Call of Duty World at War VGA graphics performance test - 1 - Introduction

If there is one game in history that got my eyes and ears pinned to the screen with every release, it's got to be the Call of Duty series. This type of game is everything what yours truly seeks in a game and therefore I was thrilled to see the 5th part of the successful Call of Duty series released; World at War whick will be in the shops this very week.

The fourth game re-energized with a new Duracell battery by taking it out of World War II and into the modern era. Weird then is that the developers chose to take a step backwards and set World at War once again in that lovable WW2 era. This may at first seem like a weird move to make ...

Call of Duty: World at War is a new start for, in fact the COD 3 team, not COD4 - having been granted a lot more time to make this game, and specializing on pieces of the war not instantly recognizable to your average gamer - stuff like the Russian movement to Berlin even, and the conflict in the Pacific.

The raid of Makin Island, one of the first levels, starts with you tied to a chair, faced with a smug Japanese general. He puffs cigar smoke in your face, before turning to one of your comrades and shouting appropriately phrased Japanese at him. The scenery is set, and trust me, you'll be focused.

"24" star Kiefer Sutherland will be narrating one of the major NPC characters in the pacific campaign. In all seriousness, this could be a good move by Treyarch, as a lot of what made the last game so epic was its cast of supporting NPC players, and English stereotyping aside, the single-player campaign wouldn’t have been the same without them.

World at War throws out the rulebook of war to transform WWII combat through a new enemy, new tactics and an uncensored experience of the climatic battles that gripped a generation. As U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers, players will employ new features like cooperative gameplay, and weapons such as the flamethrower in the most chaotic and cinematically intense experience to date.

General Features

• Call of Duty 4 Technology – Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes a bedrock of technology that delivers jaw-dropping visuals, while empowering players to employ elements like fire to affect the dynamics of the battlefield. Players that attempt to harness the power of new weapons, like the flamethrower, will find themselves capable of burning away environmental elements that give cover to a camouflaged enemy, leaving a charred battlefield – and their foes – in their wake
• Coordinated Assault and Support – For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the No One Fights Alone mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The title also incorporates traditional multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats into the co-op campaign for deeper re-playability and advanced gameplay
• New Theaters of Operation – Players fight as U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers facing enemies – some new to the Call of Duty franchise – that employ lethal new tactics and know no fear, no mercy, nor the rules of war. Epic conflicts are fought on multiple fronts, playing through the climactic battles of WWII in the grittiest, most chaotic and cinematically intense experience to date
• Innovative Multiplayer – Multiplayer builds from the success of Call of Duty delivering a persistent online experience for more squad based interaction. New development with party systems allows an intimacy with squad based combat never before seen in Call of Duty. Combined infantry and vehicle missions add a new dimension to the online warfare and offers more PERK abilities
• Cinematic Quality Graphics and Sound – Treyarch's award-winning sound department returns with effects that add to the already immersive cinematic intensity of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine

Though I can't help thinking that I liked Call of Duty 4's modern Warfare style a little better, doesn't mean that Call of Duty World at War isn't a really enjoyable title. Over the next pages we'll compare some images quality settings in-between ATI and NVIDIA, look at a couple of screenshots and then head onwards towards our benchmark test where we'll put nineteen graphics cards through the test.