Articles tagged wwii

Call of Duty: World At War Beta - First Impressions by Dave Cook | 16-10-08

Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC

Review

It's funny how quickly some people have u-turned on their opinions of Treyarch. A while back the internet was alight with people who were quick to dismiss the developer over the poorly-rated Call of Duty 3. The game was an issue for debate among gaming circles as the game was created under the strict and entirely unreasonable deadline of a year. Now, the team have had two years to develop the fifth game in the series and, if the recently-released multiplayer beta is anything to go by, they have spent this extra time well. This could be the finest version yet.

Xbox 360 | PS3

Review

1942: Joint Strike by Craig Wilson | 21-08-08

When man first looked to the sky and dreamt of taking flight, of soaring amongst the birds and clouds, he probably could not have imagined anything like what we have today. He certainly didn't imagine the world of 1942: Joint Strike. Set during World War II, the allied forces (I think) have been reduced to two mere planes, while the Axis forces (maybe, there really aren't any indications to suggest who you're fighting for) are so numerous they seem like a mix of the Red Army, the Luftwaffe, Darth Vader's Empire and God.

Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC

Review

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty by Dave Cook | 31-03-08

Pub Trivia # 53: Winston Churchill got hit by a New York taxi in 1931, hence needing to use a cane to get around all the time. It's true you know! But..what if he was killed by the cab and therefore unable to rally the British troops to victory? Turning Point attempts to answer this question by placing the player in the shoes of a construction worker caught up in the Nazi invasion of New York. The premise is a solid starting ground for making an interesting game world but sadly, all we have is an utter pile of dross. It's hard to believe this comes from the same chaps who ported the original Call of Duty to PS2 and Xbox. The opening level starts well enough though as German zeppelins and bi-planes thunder across the horizon, blowing the bejeesus out of the statue of liberty and skyscrapers. Unfortunately, you just happen to be at the very top of an unfinished tower block and the ensuing scramble down to the street is fast paced and promises so much. Sadly, the fun stops here. Upon finding your first gun it transpires every bricky in 1950's New York was a skilled riflemen and had a vast knowledge of grenades and wiring C4. Blimps fly past as their tannoys blast out horrendous German voice acting, more at place in old school comedy show Allo' Allo' than the slick FPS this promised to be. 'Do not reezizt! Vee are in contruul'..sure you are mate...sure you are. When facing the first lot of enemies on street level a few things become apparent. The aiming reticule is so badly aligned you will often shoot someone three or four times aiming squarely at them before a hit registers. Also, if an enemy is behind cover, they are totally invincible until they move away from it. For example, if you flank a soldier hiding behind a low wall and start shooting them, the hits don't count at all. Tactical movement therefore, becomes pointless. What also beggars belief is when you sustain damage. The tried and tested red hit indicator system is present and correct here but when you get shot, the screen doesn't shake or judder and in the heat of battle you often can't tell when you are being shot or from which direction. As a result the danger and severity of the enemy doesn't hit home and feels flat. It's the software equivalent of Sony taking the vibration feature out of their controllers, dull and lifeless. Aesthetically, this is a mess. What should have been a terrifying nightmare scenario game is just so overblown and ludicrous. Textures blur when you get near them, the lighting is dross, Germans run about like graduates of the Monty Python silly walk academy and worst of all, bullet holes in walls disappear. This is the thing that stands out most, in an age of the Source and Unreal engines how the hell is this a problem? Finally, the fact that you team up with the army later on and they gladly entrust you, a simple handyman, with tasks such as planting explosives on tanks and helping defend the White house is simply a step too far. This is merely the surface of the game's problems and it is a real shame because this title had so much promise. If you want to play a game looking at the Nazi invasion of America get the exemplary Freedom Fighters by Electronic Arts, it's on PS2 and Xbox and looks better than this. A wasted chance and a surprisingly poor effort from such a well-regarded studio. 3/10