Call of Duty: World at War is the darkest and most graphic Call of Duty of its era, with dismemberment and a brutal opening that moves from torture to execution within a minute. Two campaigns run in parallel, the American Pacific war and the Soviet Eastern Front, giving the game a dual structure.
The M1 Garand partial reload is the most impressive detail, letting the player reload mid-magazine in a way most shooters never allow. The soundtrack also stands out, with heavy tracks that hint at Doom 2016 and far better music than expected.
The Vendetta sniper mission in Stalingrad is the tense highlight, a one-armed crawl through a ruined fountain square and a duel with a better shot. The Black Cats flight mission shifts to a PBY Catalina night patrol, strafing the Japanese fleet and rescuing survivors from the water.
Grenade spam is the recurring complaint, with the warning indicator appearing only at the last second. Movement is sluggish throughout, and the injured-hand section makes sprinting impossible entirely.
Native controller support is absent, requiring a console command, and the menus stay keyboard-only with no aim assist or sensitivity adjustment. The soldiers look far too alike, leading to constant friendly-fire accidents.
The sniper duel’s enemies can simply not exist when expected, making the marksman fight frustrating. The credits run for twelve minutes with no skip option, and getting stuck on allies or geometry happens often.
Overall, the graphic realism, the soundtrack and the two-campaign structure make World at War a memorable entry. The grenade spam and the sluggish movement are the main caveats.