
39 Rock Revolution
53 Rocket Bowl
82 Saints Row 2
73 Samurai Shodown II
76 Scene It? Box Office Smash
xx SCORE International Baja 1000
50 Shadow Assault Tenchu
63 Shaun White Snowboarding
65 Shotest Shogi
66 Shred Nebula
72 Silent Hill: Homecoming
55 Smash Court Tennis 3
xx Sonic Unleashed
85 Soulcalibur IV
59 Spectral Force 3
69 Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
73 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
48 Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge
xx Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
82 Tales of Vesperia
xx Talisman
xx Things on Wheels
84 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
62 TNA iMPACT!
78 Tom Clancy's EndWar
76 Tomb Raider Underworld
65 Too Human
59 Vigilante 8: Arcade
82 Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
45 War World
54 Warhammer: Battle March
43 Warriors Orochi 2
82 WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009
xx You're in the Movies
46 Zoids Assault
xx Zombie Wranglers

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Call of Duty: World at War xbox360 Game Reviews
Call of Duty: World at War
Critic Score
Metascore: 84 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.9 out of 10
based on 53 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 110 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: 4
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...

100
Yahoo! Games
Call of Duty: World at War is clearly one of the top games of this year, and a must have for any action gamer.
Read Full Review
100
AceGamez
Its fairly brief but dramatic and adrenaline-fuelled campaign has been greatly enhanced by the excellent co-op mode and XP incentives, while its multiplayer is every bit as good as CoD 4, making this arguably the definitive Call of Duty experience thus far.
Read Full Review
99
Game Chronicles
Treyarch has taken all their expertise with the COD engine and borrowed all of the fantastic multiplayer tech from Modern Warfare to create the ultimate military shooter, a shooter so satisfying and complete you won't care what war it is you're fighting.
Read Full Review
97
PGNx Media
With Call of Duty: World at War Treyarch successfully did two things: they made World War II shooters relevant again and brilliantly followed up one of the best games of this generation.
Read Full Review
92
GamingTrend
Call of Duty: World at War is a fantastic title.
Read Full Review
92
IGN
This is a solid, confident shooter with plenty to offer the casual and hardcore alike.
Read Full Review
92
Team Xbox
Call of Duty: World at War was a surprisingly satisfying experience all around. Developer Treyarch really showed that they could be trusted with the keys to Dad’s car, and made a game that could be compared favorably to anything Infinity Ward has done.
Read Full Review
92
Cheat Code Central
Treyarch did a remarkable job of breathing new life into the WWII shooter. They followed the conventions outlined by Infinity Ward to a tee and, as a result, created a shooter that is every bit as good as last year's entry. Of course, there isn't a whole lot of innovation this time around, but the increased Multiplayer options, new settings, and great enemy A.I. should more than satisfy all but the most jaded Infinity Ward fanboys.
Read Full Review
90
GameSpy
Although the campaign storyline isn't nearly as engaging as the one seen in "CoD4," there should be enough memorable set pieces and intense sequences to keep you riveted throughout. The addition of a co-op mode brings a great deal of replay value to the proceedings, especially once you start throwing the death cards into the mix. Ultimately, it's the multiplayer and co-op action that will keep us coming back for more.
Read Full Review
90
Gameplayer
Call of Duty: World at War has had a lot of time spent on it, it takes full advantage of (and in some places improves upon) one of the best FPS engines there is, and its unflinching approach to the mature subject matter gives the immersion-factor a kick up the guts. Does all of this make Codwaw worthy of a purchase? Hell yes.
Read Full Review
90
GamePro
Developer Treyarch did a fantastic job of not reinventing the wheel with World at War. Rather, they took the best elements of Modern Warfare and expanded upon them. The end product is a thrilling experience that injects some of the visceral punch back into World War II.
Read Full Review
90
GameZone
There is a nice mix of action and intense moments that will leave you grabbing the controller so hard you will think it will break. Even using the various vehicles in multiplayer is a breeze.
Read Full Review
90
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Those worried that World War II has been done to death, fear not. Treyarch's willingness to push the boundaries has uncovered a side to the war few developers even knew existed, and we'll be damned if it doesn't make for one hell of a game to boot.
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
Kikizo
It's nothing revolutionary, but you can't fail to enjoy World at War and it ticks every box rather convincingly.
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
AtomicGamer
But this one is a blast to play, and so I give it a hearty recommendation despite having been skeptical all along about the quality of another Treyarch WW2 game.
Read Full Review
90
Kombo
Call of Duty: World at War is an excellent shooter.
Read Full Review
90
MS Xbox World
Any fan of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, is probably going to want to add Call of Duty: World at War to their collection.
Read Full Review
90
Total Video Games
World at War also sees the implementation of four-player co-operative gameplay online, and two-player split-screen, with options for a meta-game or just regular co-op. Despite its smooth running, the co-op isn't the most effective we've seen - getting further in the game on co-op won't unlock those missions on Solo - which seems a bit backward compared to other titles.
Read Full Review
90
Level7.nu
Sticking with the premise of previous titles, the meat of this title is in the online mode. If this isn't your cup of tea the longevity of this title is limited to say the least. Treyarch were handed the best console fps-controls and online mode and all they've really done with it is to set it in a new era. If you're up for a great fps experience set in the WWII-era, this is a great title to buy.
Read Full Review
89
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Even though Call of Duty 4 took the series out of World War II, developer Infinity Ward raised the bar significantly, and that has left stand-in Treyarch with a lot of work to do. In the end World at War hasn’t topped that effort, but it has at least benefited from the attempt, with the result being another really good, very comprehensive WW2 shooter.
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.
Read Full Review
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
88
IGN AU
Its repetitive and lazy single player sins vanish beneath the screams of your mates’ laughter across your Xbox Live headset. The multiplayer might be a totally unoriginal rip-off of everything that CoD 4’s online game did so well, but why wouldn’t it when the original is so brilliant?
Read Full Review
87
GameTrailers
Call of Duty: World at War is a great game that feels all too familiar, yet it's undoubtedly the best shooter based on the conflict. Comparisons between it and Call of Duty 4 are inevitable, but even on its own merits, it's a paint-by-numbers affair. The single-player campaign is intense and the cooperative play is engaging, but the competitive multiplayer, despite some added perks and tweaks, is subdued by the era it so accurately replicates.
