Call of Duty 3 Wii Review

When we reviewed the Xbox 360 version of this game, we were in awe at the cinematic style and presentation on offer, but it had its flaws. With the Wii having a different control system we decided to take a look at this version of the game as well, and somehow in many ways this is the superior to the other console versions, and there are many reasons for Wii owners to be happy with this title despite the one glaring flaw.



Call of Duty 3 takes place in the middle of the battles which occurred directly as a result of the D-Day invasion. The American and British forces have successfully captured Normandy, and the forces now surge towards Germany for the final front. Throughout the game the Americans, British and even some Polish tank engineers come into the battle to finally finish the German forces off. There is a lot more of a personal element to the game this time around and Treyarch and Infinity Ward must be congratulated on formulating a storyline which is both unique and original despite being set in one of the world's most famous wars.



As expected the game takes place from a first person perspective but the big change with the Nintendo Wii is how this controls. For years both Sony and Microsoft have strived to get a solution with control that was as good as keyboard and mouse for shoot-em' up titles but Nintendo has spoiled their party as the Wiimote is unbelievable with this game. It's point and shoot, and while it takes a little while to get used to, and means you have to pretty much play in one fixed position due to the Wii sensor bar, it still adds a higher level of interaction and really pushes the single player campaign to the top on Wii.



Activision has also increased the interaction with other sections of the game such as deploying bombs or fighting off Germans who get the jump on you. It is not possible to play COD 3 Wii in long sessions like X360 due to the fact the control system and movements you need to make do tire you out after a while, plus you will probably just get over having to move the Wiimote around everywhere. However coming back a day or a few hours later refreshed will get you to see again just why this game is so good.



The hallmark of the COD series has come back as well with intense battles everywhere you go. There are not many areas in this game where your speakers won't be shuddering with bullets, with German war cries and Allies pushing you on. It's one of those games that sucks you in so much you really feel part of the action and the atmosphere and the storyline plays a huge part as to why this is the case. It does still feel very linear and scripted but it was only when we began to write this review that we noticed this as when playing the game just surviving is hard enough, especially on the higher difficulty levels.



In our Xbox 360 review we wrote that Call of Duty needs to be reinvented and something new added to it for the fourth edition. However in our opinion the control system for the Wii made this feel like a completely different game and brand new experience, exactly what we were looking for. There is one glaring flaw and that is a complete lack of multiplayer so once single player is done, there is not much to keep you going back. The AI has also been toned down and you will find yourself completing this game much quicker than on the Xbox 360. It is nice to see Activision realising that the Wiimote is harder to control at first, but toning the AI down for the whole game was a mistake.



Also as expected the graphics take a significant hit on the Nintendo Wii but anyone with the console would expect that. With that said the downgrade does not heavily impact the game and we still like the animations and heavy detail placed on the destroyed townships the battles take place in. The Wii does seem to have a brightness issue at times and this can make the night fights even harder than expected.



Call of Duty 3 is one of the Wii's better launch games and the control system is unmatched at this stage. If you own a Nintendo Wii, even if you have a 360, you owe it to yourself to at least try the game and see what all the Wiimote fuss is about as, in our opinion, Call of Duty 3 uses the Wiimote the best so far.