User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1229 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. KL
    Aug 14, 2009
    4
    I just bought this recently on a Steam sale. There's a wonderful game in here somewhere, but it's riddled with instability, crashes, and lacking in several key areas. While I was able to run Call of Duty 4 perfectly, World at War greeted me with crashes and bugs, and with no official fix in site, I had to troubleshoot my own problems. I was able to run the game finally, but the I just bought this recently on a Steam sale. There's a wonderful game in here somewhere, but it's riddled with instability, crashes, and lacking in several key areas. While I was able to run Call of Duty 4 perfectly, World at War greeted me with crashes and bugs, and with no official fix in site, I had to troubleshoot my own problems. I was able to run the game finally, but the framerate isn't very solid, and I had to sacrifice the ability to watch cutscenes for what little stability I had. Not only that, but there are no dedicated servers for co-op or Nazi Zombies, which means any games you find for that mode will be few and laggy. I'd be happy to give this game a 7 or even an 8, but until Treyarch acts to fix all of the problems related to just running the game properly, I can't recommend this game to any PC gamers. Expand
  2. Pixelated
    Nov 11, 2008
    5
    Another mediocre and linear WW2 shooter, even more so than the last one. This is the epitome of brainless, mindless, frat boy gaming. Activision really needs to revamp this series as I can hardly imagine a sixth COD. Once again web review sites are quick to sell out and give it a 9/10. Remember when 9 and above were reserved for only the best the genre had to offer? I can't ever Another mediocre and linear WW2 shooter, even more so than the last one. This is the epitome of brainless, mindless, frat boy gaming. Activision really needs to revamp this series as I can hardly imagine a sixth COD. Once again web review sites are quick to sell out and give it a 9/10. Remember when 9 and above were reserved for only the best the genre had to offer? I can't ever think of another time in the history of gaming where 9's and 10's were handed out like candy on Halloween. Journalistic integrity in gaming? Ha, certainly you jest! Reviews are now open to the highest bidder or advertiser. Expand
  3. EnderW.
    Nov 15, 2008
    6
    Single Player review in a nutshell: I want my money back. Buggy with the enmy death animations starting from the standing position sometimes when the enemy is crouched. Enemy also sometimes "Mario" jumps up in the air. Pretty short too. Finished in less than 10 hours. Sound is hit and miss with the weapon sounds. Missions seem unconnected like in CoD1,2,3. And the Russian campaign ends Single Player review in a nutshell: I want my money back. Buggy with the enmy death animations starting from the standing position sometimes when the enemy is crouched. Enemy also sometimes "Mario" jumps up in the air. Pretty short too. Finished in less than 10 hours. Sound is hit and miss with the weapon sounds. Missions seem unconnected like in CoD1,2,3. And the Russian campaign ends the game pretty damn similar to CoD2. Hope the MP is better. Expand
  4. EricM.
    Nov 18, 2008
    5
    Nice graphics and it has the CoD name. This game is extremely scripted to the point where you get killed by instant headshots if you stray 5 seconds from the scripted path. Reminds me of early (2002-2004) fps games where AI was applauded because they "reacted to your actions". You have to guess what the script/game wants you to do next instead of gunning, running and "fun'ning". Nice graphics and it has the CoD name. This game is extremely scripted to the point where you get killed by instant headshots if you stray 5 seconds from the scripted path. Reminds me of early (2002-2004) fps games where AI was applauded because they "reacted to your actions". You have to guess what the script/game wants you to do next instead of gunning, running and "fun'ning". Waste of a potentially interesting campaign (last days of Berlin). No char involvement or story worthy of note. Sad face. Expand
  5. Andres
    Nov 19, 2008
    6
    I really cant see how the game reviewers rated this 9/10. First, the gameplay hasnt evolved at all, tightly scripted game with the ai taking lame shots at each other, waiting for you to do something, so immersion is nonexistent. The gun sounds are truly bad, really bad, i didnt fell anything from shooting.