Read Full Review
87
Ferrago
CoD 5 is a very solid FPS that can sit proudly enough on the shelf next to it's predecessors. If you are not turned off by the idea of returning to WWII, you'll have five or six hours of enjoyable shooting in solo mode, and probably many more in the team deathmatch and war modes online.
Read Full Review
87
IGN UK
The WWII setting compounds the wearying feeling of over-familiarity, but the solid engine that powers the game ensures that it’s often the most spectacular take on the conflict yet, and one that’s certainly the most exhilarating.
Read Full Review
86
Game Over Online
While not on par with Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War is better than Treyarch’s last entry, Call of Duty 3.
Read Full Review
85
NZGamer
Call of Duty: World at War feels at times like a little brother holding the hand of the more confident Modern Warfare, but keep in mind that it definitely shares the same genes.
Read Full Review
85
Computer and Video Games
The short-lived campaign doesn't quite reach the highs of Modern Warfare, but the ever-solid shooting and multiplayer mechanics make this a great shooter.
Read Full Review
85
GameSpot
World at War brings proven Call of Duty mechanics back to WWII with great success.
Read Full Review
84
Gamer 2.0
Treyarch has made vast improvements from their COD 3 work and delivered a solid product.
Read Full Review
80
Thunderbolt
It’s too much like its predecessor. For a lot of people this will be a great thing, whilst others may find the formula wearing a bit thin. It’s an enjoyable experience but may leave you wanting something more.
Read Full Review
80
X360 Magazine UK
COD: World At War is a battered warrior that more than earns its stripes. Leading the charge with a meatier and lengthier single-player campaign, Treyarch has won the battle in producing a true standout in the series.
Read Full Review
80
Gamer.nl
Call of Duty: World at War has a good, but not so memorable single player experience and a fantastic multiplayer. The cooperative mode is the best thing about the game, so people without Xbox LIVE Gold should wait for the game to appear with a budget price.
Read Full Review
80
Gamervision
an ordinary game on an extraordinary engine. The faults are mostly swept aside by the gameplay, which is taken straight from Call of Duty 4, and the multiplayer should be different enough to pull those stuck on its prequel away in favor of a change of location and weapons.
Read Full Review
80
EuroGamer
The addition of a robust and varied co-op option helps to mitigate the disappointment of the by-the-numbers traditional multiplayer modes. However, looking back to Kristan's review review of Call of Duty 3 you'll find the exact same complaints being raised two years ago. Corridor gameplay. Outdated features. Flaky AI. They're all still here, albeit masked by even more whiz-bang effects than ever before.
Read Full Review
80
G4 TV
World at War can't fill Modern Warfare's combat boots despite an earnest attempt by the developers to replicate the experience in a World War II setting. At the same time, the game still offers some genuine fun with an impressive amount of bang for your hard-earned buck.
Read Full Review
80
GameDaily
Call of Duty: World At War needs better character development and more "oh my God" moments. However, it's still a terrific first-person shooter. The combat is tight, the presentation shines and the multiplayer, particularly Nazi Zombie mode and co-op campaign, will keep you blasting enemy soldiers for weeks.
Read Full Review
80
Giant Bomb
Call of Duty: World at War is a perfectly competent game with exciting multiplayer options and a campaign that's worth playing. But in most of the ways that actually count, last year's game was better.
Read Full Review
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
360 Gamer Magazine UK
You know what to expect, so just take that expectation and make it a little prettier, a little glitchier and quite a bit shorter. And add more burning Japanese men. It’s Modern Warfare in period costume with the crusts cut off, which will probably work more in its favour online but results in a slight single-player downgrade from last year. World at War is a nearly-there title with some surprising gameplay niggles. But it’s still a step up from "Call of Duty 3."
75
Official Xbox Magazine
World at War is like watching a fireworks show that you’ve seen a few times before. You’re simply not wowed by the buildup, the grand finale, or any of it anymore. When - not if - the next sequel arrives, it’s going to have an upstream swim against an apathetic tide of familiarity.
Read Full Review
75
1UP
The single-player's a solid step forward from "Call of Duty 3," and the cooperative multiplayer should give the game some legs...but I just wish competitive multiplayer had grabbed me the way Modern Warfare's did.
Read Full Review
75
GameShark
The multiplayer is as solid the series has seen yet and is capable of carrying the game, but it is disappointing to see the single player campaign waste so much potential.
Read Full Review
75
Game Revolution
Even though Treyarch took Dad’s precious wheels out for a less reckless spin this time around, World at War is still senselessly eating away at Call of Duty’s mileage.
Read Full Review
70
DarkZero
In contrast to last year’s effort, none of the game’s high points are as memorable, and in addition, quite few gunfights start to border on routine as you get further into the game. For that reason, combined with the selection of other erratic blemishes named above, World at War is a notably less appealing game.
Read Full Review
70
WonderwallWeb
If you loved the last game then you will like this one and it is also a good starting point for newcomers, but series veterans might want something more.
Read Full Review
70
Boomtown
World At War puts on a great show, but it's the last time I'm going to be able to watch this same show without getting bored. Activision will most likely continue to make a lot of money selling us the same magic tricks even though we've been able to see the wires for some time. Where's the ambition in that though? Don't excellent games sell more than okay games?
Read Full Review
60
Destructoid
Ultimately, the single player campaign is atrocious and I had a rotten time playing it. It seems to take everything that was frustrating about Modern Warfare, magnify those elements, and then leave out the interesting objectives, characters that matter, and anything that leaves a lasting impression beyond anger and disappointment.
Read Full Review
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]
60
Variety
The impressive graphics, compelling mutiplayer and even the basic gunplay in World at War are all iterations of "CoD 4," minus that game's character, urgency and relevance. The result is a forgettable, mostly middling shooter that will sell decently, but fall far short of "Modern Warfare's" boffo 10 million-plus units.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 110 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Christian G. gave it a1:
What everybody wants to play this is for the multi-player. And to say they took a step back from cod 4 is a severe understatement. The guns are absolutely horrible, you can stand in front of somebody and shoot 5 times and not hit them. It is very upsetting because I was looking forward to this game for a long time. Back to COD 4 for me.

