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Surviving the fires of Call of Duty 3 on the PS3...

Posted Feb 18, 2007 at 10:59PM by Chris L. Listed in: Reviews, Games, Call of Duty 3 Tags: Activision, Sony, World War II, Treyarch, SIXAXIS
Ó

... is like saying: Somehow, I wonder how they ever got through World War II alive and kicking, but that's a testament to the tenacity of the humble front-line grunt. Activision's Call of Duty 3, for the PS3, which was tossed onto my lap recently (and the editors told me to take it home and choke on it... wow they must really love me) has a ton of them GIs. A few shoot with you, many more shoot at you: if you value your head, I advise you keep it down.

They're not gonna get us, they're not gonn... oops, hit in the head again. - Image 1


That's the good news. If you've bought COD3 to give lead as good as, if not better, than the other guy, then this game gives it well enough. Toss in multiplayer and the game could become well worth the purchase for that reason (even right alongside Resistance: Fall of Man, COD3 has potential bang for buck value in that department). You have to be a fan of WWII shooters to really appreciate it, I think, and at least in single-player, you gotta be prepared for a lot of Jerry thrown at you at any given moment - probably even more than the previous gen. I actually had to pop in a PS2 Call of Duty just to do a head count.

Unfortunately, I lost count.

St. Lo is beautiful in the summer. Too bad we had to spoil it.

Why don't they issue maps to privates? Not like the LT could read one, either. - Image 1Graphically, COD3 is almost impressive. The advantage of looking at it this late is that we've already heard all those "this console vs. that console" comparisons for this multiplatform shooter. Personally, I kinda liked what IGN called the "washed out" colors of the PS3 version more - reminds me a lot of the "Band of Brothers" miniseries. Total effect is to suck you into that WWII vibe we grew up with through the movies.

The smoke grenades come back from Call of Duty 2, and they work just as well, with a nice thick fog of white that makes it easier to run past German machine guns (yeah, sure. That's what I tell myself when the game tells me to go find cover NOW before I die). The battlefield and all its props are well-rendered, so far as I've seen. I actually laughed when, as I plopped down behind a hill, I saw this stone rolling in front of me. I don't know if I've seen any jaggies - got down to the grass once and observed them just to be sure, looked fine to me. Then I had to get the heck out of there - right in front of a machine gun nest, you see.

One of the other shooter staffers who also had a crack at the game mentioned that the gunfire audio seemed a bit underwhelming. Yeah, the Treyarch devs could have pumped up the volume of the guns at the default setting. Other sound effects come through, though, and at least one advantage of subdued gunfire is that you can hear the Germans coming. Voice acting is pretty standard fare for a WWII-themed game.

They keep coming...

A practical demonstration of why it is important to reacquaint one's self with the good Earth. - Image 1You know your shooters, you know your COD, you shouldn't have any worries about controlling the PS3 3. The SIXAXIS rifle butt will take about a third to a half-second before it registers, though. And those events where some German tries to... er, show you his not-so-pearly whites up close, and you literally have to shake him loose? Quite a workout (which it is in real life), but for the sake of your arms, it's advisable to pick the non-motion sensing option.

Also back from COD2 is the regenerating health system. It's perfect for keeping the pace of the game up, and with the amount of gunfire that can fill the screen in two seconds, it can be useful. Not really realistic, but useful. To counter this, at times COD3 will throw Nazi Sturmtruppen at you like they were lemmings. Or ordered by, of all people, Stalin. You have to keep moving forward to displace them off their positions and cut them off - forces the pace, actually, which is a good thing.

Nazi AI is somewhat decent, too, though some are courteous enough to leave their heads exposed enough for a nice shot. Conversely, your Allied squadmates sometimes get in the way, running in front of you, taking too much fire for their own good (though I think the regenerating health applies to them, too... I think). Now if they only laid suppressing fire, I'd love them more, but as it is, like COD games before, you've got to lug a lot of the workload.

The downside to such numbers coming at you is that it's disorienting, and it can become overwhelming at the harder levels for the less prepared. TIP: save the smoke grenades for these moments, they will cut down on incoming fire, if you keep your head down.

Said the black duck about to get it from the Fudd. - Image 1The new Class system in multiplayer certainly mixes things up some. Play Battlefield 1942, 2, or 2142 enough and you'll easily slide into this new system, because it's based on the same principles. Love the Light Assault class: you get the sticky grades so you can stick it to those annoying Tanks good (where were those weapons in BF1942?).

Since this is coming out only now, we've had the benefit of the latest updates from Activision to fix whatever bugs cropped up before, so we could say we're looking at what Activision intended Call of Duty 3 PS3 to be (as much as they could for now, anyway) compared to its condition at launch.

I wanted to ask Tom Hanks what he thought of the game, but he wasn't available.

Immersive? Definitely, to the point of overwhelming sometimes (and that could be dangerous). Compelling? Reading about glitches early on after launch was worrisome, but with all the updates to date in the game now, my current run-through went through smoothly... or I could be very lucky there. Resistance is certainly its competition, but it's an entirely different animal (of the species Chimera) altogether. COD3's team-based and class-based multi-shooter offers a bit of BF while BF is not available for Sony's next-gen.

As for single-player... honestly, I haven't finished the game yet (and on Normal, too), and I'm still wiping blood, Allied and Axis, off my boots, which goes to show how many lemmings one game can throw at you. Nice target practice (or is it duck-and-cover practice?) for multiplayer, if you want to look at it that way. A better than average game: it's not bound to take your breath away for too long, but it's a notch above the norm, and it will certainly keep your head down if you want to live. Live long enough to shove a pineapple up Hitler's goose-stepping behind.

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24 Comments


Sort by:
   by Vecha - 2007-02-16
 » frame rates?
are the frame rates really has bad as 360 fanboys say?


   Re: Shatterdome - 2007-02-16
 » IGN
It's IGN that says the framerate stutters, fanboys are just quoting IGN...

   Re: teri (Unregistered) - 2007-02-17
 » Yes it is
Actually yes they are bad and its not just 360 owners saying that its also people who have the game,when you get chance compare it with the 360 version its not just the framerates its also washed out in color in comparison.

   Re: Xavier (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » frame rates do drop
as a owner of this game, I can say "yes the frame rates do drop" when it's a lot going on.
   by Blade - 2007-02-16
 » COD3
I've got this game on both the 360 and the PS3. I agree with you about the graphics. I beat the first 3~4 levels on the 360 before getting my PS3 and this game and I've beat it twice on the PS3 and haven't played it since ton the 360. I experienced no frame drops on the PS3 and I haven't played the 360 one enough to be for sure they don't come but I never experienced on it either. It is a very worthwhile purchase tho. Especially if you have a PS3.


   Re: Blade - 2007-02-16
 » COD3
Also I forgot to say but the innovative use of the SixAxis was awsome. You have to place bombs and actually twist the pins. Along with paddling across a river while holding your controller like a paddle.
   by Andrew (Unregistered) - 2007-02-16
 » Frame Rate Sucks!!!
I am not a fan boy, I don't even own XBOX 360. I bought this game, and returned it after playing couple of levels. I had to bring out the barf bag. It's terrible!

   by Andrews MOMMY (Unregistered) - 2007-02-16
 » Get back in yr box fanboy.
Bullsh1t, you are a trolling fanboy and you know it.

I own this game too aon my PS3 and experience no framerate problems, runs nice and smooth and looks great on my bravia.

   by Advertising -
   by Metallic (Unregistered) - 2007-02-16
 » I played this game
This game is impressive in everyway, but the gameplay is like COD2. I had absolutly no frame rate hitches, just a bunch of lies. IGN is ms bought.


   Re: mede (Unregistered) - 2007-02-17
 » Metallic I bet you think your phone is tapped to eh ?
So if its as YOU say ign is MS bought then I take it that everyone who was happy that they said Oblivion looked a little better on the PS3 will now be cautious about the game and wont believe what they said about that either!? I bet you think MS are proberly laughing thinking you are going to go out and buy Oblivion and its rubbish because they told Ign to say it was good Right!??.....

   Re: Seoulfood (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » actually
IGN was the one that said Oblivion looked "significantly enhanced". I'm just trying to bolster your statement that IGN isn't MS-bought. Also, if they experienced framerate issues, maybe they did, and it was one of those flukes that some other players never saw. One time I was playing Resistance and i threw a grenade inside of an enemy drop box thing, and killed like 10 chimeras at once. The game bogged down a lot for like 30 seconds and then it was perfect again. This was the only time I EVER saw the game suffer framerate issues. Even after going back and repeating that same action it didn't slow down again. But it did slow down that first time nonetheless. I'm just saying, maybe it depends on what you do in the game? I dunno. All I'm saying is IGN's legitt.
   by mm... (Unregistered) - 2007-02-17
 » .
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=14267&type=mov&pl=game

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=15368&type=mov&pl=game

   by first-idiot (Unregistered) - 2007-02-18
 » online play
online gameplay has no mic options, and that annoys me,that there is no communication in game,no mic makes me not play the game, i just play resistance, but mostly play socom combined assault more DAMN, try and see if you can reach them to fix mic


   Re: jhahhaha (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » haha
lol what kind of game console has no mic? god, thats hilarious
   by liljimmy (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » sixaxis sucks
now this goes out to blade that said that the innovative use of the SixAxis was awsome.For one your are nothin but a fan boy.Your trying to tell me that in a fps you would rather have the sixaxis then the xbox 360 controller. You cant even feel the gun shoot. that is one of the biggest thing that wrong with resistance.You dont even own a ps3,and a 360,because if you did then you say how bad the ps3 online sucks. the downloads take for forever,and i dont want to hear any of the fanboys say i got a slow internet. the 360 download like 2 to 3 times quicker.So the bottom line is that all the fanboys just need to really go buy a ps3 and see how bad it sucks,because half on these people that post dont even own a ps3.


   Re: troll seeker (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » troll
troll

   Re: Seoulfood (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » hmm
So you think that anyone that actually owns a PS3, can't say anything good about the PS3. That essentially abridges your poorly-worded comment into one sentence, yea? Yea, I admit, that SIXAXIS isn't all that great. I DO however, believe it can be implemented for some cool stuff like it will be in Lair, but now is now, and there is nothing now. As for rumble. I can go without rumble. I usually turned it off on my PS2. It was one of those things that I PERSONALLY saw as a novelty that was conceived by the N64, and it's still around. It does add to gameplay, but not enough for me to miss it. Also, I don't think a controller that vibrates in your hand will feel even remotely like shooting a gun. Go to the range, empty a clip, you'll see. Downloads, yea. Download times do suck. Maybe Sony's CRAZY MARCH UPDATE!!!!!!!!~!~~!! will fix it. Maybe it won't. But yea, they do suck. I don't do much of it, personally, but I know where you're coming from. But in the end, I did get a PS3, and I couldn't see how bad it sucked. I'm just not seeing it. I play my PS3 about as much as I play my 360. I really only play one game on each, Gears and Resistance. I play Gears for the single player, and Resistance for the online. Even with these two games, I love both consoles to death. That's all.
   by Advertising -
   by Blade - 2007-02-19
 » PS3 pic
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2813/dsc00083ug6.jpg

Suck it *****. 360 is at my mothers. PS3 is at my dads. When I get to my moms I will post the 360. I own both and I know what im talking about.

   by Reverted (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » liljimmy the fanboy
STFU liljimmy. Quit bashing the PS3. I waited 15 hours for one and it was well worth it. The online is great the sixaxis has potential but hasn't been used appropriately YET. I'm not a fanboy. Personally I like the 360 GoW is a fun game the PS3 deserves to be critisized just as much as the 360. Come to the realization that you're not going to change anything and go enjoy your system quit whining.

Look for me on PSN - Reverted

   by Andrew got balls (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » I am a 360 fanboy with big man balls
the truth is PS3 online absolutely beyond a doubt sucks, and is good for nothing. You see my friend and I own both a 360 and a PS3 (Wii is coming soon). On the PS3 we can't private chat, view our accomplishments or anything of the sort. PS3 in my eyes failed to meet current online standards. I would pay fifty dollars a year for a PS equivalent of Live. Also I want mention the SIXAXIS it's lack of support right now is pragmatism, we'll see the big picture in two years or so. The only games on the PS3 coming up that are going to be good are Motorstorm, Metal Gear Solid, Virtual Fighter (also on 360) and those are the only games I'm looking forward to. On the 360 Mass Effect, Bioshock, Forza, Two-Worlds, Crackdown, and GTR all set for release before Q2 so don't even tell me that PS3 even comes close. Also one more thing my gamertag is Andrew K18 so if you really own a 360, and think PS3 is better give me a bad review *****es.

   by Ehh... (Unregistered) - 2007-02-19
 » Calm down guys...
I am a PS3 owner here and I am starting to think the frame rate dropping problem may have something to do with the... display unit? I mean... I tried this game and Genji on two separate HDTVs, one from Samsung and one from Vizio. The experience on those two were completely... different.
On the Samsung HDTV, both games run... quite smooth and even if there were frame rate drops, I wouldn't have noticed. On the Vizio HDTV, however, whenever there are a lot of things going on, both of them (Genji and COD3) will obviously show some drastic frame rate drops. So yeah...

   by liljimmy (Unregistered) - 2007-02-20
 » whats up
i just want to sent a big ups to andrew got balls. you hit everthing dead on the money

   by Xavier (Unregistered) - 2007-02-21
 » no voice support on online mode
this game is not bad, but is not good either, no voice chat, frame drop when there's a lot of action.
No voice support on a wwII game is lame, c'mon how are you going to defeat the axies if you can't talk to the allies?
On the good side, good graphics.
I like Resistance better.

   by GiveHaste - 2007-03-02
 » The funny thing..
.. Is you can easily tell that more then half of the time some fanboy bashes another console, they've never even tried it.

I own a 360 and I get constant drops in frame rates all the tme, even when it's not on the more stressful area's of the game. I've played it on two different consoles, a 19" widescreen LCD and a huge HDTV which both play the same. It's really probably just bad programming, so it's on the developers fault, not the consoles.



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