  6. SteeleX
    Nov 25, 2008
    9
    I don't understand why people say that it wasn't better than CoD4. Even if it isn't, why does it have to be better? The single player was shorter than CoD4's, but it still solidly maintained the epicness of all CoD series. The Japanese banzai troops who pretended to be dead soldiers. The flamethrowers and tanks who tried to blow up the house of Dimitri and Reznov. The I don't understand why people say that it wasn't better than CoD4. Even if it isn't, why does it have to be better? The single player was shorter than CoD4's, but it still solidly maintained the epicness of all CoD series. The Japanese banzai troops who pretended to be dead soldiers. The flamethrowers and tanks who tried to blow up the house of Dimitri and Reznov. The water that flooded the entire underground tunnel. It's even better when you get to scream with your friends on microphone through Co-op mode while everybody are playing it the first time. When the campaign missions are done you can replay it countless time with the zombie mission. A very original idea which only came true on 2D flash game is now avaliable in 3D FPS. The mutiplayer is very well done as well, with all the levels and unlocks to keep yourselves busy. Overall, CoD:WaW is the perfect WW2 FPS game to play when you're down in your luck one day and can't kill a single person in Red Orchestra. Expand
  7. VictorZ
    Nov 29, 2008
    9
    To start it off I'd like to mention how great (and dark) the atmosphere for the single player missions were. Unlike COD4, I personally found myself really pulled into the life of the characters and found the game more interesting than COD4; quite possibly due to the great cut-scenes and montages during the loading screen. The plot in the game was great most of the times, with To start it off I'd like to mention how great (and dark) the atmosphere for the single player missions were. Unlike COD4, I personally found myself really pulled into the life of the characters and found the game more interesting than COD4; quite possibly due to the great cut-scenes and montages during the loading screen. The plot in the game was great most of the times, with exception to some parts being a little too extreme (where normal people would have most likely died). The graphics in the game were quite visually appeasing and the sound and music for the game was amazing as well. Some weaker points in the game I have to mention is the lack of variety in close combat attacks, as it would have been so much more interesting to have a wide variety of melee attacks instead of just a few (or the exact same counterattack when you're pinned down). Another mention of problems is the attempts at realism. This includes the stupidity of the AI at times, and certain impassable terrains that could have easily been added for more realism. The AI blocking you (as realistic as that might sound) is a pain in the ass when you're trying to dodge grenades and such. After beating the game, zombie mode was quite fun as well and also worth buying the game if you ask me. it's essentially like zombie panic (half life source zombie mod), where you hold off the zombies and barricade yourself for endless waves of nazi zombies. playing with friends make it all the better as well. Expand
  8. RyanP
    Nov 16, 2009
    10
    This game is just awesome. Especially the Nazi Zombies mode, which is the first party-game feeling i've felt in a while. Backed by brilliant multiplayer, a n awesome story, and detailed backgrounds, this game deserves a 10 out of 10.
  9. Aug 21, 2010
    8
    CoD;WaW has plenty of features, like zombies, co-op and multiplayer. Dedicated servers makes it a very enjoyable experience online. Going through the campaign with three of your buddies doesn't get much more epic than this. Definitely worth the money. Oh, and it's way better than MW2!
  10. Nov 20, 2010
    8
    There's a part of me that wants to score this lower because when will game designers learn to make checkpoints AFTER the speeches. It's frustrating to hear the same speech 100x when trying to pass a difficult scene - is this just meant to make you feel the pain of war more?!?! That said overall good game. I notice there are no friendly fire deaths with this which takes some of theThere's a part of me that wants to score this lower because when will game designers learn to make checkpoints AFTER the speeches. It's frustrating to hear the same speech 100x when trying to pass a difficult scene - is this just meant to make you feel the pain of war more?!?! That said overall good game. I notice there are no friendly fire deaths with this which takes some of the challenge away but on the other hand i probably would have broken something out of frustration, so good call... Expand
  11. Apr 4, 2011
    5
    Almost exact port to WW2 of CoD 4 MW.
    Good effort for the single player. Despite the 'on-the-rails' gameplay - it is the nature of CoD games...