Matt M gave it a3:
Major disappointment of the series. The campaign in this game is unbelievably dull, boring, uncreative, and unappealing on Treyarch's part. The missions start well but turn into nothing but tiring, repetitive, shootings over and over again. In fact, that's all 80% of the campaign is, mindless shooting going on for 20 mins, one small break here and there, and back to shooting. Yes, there are a few well done missions, but don't expect them to live up to the hipe of CoD4 at all. Co-op makes it more fun, but still doesn't solve the problems themselves. Aside, this game is not bug-free, and ammo does not replace itself at certain checkpoints, or even at all in some missions. This makes going through the (and often ridiculous) objectives much more difficult, as you'll have to pick up the enemy's (and weaker) guns, which are limited to at most 3 different types. On the subject of multiplayer, there isn't all much difference then CoD4's excellent multiplayer. A few new modes are added, and vehicles do make the matches more interesting, but the old fundamentals are still there. Don't get this game for just a new multiplater, stick to CoD4. If at least 4 of your friends have it, and are playing a lot, you should perhaps consider getting it then. It'll keep you entertained for 3-4months at the most, until you start to the bored the same way as in coD4. WWII fans, will love this campaign's story, but you probably won't find it worthy to even finish it.

JD L. gave it a7:
Solid game, but it suffers from feeling like more of the same...I guess that's a problem with WWII games these days. Flamethrower is great fun, graphics are equally sharp, and the multiplayer is awesome - in fact the multiplayer alone deserves 10/10, but because this is a judgment of the entire game I stick with 7. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

Brennan C. gave it a10:
So far I think the game is great, I just wish they had moved forward from CoD4 Modern Warfare, instead of backward to WWII... I give it a 10 because I think it's a lot better than Grand Theft Auto IV, even though I don't think GTA IV deserved a 10.

Manny D. gave it a10:
This game rocks! Treyarch totally redeemed itself with game. WWII never looked so good. I'm hooked on the zombie level. Multiplayer is awesome! Release the hounds!!!

Dan B. gave it a10:
Treyarch knocked it out of the park with this one, despite all the naysayers, giving us a game that stands up with the best of Infinity Ward's efforts. This is the best WW2 shooter to date!

Spencer H. gave it a9:
For the limited time that I played this game I was VERY impressed. Although the multiplayer is very similar to Call of Duty 4, there were some instance where I felt the awesomeness of being back in WWII.

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: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use