Call Of DutyPublisher: ActivisionPlatform: PC, Xbox, Gamecube, PS2Surely, you've heard about Call of Duty, at least in one of its forms. The original Call of Duty was a straightforward shooter showing three World War II perspectives: American, British and Russian. Recently, the United Offensive expansion was made available, again told in a similar fashion, but boasting an amazing array of new missions. Now, the console version, Finest Hour, has been unleashed.
The first thing you'll notice about Call of Duty is the story unfolds much like a Hollywood WWII epic. You're dropped into combat and eventually the game explains itself. Some of the epic battles come to life in amazing detail. For instance in the Russian campaign, as in "Enemy at the Gates," you take on the role of a Russian sniper. Of course in order to get here, you have to survive the Stalingrad landing. Not an easy task, mind you.
United Offensive, the PC expansion, takes a similar twist. Except, at one point, you're the turret gunner on a British bomber. This was one of the coolest moments in a WWII shooter I have ever experienced.
In Finest Hour, your console becomes the source of action. Although the graphical detail is somewhat diminished from the PC versions, it still makes for an inspiring game. It shows it is possible to carry the same production values over to consoles without sacrificing quality.
What sets this series apart from other WWII-themed shooters is it not only looks amazing, it also captures the feel of the battlefield. It presents a good challenge without being downright impossible. One of my favorite touches is the authenticity of the weapons and the level of detail. It is one of the most enjoyable shooters I have come across and now it's available to both console junkies and the hardcore PC gamers. It's a definitive must-have for any collection.
Jak IIIPublisher: SCEAPlatform: PS2I admit it. I'm hooked on Jak & Daxter, especially since Jak III hit the streets. As the final installment, Jak III takes it all the way. I recently sat down with Naughty Dog and got intimately familiar with the game. I left very impressed. Hell, I wanted the damn game before I put the controller down.