    Multi-player is let down by the weapons - you can pick whatever you want...and even more by the add-ons - same as in Cod 4 only gnarled a bit to look like 1940s. Some model animation is outright silly - running for example - fail on both sound and
    Almost exact port to WW2 of CoD 4 MW.
    Good effort for the single player. Despite the 'on-the-rails' gameplay - it is the nature of CoD games...
    Multi-player is let down by the weapons - you can pick whatever you want...and even more by the add-ons - same as in Cod 4 only gnarled a bit to look like 1940s.
    Some model animation is outright silly - running for example - fail on both sound and animation.
    Some nice maps.
    Tanks.
    CoD UO is better.
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  12. Nov 8, 2011
    7
    I am so torn when it comes to this game. I had some amazing experiences with it, and some terrible ones. Multiplayer was extremely fun, with the majority of maps being balanced and pleasing to the eye. Much more suited to smaller LAN parties than rammed 30+ player on-line games. The Zombie mode was amazing beyond words, and it's a shame most people have moved over to Black Ops zombies, asI am so torn when it comes to this game. I had some amazing experiences with it, and some terrible ones. Multiplayer was extremely fun, with the majority of maps being balanced and pleasing to the eye. Much more suited to smaller LAN parties than rammed 30+ player on-line games. The Zombie mode was amazing beyond words, and it's a shame most people have moved over to Black Ops zombies, as the mods, custom levels and community within this mode was perfect. The Single Player / Co-Op campaign is what lets this game down. It's hard to place your finger on exactly what you don't like, but it just doesn't feel like a Call of Duty title. More like a free-to-play game, with regards to maps, animations, and storyline. Saved from a yellow score, because it felt good to have my bolt-action rifle back again! Expand
  13. Dec 20, 2012
    8
    1) Call of Duty Modern Warfare
    2) Call of Duty + Cod UO
    3) COD2

    Really only 3 Call of duty games had even sense, it were this three.

    6786486488446 ) All others "COD`s" by copy/paste
    Period.
  14. Feb 24, 2012
    9
    The best CoD for the PC because if you are a zombie player like me then get it you can even download your own mods and Zombie maps. it is not that good for any other system but you will want it for PC
  15. Mar 12, 2012
    8
    this game deserves atleast 8 in my opinion..if you have played cod mw then you know what to expect from this game.but this game is amazing and its similar to modern warfare.
  16. May 3, 2012
    8
    When it comes to WW2 games, this has to be high up on my favourites list. However, there was many aspects I found quite annoying and somewhat of a letdown. Firslty, when a Japanese soldier is banzai charging, and he runs past half a dozen of your comrades to stab you. Second, I would of liked to see a more dragged out storyline, especially on Peleilu, where the beach assault is over inWhen it comes to WW2 games, this has to be high up on my favourites list. However, there was many aspects I found quite annoying and somewhat of a letdown. Firslty, when a Japanese soldier is banzai charging, and he runs past half a dozen of your comrades to stab you. Second, I would of liked to see a more dragged out storyline, especially on Peleilu, where the beach assault is over in about 2 minutes. The aspects I enjoyed were how brutal both campaigns were, the Russian one in particular. There was also a lot more depth in it than past WW2 COD games in the characters.
    Honestly, I would like to see another WW2 COD game with some parts changed-
    *AI smarter and doesn't just look at killing you only.
    *The ability to fix bayonets not just pick up weapons with them fixed already.
    *A longer storyline with more countries.
    * Not as linear.

    COD World at War was a solid game, but i would like to see a new WW2 game that goes beyond the call of duty in shooter gaming.
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  17. May 14, 2012
    5
    Call of Duty World at War is the worst COD game ever made. But, It haves some cool extras, but I couldn't find the fun about the single player. The Nazi Zombies are a really great extra, so I decided to rate it 5 points. The graphics are well. SO the game is a disappointed, but it really addicted me with the Nazi Zombies. (5.5)
  18. Dec 19, 2014
    7
    World at War has an excellent campaign and a moderate multiplayer. The single player is immersive and engaging. Here is my breakdown:

    1. Graphics: 7/10 - not too shabby, well optimized
    2. Gameplay: 5/10 - plays like the original Modern Warfare
    3. Story: 8/10 - interesting, immersive experience as if player were in WW2
    4. Multiplayer: 4/10 - similar to the first MW

    Overall, great game.
