Call of Duty: World at War is the fifth game in the Call of Duty series and the prequel to the "Call of Duty: Black Ops" sub-series. This game was made shortly after Call of Duty first started to gain a significant fan base, but does the game reflect that? Let's look at the specifics and see just what World at War has in store for anyone who might want to play one of Call of Duty's earlier games, made all the way back in 2008.

Graphics: 9
As a game that is trying to replicate a gritty warlike look, it has developed a sort of gritty warlike look. The scenery is really well done and everything can be seen in great detail. The characters also have a lot of details about them, with their clothing and faces done very well and looking very realistic. The weapons are fantastic. All of the weapons look very good and similar to their real world counterparts. The gun shots and explosions all look great. What I really think compliments this game is all of the gore. Now, I know what you're thinking. But I think war needs to be captured in a more honest light, and the graphics presented by this game do just that.

Sound: 8
The sound in this game is really good as well. Everything sounds genuine, the weapon sounds are pretty good, and the ambient sounds all fit in just right. The music in this game is great. It pitches just the right tone needed to set up the game. If I were rating the music alone, I'd give it a 10/10. The voice acting is pretty good too. Though some of it is a little dry, the rest is very good and well done. The main problem with the voice acting is that a large portion of it involves screaming, much of it being very over the top and hard to take seriously. But for what it's worth, the sound in World at War is great.

Addictiveness: 6
Call of Duty: World at War can be addictive at times. You run around, you shoot stuff, you blow stuff up, and you listen to Roebuck and Reznov scream in your face. It's all good fun. But after a while, this game can begin to grow old. Much of the game play is very similar to the rest and replayability value is low. If you really like first person shooters, however, this game can provide you a lot of addictive fun. The only really addictive component of this game is Nazi Zombies, an endless game where you see how long you can survive against a horde of, well, Nazi zombies.

Story: 5
World at War, like many of the earlier Call of Duty games, takes place in World War II. In this particular game, you fight for the Americans in the Pacific and you fight for the Soviets on the Eastern European Front. The story is rather generic, and many of the characters are very boring and underdeveloped. The only character with a real personality is Reznov. Another major problem with the story is it jumps around a lot. I know a lot about World War II (it's one of my favorite historical topics), yet I still didn't know where or when some of the missions were taking place, let alone what the chronological order is when they're all put together.

Depth: 6
This game really doesn't have too many features to offer. Each level is very short and there aren't really that many levels. Unless you're playing on Veteran, you could probably beat the game in a few hours. Though the game does give you a larger variety of guns, each gun in its own class pretty much functions the same. Unless you get the flamethrower of course. The first time you get the flamethrower is awesome. The game does offer split screen for some missions, however, and that does add another layer to the game. Then there's Nazi Zombies. A simple but fun mini game where all of the Nazis have come back to life to eat you or something. This mini game provides several hours more of game play.

Difficulty: 6
If only ever play on the easiest difficulty, I have two things to say to you. First, you're boring. Second, the game is not going to present much of a problem to you. If you're playing on Veteran, however, prepare for a battle. One wrong move will be punished with death time and time again. But with the four different difficulties, how tough it is ultimately comes down to you. There is only one game play aspect that makes the game unnaturally difficult, and that is the grenades! If you're playing on the easiest difficulty, you'll notice several grenades coming your way throughout the game. If you're playing on the hardest difficulty, you'll feel like you're walking through a minefield, except it's made of grenades.

Overall: 7
Call of Duty: World at War is a relatively simple game, but it works out pretty well. The game play can provide some good fun for a while, and when you're done, there's always Nazi Zombies to keep you entertained for a few more hours. Like I've said, it does have its weak parts. The story is generic and the game play doesn't change all that much, but for what it is, this game could be far worse. If you're a shooter fan or a Call of Duty fan, go ahead and give it a try.