World War II goes First Person...again
Publisher: Activision
Fri, 25 February 2005
by: Ando
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Well whadda ya know? Another World War II first person shooter has hit the shelves for PS2 (and the other systems). Another established FPS franchise pumping out the tried and tested combat formula for us seasoned shooter fans ingrained with the craving for death, carnage and the destruction of mankind. But what is it about World Wars that inspires so much in the way of games, movies, docos, books and the like? Well, for me it showcases the effective way in which mankind has developed efficient methods to kill and maim each other…Yeah I know, quite morbid, but hey think about it. An F-16 fighter jet, a Navy Battle ship or a battle ready armored tank are amazing pieces of machinery. And is it just a boy thing, or are those things just really frickin' cool? (I think it may be a boy thing). Not to worry, this title does have a little more to offer boys AND girls than your usual WWII shooter, not to mention some crisp visuals, solid gameplay and quality sounds.
Call of Duty: Finest Hour puts you in the role of many different soldiers from 3 different nations (no Aussies though, which is a shame) in some of the most triumphant battles of the 2nd world war. The nations represented are Russia, Britain and the good old U.S of A. You start your campaign on the eastern front fighting for Stalingrad in one of the ding dong dooziest battles us humans ever got ourselves in. You then work your way through the British leg in Northern Africa and journey through the streets of Germany for the American campaign. The game progression is very linear, and at times frustratingly rigid. Also, the difficulty seemed to be inconsistent in a few areas, as I would find myself on a few occasions stuck for hours in one place, and then progressing seamlessly to the end of that particular leg once I had passed the hump. Although I felt rather warm and fuzzy after being frustrated for so long, in this case that couldn't really be classified as a positive thing.
The Russian leg is solid; depicting the triumphant battle for Stalingrad. The missions are mostly on foot with some entertaining sniper gameplay, but for the most part you'll be using basic weaponry such as rifles and grenades with limited range and capacity. Hoping to give you an idea of how trying the conditions were for the common Russian soldier, the game serves you up like a lamb to the slaughter from the get go. The opening sequence has you unarmed, following a compatriot around the battlefield, bullets flying everywhere (more fireworks than the fourth of July) waiting for the poor fellow to get executed by the schnitzel housen (Not sure what that means, but it made me laugh- Sammy) so that you can pick up his gun. Once you do get the gun, it's a good bet one of your comrades is patiently waiting for you to visit the utopian socialist state in the sky in order to attain his own firearm, but this was apparently the way things were for the Russian soldiers. They were short on weaponry, big on cannon fodder (as in their men and boys). Tough work, but someone had to do it.
The British leg is based on the African continent, were the battle for supply lines to the Mediterranean was fought, with the infamous German General Rommel in charge of the over-stretched axis armies. This sections features some nice landscapes and visuals, and solid battle sequences with a little more variety in action and gameplay. Some fun jeep gunner action is thrown into the mix to help keep things fresh. Overall the British leg is a less engrossing experience. It has some quite intense and somewhat frustrating battles to engage in, while giving you a more powerful and wider range of weaponry.
The American leg takes us through the streets of Germany, via the landmarks and city monuments, on to the climatic surrender of the Third Reich and end of the war. An attempt is made to depict urban warfare (though in a very linear fashion) with street battles and house-to-house incursions. The levels are well designed and present more tactically challenging conflicts and battle sequences the further you progress. Often you will find yourself wary of advancing forward for fear of being shot to pieces when re-enforcements help the enemy strengthen their position. So you need to get a feel for the balance of aggression and defensive tactics. Over time and through constant repetition, you will learn the sequence of events that will occur in a particular battle, and be able to react or pre-empt accordingly. While this sounds quite mechanical, it gives you a way of utilizing tactical methods; the "art of warfare" if you like. There is definitely an art to this type of gameplay. You can't just go in there guns blazing and expect to live long enough to get the medal of valor. You need to assess the situation, plan your attack strategy and act accordingly. The pay off is gratifying when you finally overcome that hurdle that's had you stuck for hours (believe me!).
Throughout the game, the architecture has been detailed well, with some impressive cityscapes and buildings designed true to the time and place. Some of the structures are even destructible and fall away with the action, which makes for some quite hairy moments. The entire game is interspersed with documentary style video sequences of the on-going war, much like those in Medal of Honor – Rising Sun. These, as well as little audio narrative sequences with the character you're playing as, act as a backdrop to the action and make for a subdued break between the battles. A nice effect worthy of a mention is the slow motion shock/haze effect you will experience when a grenade goes off a little close for comfort. If you have seen Saving Private Ryan and remember the opening scene with Tom Hanks on the beach you will know exactly what I'm talking about.
The game's AI leaves a little to be desired, although I think the enemy AI was a bit smarter than my allied soldiers. Sometimes I'd find myself using the corner of a wall for cover and lining up a shot when my fellow allied soldier would take it upon himself to push me into the oncoming sausage sizzle, then put his helmet where my bullet was heading! Either that or they'd just push me off the corner so they could use it as cover themselves. Very frustrating stuff. Actually, you can order soldiers around to a degree, which is a nice feature. When you stand next to them, facing them, a running logo will appear to order them to "MOVE OUT!" A lot of the time I felt like telling them to "STEP OFF!" But anyway, in the heat of battle these sorts of things can either win or loose it for you.
The sound in Finest Hour is very good. Is has some chunky sound effects for the weaponry and the orchestral backdrops for the action feels relevant to the setting's time and place. The only fault I can pick with the sound is that sometimes the mission directives, which are occasionally yelled out mid mission by your teammates, can barely be heard for all the carnage that's going on around you. Aside from that the sound quality is top notch.
Overall, there are some nicely designed levels and great battle sections in Call of Duty: Finest Hour that will give even the most talented FPS veteran a challenge or two. With online playability also available the replay factor is high and it therefore represents a good investment for those World War enthusiasts out there.
Versions of this game are also available for the PC, Xbox and Gamecube.
by: Ando
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