  19. Rem
    Apr 23, 2016
    6
    World at War for its time, looked to return the franchise back to its WW2 roots almost a year after its most critically acclaimed entry ever. Despite the use of the much loved IW 3.0 engine, which enabled smooth 60 fps despite all the ruckus on screen happening at once, the 5th entry into the mainstream franchise couldn't be much more carbon copy. If you want the best explanation of howWorld at War for its time, looked to return the franchise back to its WW2 roots almost a year after its most critically acclaimed entry ever. Despite the use of the much loved IW 3.0 engine, which enabled smooth 60 fps despite all the ruckus on screen happening at once, the 5th entry into the mainstream franchise couldn't be much more carbon copy. If you want the best explanation of how much of its campaign and multiplayer goes, it's basically a World War 2 skin with bland setpieces and competent era based armaments. Scarcely throughout its 3 (yes I mean THREE) hour campaign did I feel ever feel adrenaline rush. Waw foreshadows what the other COD campaigns would emulate: following this one NPC to the next firing range until you clear it of enemies. The only standouts I could recall were an AC140 copycat mission and a copycat All Ghillied Up mission, albeit both of them being a lower quality. The rest of the brief missions were slogs through explosions and gunfire of killing enemies in front of you and blowing up an artillery gun. No characters ever make you want to remember them since you only get three hours to hear them spout orders and take infinite bullets to their invincible NPC bodies. Luckily, the multiplayer is still the classic COD formula with its twist coming from its weaponry. Fewer automatic weapons entails more tense gunfights, but other that, not much is really elevated or improved.
    The only reason people ever remember WaW is the zombies mode, which is arguably the biggest reason much of the Black Ops series still has relevance. It's incredibly satisfying, tense, and addicting. Joining up with four other players, you fight the undead and stay alive as long as possible. Defeat is inevitable but playing before you reach there is an undeniable blast. Technically WaW for 2008 was very good. Utilizing the engine of COD4 has only helped it with smooth gameplay and the gore manages to pack a punch to every shot.
    Fans who claim that a return to WaW should be mindful that not everything brought back from the past manages to be successful. If the franchise ever comes back to its roots, it should do so by undergoing an identity change. Flashy, scripted setpieces and linear gameplay would only sour the trip back. WaW encompasses everything that haters of this franchise love to poke at: linear campaign, big and constant explosions, characters you can't care about, and identical gameplay. Zombies is its only savior and the only reason this entry isn't looked upon with total disdain.
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  20. Sep 13, 2014
    10
    Hail to the WW2 veterans with Treyarch.
    Very excellent campaign in the video game history,though containing some glitches and sometimes functions with bad optimization.
    The best figured war feeling shooter game which makes the relentless war fighting and the fragility of individual lives on the battle ground that beyonds human tolerence.THIS GAME MAKES YOU HATE THE WARS.
