Call of Duty 3 is the 2006 Treyarch shooter that stands as the only mainline entry never released on PC, following American, British, French Resistance, Canadian and Polish troops through the liberation of France. The upscaled presentation, delivered through emulation, makes everything look clean and clear for its age.
The melee is a favourite, with hits sending enemies flying and the occasional front-flip knockback adding physical comedy, and it stays viable across the campaign. The MP44 proves endlessly useful with its effectively unlimited ammunition.
Nation and mission variety is a strength, with tank driving, vehicle sections, sniper segments and a night drop breaking up the infantry shooting. The driving sections, even when confined to the wheel, are enjoyed.
The Panzerschreck aiming is the biggest complaint, with the left stick spinning the view rather than steadying the reticle. The rowing mini-game is gimmicky and the least welcome of the set pieces.
Squadmates run in front of the barrel, risking failure through accidental friendly fire, and melee attempts are blocked too often to rely on. There is no sprint, the BAR’s reload animation looks fumbled, and the audio quality is poor.
Emulation brings its own quirks, with modules recompiling after every level and the real console hardware crashing near the end of a stage. The run survives both, and the campaign is the shortest of the series so far.
Overall, nation-spanning variety, upscaled visuals and the joyful melee make Call of Duty 3 a fun entry. The twitchy Panzerschreck aiming and the rowing section are the main caveats.