Treyarch had a hit with Call of Duty 2, a first person shooter (FPS) for PS2 and Xbox 360. It comes as no surprise that they have released a sequel, Call of Duty 3 (COD3), for the graphic intensive next generation systems, the PS3 and 360. What is a bit unexpected is that the game is also available for the Nintendo Wii.  Afterall, the Wii is a different creature than the other two new generation systems.  How would its motion sensitive controller work with a WWII simulation game?  Pretty well as it turns out.   Thought there is a learning curve the game works surprisingly well with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk though there are a few bumps in the road.  The big surprise isn't the gameplay however, but the lack of multiplayer capability.

This shooter places you in France during WWII.  Playing through the Normandy Breakout, from just after D-Day to the liberation of Paris, COD3 puts the player firmly in the middle of some of the largest and bloodiest battles in the European theater.  Moving from one area to another, players take on the role of American, British, Canadian, and Polish soldiers.  The storyline for each nationality's character was different, but honestly it didn't matter too much.  Once the bullets and shrapnel started flying, the brief background story quickly fades from memory.

Gameplay:
 
The question that I was really interested in answering when I first opened COD3 was this: Does the Wii's unique remote enhance or hinder gameplay?  As it turns out, a bit of both.  The first thing that an experienced gamer will notice when popping this disc in is that it actually takes some time to learn how to play this game with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.  Even though there is a training level at the beginning (which is way too short), it took me well over half an hour to feel comfortable with the game's control system (and even after that my arms would sometimes get tired from holding the remote up in the air and having to point it with precision, something that never happens when I'm just mashing buttons.)  After that the game moved on much more smoothly, though there were some aspects of the controls that never worked very well.  (One nice thing for lefties like myself is that you can change which hand holds the remote and which one has the Nunchuk on the options screen.)

Once you get used to the controls they seem natural and lifelike, though there are one or two areas where they were a bit unwieldy.  It's incredibly easy to change where you're looking, just pont the remote to the left or right and your head turns.  The stick on the Nunchuk controls your movement, and also aims your weapon.  You can press B to fire your gun, but for more accurate aiming hold down the A button.  This raises the rifle to your eye and you can use the scope to accurately pick off enemies in the distance.  That brings me to the first problem with the way this game is laid out; it's a bit awkward to go from more broad gestures and movements with the remote and Nunchuk to fine motions like hitting the - button to pick up an item.  When fingers move to hit the button, the grip changes and the whole hand moves slightly, which is translated into action in the game itself.  This can get irritating at times and I never did fully get used to it, though it didn't significantly interfere with my enjoyment of the game.

On the other hand, the vibration effects on the Wii Remote are excellent and add a lot to the game.  Feeling the controller shake in your hand while you hear a loud blast and see debris flying from a grenade you've thrown puts you right in the middle of the battle.  Treyarch did a great job of incorporating as much sensory stimulation as they could, and this is one of the strongest aspects of the game.

Though it will take players a while to get used to the movement and aiming controls, the way the game handles driving in intuitive and natural.  When you're in control of a Jeep, you hold the Nunchuk and Wii Remote as if they were part of a steering wheel and steer.  This feels very natural and works well.  This is such a natural feeling way to control a vehicle that I hope all companies will mimic these controls in their driving games.  Excite Truck would be even more dynamic with these controls.

So the controls take a little bit of getting used to.  How's the game itself?  The short answer is "a lot of fun."  COD3 is pretty much non-stop action. From the moment the truck transporting you to the front is hit by a grenade to the time the closing credits start to scroll by players find themselves in one battle after another, each just as exciting as the last.  Treyarch manages to keep the game interesting and dynamic from one setting to the next by changing up the objectives and tasks, but still keeping the constant kill-or-be-killed action cranked up.  The game itself isn't difficult either, though there are difficult parts.  Even beginning gamers will have a lot of fun.

While the gameplay is fun and the constant action will keep players engaged, there were some aspects that were disappointing.  Things like the fact that you can't skip the cutscenes, even if you've already seen them.  This is a minor qualm, but there were a couple of times that I found myself mashing any button in the futile attempt to get past an animated scene I've already been through.

A more major problem is the fact that there is no multiplayer component to this version of the game.  It's strictly a one player affair.  That's really too bad, because the multiplayer aspect is one of the stronger parts to COD3 for the Xbox 360 (and presumably the PS3).  Without the ability to play through levels with your friends, the only value is in the single player campaign which will take an average gamer about 8-10 hours to finish on the 'medium' difficulty setting.  While this mode is a lot of fun, the game would be much stronger if a split screen two player mode was included.  Leaving off multiplayer capability is a big strike against the game.

Graphics:

It's no secret that the Wii can't keep up graphically with the PS3 or even the Xbox 360.  While it comes as no surprise that COD3 looks significantly better on the other next generation systems, the presentation on the Wii is acceptable.  The backgrounds aren't flat, with bombed out buildings and foliage both having some texture, but the game just doesn't have the eye-popping fine detail and 'wow' factor that its high definition counterparts have.  It looks like an Xbox game, which isn't necessarily bad if that's what you are expecting.

Audio:

While the graphics may not be up to par for new generation systems, COD 3 for the Wii has a soundtrack that really improves the game play, especially if you have a surround sound setup.   The first thing that you'll notice about the aural effects is that there is a good amount of directionality throughout the game.  Bullets whizzing across the sound stage and explosions are also localized, though not as well as the weapon's fire, and they have a good amount of bass to give the game a realistic feel.  You can hear your comrades talking to you as well as the enemy, and this in addition to the fleshed out audio effects makes it feel like you're in the middle of a real battle.  The orchestra score is also first class, and has a very cinematic in feel to it.  This serves to give the game a larger feel than it would otherwise.

Conclusion:

COD3 for the Wii is a fun and intense game that is sure to please both novice and experienced gamers who are willing to take a bit of time to become comfortable with the controls.  There's a lot of action and the various scenarios keep the gameplay feeling fresh.  Unfortunately the graphics are not state of the art, and if you've seen the game on a PS3 or 360, you'll be disappointed when you pop this disc into your Wii.  The lack of multiplayer capability is also a big minus.  Even with these defects though, the single player campaign is well worth playing through.  Add to that the fun and unique way that the game makes use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk and it's easy to recommend the title.