  21. Dec 20, 2015
    8
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  22. Jul 12, 2013
    8
    Its a great game.A lot of opportunity's, a surroundingi so real. The best things are the flame throwers. The Only lack of the game is that she is short, to short and its to easy even one the HARD difficulty the good thing about the game is the final mission withe zhe ombies. IT rocks
  23. Nov 13, 2013
    7
    Call of Duty 5 World at War seems as it is the whole Call of Duty series before Modern Warfare combined! Call of Duty World at War's campaign was nothing special, but Zombies picked up the spot when they showed us round based survival! Multiplayer is very fun but unfortunately, hackers are all over multiplayer. I am giving a 7.3 because I thought that this game was not a "CoD Classic" butCall of Duty 5 World at War seems as it is the whole Call of Duty series before Modern Warfare combined! Call of Duty World at War's campaign was nothing special, but Zombies picked up the spot when they showed us round based survival! Multiplayer is very fun but unfortunately, hackers are all over multiplayer. I am giving a 7.3 because I thought that this game was not a "CoD Classic" but more of a expansion pack for CoD 2 and maybe CoD 3. Expand
  24. Sep 7, 2013
    8
    The best WWII Call of Duty around. There's not much to say, it's CoD 4 in the decorations of 1940s warfare. Now I complain that BO1 is CoD 4 in the Cold War decorations, and BO2 is CoD 4 in the future. But back then, only a year after CoD 4, it played well. Also it was the darkest and the most cruel CoD in the series... And I like that, because I like serious games. I can't say I've spentThe best WWII Call of Duty around. There's not much to say, it's CoD 4 in the decorations of 1940s warfare. Now I complain that BO1 is CoD 4 in the Cold War decorations, and BO2 is CoD 4 in the future. But back then, only a year after CoD 4, it played well. Also it was the darkest and the most cruel CoD in the series... And I like that, because I like serious games. I can't say I've spent months in this one, but still a while. The Zombies mode was introduced, and it was very addicting as well as multiplayer, which remains the best in the franchise in terms of balance. Still, it had flaws. Even if CoD 4 formula wasn't annoying and repetitive back then, a WWII setting was boring. Tanks in multiplayer were unnecessary. The maps setting was pretty much the same, and even after jumping from the one map to another in multiplayer, I had the feeling I've been there just a minute ago. Still, great game and Treyarch's best effort in the series. Expand
  25. Nov 18, 2013
    8
    World at war is the 7th of the Call of Duty genre. It has kinda go worse from this point and I highly recommend you play this COD because it was a good one. Its campaign was okay and the multiplayer was 99x gorier then the other COD's. This one is set in WWII and has torture scenes, heads being cut off and generally a lot of swearing. This also was the first time they brought Zombies toWorld at war is the 7th of the Call of Duty genre. It has kinda go worse from this point and I highly recommend you play this COD because it was a good one. Its campaign was okay and the multiplayer was 99x gorier then the other COD's. This one is set in WWII and has torture scenes, heads being cut off and generally a lot of swearing. This also was the first time they brought Zombies to COD. Its the best zombies yet. Why... Its what it used to be. Sitting in a corner with a ray gun shooting Zombies. Beautiful.

    Overall
    -Okay Campaign
    -Good Mulitplayer
    -Good Zombies Mode
    Score 87/100
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  26. Feb 18, 2014
    10
    A great campaign, amazingly designed multi-player and very fun zombie mode. You can drive tanks in multi-player and there are infinite custom zombie maps to download. Amazing and historically accurate campaign. This is one of the best Call of Duties ever and you will not regret making this purchase. All 4 Zombie maps are included if you buy it off of steam (not sure about hard copy).
