World at War was the fifth game of the Call of Duty series,[13] features a more mature theme than previous installments.[14] The game is also open-ended, as there are multiple ways to complete objectives.[15] The gameplay of World at War shares several features with previous iterations of the franchise. Players fight alongside AI-controlled teammates. They help during the game's missions by providing cover fire, shooting down enemies, and clearing rooms for entry.[16]
When playing Wii version of the game, instead of using a controller, as the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 versions require, an optional gun-like expansion controller known as the Wii Zapper can be used. The Zapper, or Wii Remote and Nunchuk, can be used to aim at targets to fire at them and simulate marksmanship.[17]
The game's return to World War II-era warfare reintroduces weapons and technology that have been seen in other games in the Call of Duty franchise, including the Thompson submachine gun, the Mosin-Nagant rifle, and the Panzerschreck anti-tank rocket launcher. The player gains access to these over the course of the game, but may only carry up to two weapons in addition to hand grenades. