Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty 3 is already a hit on Xbox 360 thanks to its intense cinematic portrayal of World War II, comparable to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan. One of the harsh realities more experienced gamers will need to stomach is that Wii cannot come close to matching the visual clout of Xbox 360.

No matter, COD3’s gameplay is brilliantly adapted to suit the combination of Wii Nunchuck and Wii remote. Games played in first-person, invariably ‘first-person shooters’ (FPS), are a trial by fire for the full Wii controller set-up but COD3 wins itself a medal for active service. Use of the remote to guide your movement, and of course to aim and shoot adds another dimension that – once experienced – you could feel saddened returning to conventional methods.

Quite often an FPS played on a ‘normal’ console gives you the impression of driving a small vehicle, with arms attached. The human experience is obscured by using little levers to move and aim, the on-screen theatrics are all that’s left to convey the realism. At a push we’d say Wii betters mouse and keyboard for intuitive control, though perhaps not quite as accurate. Anyway, you feel ‘in the game’.

Contrary to how you might imagine the experience, FPS gameplay with the Nunchuck + Remote set-up needn’t be frantic. Of course you do need to aim, but not with your right arm outstretched and the Nunchuck rests comfortably on your lap. Occasionally Wii COD3 requires you to physically wrestle enemy soldiers, shaking both hands to and fro then side to side. This is a bit of a chore to be honest, but contributes to the overall immersive feel.

Definitely worth a shot even if you already played/own COD3 on another format.

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