  27. Dec 27, 2014
    8
    Call of Duty: World At War. Good grief! I'm reviewing yet another Call of Duty game! Just a day after I got it too! This year I finally warmed up to the Call of Duty franchise, and I actually think that it is better than Battlefield now! Of course, I have not and will not play any of the more recent Call of Duties (after MW2), because I have already heard people hate them. What aboutCall of Duty: World At War. Good grief! I'm reviewing yet another Call of Duty game! Just a day after I got it too! This year I finally warmed up to the Call of Duty franchise, and I actually think that it is better than Battlefield now! Of course, I have not and will not play any of the more recent Call of Duties (after MW2), because I have already heard people hate them. What about this game? This game was released after the original Modern Warfare and before Modern Warfare 2, returns to the series' original World War II setting, and has a different development team working on it. So, is this the kind of experience that will make you want to fight World War II all over again, or will this game make you tired of the WWII shooter genre? Let's find out. The gameplay of this game is about the same as the other Call of Duties that came before it. That may be a huge problem now, but when this game was released, no one cared. Basically you go through various battles in World War II as a random soldier in the war, kill as many enemies as you can, and complete various objectives along the way. What this game really succeeds in is that it makes you feel like you are actually in these battles. This game has a very intense atmosphere for each battle you take part in, and it also has infinitely respawning enemies everywhere you go to make it seem like you are in a huge battle. On paper, this seems like it would never work. However, this is Call of Duty. It has worked in the past, and here it is no exception. While the enemies don't have the best AI, the fact that they infinitely respawn makes the battles that much more interesting. The intense atmosphere also helps, as you will see many explosions and hear gunfire to make it seem like the battle is going on all around you. This game being made by a different developer from the previous Call of Duties has also changed a few things about the game. This game is much darker and more mature than the previous Call of Duties. There is a lot more gore in this game than in the previous Call of Duties, and you also get flamethrowers to burn people to death. However, it also has its zany side, with its new added Nazi Zombie survival mode. As fun as all of this sounds, this game is not without its flaws. For instance, there were a few times in the campaign where I died, and I had absolutely no idea what hit me. There was no clear indication of what hit me before I died, and I feel like this is something that the Infinity Ward games were good with. For another, this game's campaign is way too short. Yes, most Call of Duty campaigns are short, but this one was even shorter than the other ones. I managed to beat Infinity Ward's Call of Duties in 6 hours, while it only took me 4 hours to beat this one. However, these flaws are not enough to wear down this game completely. Overall, this game is a blast to play despite its flaws. As for the graphics, they are even better than the gameplay. This game was made on the Modern Warfare engine, which is very good at producing graphics. All of the environments in this game are rich with detail, and are pretty to look at. They are not the best graphics you could get from a game released around this time, but they are still pretty fantastic. As for the story, this story is actually more original than the previous WWII Call of Duties. For instance, there is no British campaign, and the American campaign now focuses on the war in the Pacific Ocean rather than the European front. In other words, the Americans are fighting the Japanese rather than Nazi Germany in this game. This is a side of the war not often shown in video games. It adds a much more unique flair to this game. As I said earlier, this game is much than the previous Call of Duties, so expect that to effect the story as much as the gameplay. The game opens right up with a torture scene for example. Other than these changes however, the game is still very much the standard Call of Duty fair. There are two separate story lines, one focuses on America fighting the Japs, while the other is the stereotypical story in the World War II Call of Duties of the Soviet Russians fighting the Nazis. The story is still great regardless of this however. Overall, while this game is not the perfect Call of Duty, it is still a great game, and well worth your time and money. It is also more unique than most other World War II shooters, focusing on a different side of the war. I recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a more unique World War II shooter, or just another good first person shooter. Either one of these criteria would fit these people perfectly.
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Graphics: 9/10
    Story: 8/10
    Overall: 8/10
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  28. Jun 15, 2014
    7
    Best game in whole Call of Duty Series, I love the story and it just a good experience. Sorry for the short review, there is just not much else to say about the game.
  29. Jul 18, 2014
    8
    Un bon call of duty en général : La campagne se déroulant pendant la seconde guerre mondial est très intéressante , ainsi que le mode zombie qui fait son apparition avec 4 map assez bonne en général .
  30. Aug 26, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best cod ever made period. The guns are amazing voice acting is good and the visuals can stand up even to this day well designed multiple game modes and millions of custom zombies maps for when the trey arch made ones get boring there is a good server for Tdm that is well active I play on personally every other day Anarchy fast xp it's Tdm and has increased Xp per kill for faster level up times. Switching to campaign it has one of the most immersive in cods history with great characters and a sad decision in the last mission well worth 20$ A true blast from the past Expand
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 36
  2. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Treyarch came back this year with an excellent addition to the franchise. Many gamers may look at this game with an "I've been there, done that" attitude. I am here to tell you that this is the best WWII effort so far, as well as the best game in the franchise.
  2. 92
    This is a solid, confident shooter with plenty to offer the casual and hardcore alike.
  3. Overall the game feels a bit short but is not only a very tasty bit of eye candy, and a treat for the ears as well, but a briskly paced action-adventure that should please fans of WWII first-person shooters.