Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War brought the series back to World War II after Modern Warfare had shifted it to the present day, offering a rawer, more brutal look at the war in the Pacific and on the Eastern Front. The campaign alternates between the perspective of an American soldier fighting Japan and a Soviet soldier advancing on Berlin, with both storylines packed with intense, often harsh moments that at the time were among the most brutal depictions of the conflict in a mainstream game — the player even faces suicide attacks and scenes that sparked debate over the level of violence depicted. The gameplay built on the series' proven foundation, but with an emphasis on flamethrowers, grenades, and chaotic close-quarters combat, often in dense jungles or city ruins, where enemies attack the player up close and from hidden positions among the rubble.

On the Xbox 360, the game ran on a modified version of the previous games' engine and technically didn't feel revolutionary, but it stood out all the more through its atmosphere and sound design — screams, explosions, and music amplified the feeling of a hopeless, exhausting war, where survival often depends on quick reactions and using cover effectively. It was also here that the legendary cooperative zombie mode first appeared as bonus content, in which players defend a fortress against ever-stronger waves of Nazi undead, and it quickly became a phenomenon in its own right, laying the groundwork for a long line of sequels across later Call of Duty entries.

At the time, the reception was very positive, largely thanks to the campaign's rawness and the surprising added value of the zombie mode, which many players considered a better reason to buy the game than the campaign itself. From today's perspective, World at War is an interesting reminder of an era before the series became tied to modern military technology, and it remains a popular choice for players who want to experience the roots of the zombie mode's popularity in its most original form.

Why play: For players wanting to discover the roots of the zombie mode's popularity in its most original form, and to look back at the era before the series adopted modern military technology.