Just when you thought that all the Nazis in the world have had a bullet put in them a third Call of Duty has arrived. I swear, next to zombies Nazis have become the single most overused enemy in video games. I always had mixed feelings about World War II games and the meaningfulness or disrespect (depends on your side of the coin) of creating such a title. However you (or I) feel about them though, you do have to admit that they often make for an immersive and powerful first person shooting experience.

With the launch of the PlayStation 3 the cream of the FPS crop has proven easily to be Resistance: Fall of Man. Even so, Call of Duty 3 should not to be discounted. This other shooter for Sony's console has already been on the Xbox 360 and others so it's not the freshest of experiences awaiting you. It is, however, one of the best games in the franchise and a competent enough first person game to warrant a serious look.

The premise of the game is identical to just about every war time shooter that has come before it. In Call of Duty 3 you grab a gun and shoot some Nazis. This time around you're fighting for the freedom of France during the days that followed Normandy. Again, just like other Call of Duty games you'll be stepping into the combat boots of soldiers from different armed forces. The game frequently tosses you right into the middle of intense battles and unlike Resistance you're not necessarily an army of one.

The one thing that Call of Duty does better than most others is the sensation that you're a part of an army. You are often the center of attention for sure and every mission hinges on you getting off your butt and taking initiative, but the game gives you comfort in the knowledge that you're fighting with often competent digital brothers in arms. Going out on your own will often get you killed but sticking with your squad mates and ferreting out Nazis will go a long way to ensuring your survival.

In that regard Call of Duty 3 offers some impressive AI that stays fairly strong throughout and never becomes too dominating. Often times FPS that employ a feature like either have the CPU do all the work for you or stand around and shoot at thin air while you are riddled with bullets. Neither is the case here and your teammates do a competent job of watching your back and giving you a heads up for where your attention should be. Whether you're sneaking through trenches and destroying anti-missile batteries or manning the gun of a tank, you'll never really be alone.

Working with your fellow soldiers aside, Call of Duty 3 plays exactly like you'd expect a first person shooter to. The analog sticks control movement and all the appropriate buttons to the standard stuff like shoot, aim, reload, and crouch. It's the FPS model control that has been employed so many times before and is done so efficiently with this newest duty call. If you have played the other versions though just be aware that there are some alterations afoot.

Because the PlayStation 3 has motion sensors built in with the SIXAXIS, Call of Duty 3 actually goes out of its way to use them. These particular instances are often around as merely an option for you but there are some times that you're forced to go with the flow and wave your controller around like a maniac.

Melee attacks for instance can be accomplished by pressing down an analog stick or by jerking the controller's right side forward a tad. It's a motion that simulates hitting someone with the butt of your rifle but honestly it's just easier to press the analog stick. The same can be said for driving because you can use the analog stick instead of the clumsy steering wheel style control. I found myself driving around drunker than Mel Gibson trying to use the SIXAXIS steering and absolutely had to use the analog.

Other uses of the SIXAXIS include rowing a boat (not so gently down a stream) and fighting off scripted Nazi attacks. These bits happen only a few times in the entire game but basically involve you franticly shaking your controller to get your assailant off of you and take him down. In the end the SIXAXIS control doesn't really add much more than a few decent gimmick-induced moments. Often times you'll just forget about it and use the regular control options.

I do have to say though that it's nice to see a game that attempts to employ the motion control in unique ways. Resistance: Fall of Man featured a similar effect with the shaking off of an attacker but that was basically it. It'll be definitely interesting to see where developers implement SIXAXIS in future first person shooting games.

Apart from the controller stuff there is nothing about Call of Duty's single player that is radically different from the rest of the franchise. The story is told in an immersive manner and the gameplay is downright solid though I couldn't help but feel a little bored at times. I suppose that's because this incarnation is so similar to the previous ones that it doesn't stand out as much as it should. At least the online play is great when you can get a match going.

There's a lot of killing to be had and plenty of modes to get down and dirty with when it comes to the multiplayer. Battle, CTF, Headquarters, and War are just a few of the modes that you'll be blasting your way through. Luckily the lag that was experienced with last year's Call of Duty is essentially gone. Instead it has been replaced by some other difficulties from glitches to the time it takes just to find a match. It's not enough to completely kill the experience but it's certainly enough to make you wonder why these bits weren't ironed out before this release.

Speaking of bumps in the road that needed attention let's talk about the framerate, shall we? While the Xbox 360 version moves along at a solid clip with all manner of activity going on at all times; the PlayStation 3 version doesn't. On more than one occasion I found that the game chugged along and hiccupped at inopportune moments. After experiencing the smoothness of Resistance it was really disappointing to see this game hit those particular snags on the PS3.

Otherwise the visuals in Call of Duty 3 are very good with texture and mapping detail comparable to the 360 version. The game supports 480p, 720p, and 1080i and apart from the framerate issues it looks absolutely phenomenal. There are so many breathtaking moments hidden in between gunfire that you'll want to stop for a second to take it all in but I wouldn't really advise that; there might be a bullet with your name on it.

As far as the sound goes? Well, I live in a condo and when the first bomb in Call of Duty 3 went off I had to quickly turn my sub woofer down. The sucker rattled a nearby window and the last thing I needed was for the cops to show up at my door to see what's up. Simply put; the audio for this game is fantastic. Bullets whiz by you in all directions, explosions get the most out of your bass, and every aspect of the atmosphere comes to life with a 5.1 system in place. It's really the only way to experience this title.

While I have mixed feelings about WWII games I have become a fan of the Call of Duty franchise. It handles the war with the correct amount of weight and presents a realistic enough atmosphere that it could almost be a first person documentary. There are a few dings in the PS3 versions' flak jacket though and this isn't an entirely smooth ride. The SIXAXIS control is kind of silly, there are many glitches online, and the framerate drops for practically no reason sometimes. If you can overlook those flaws (and don't have a 360) then this is a game definitely worth your time. It's a solid action experience all the way through.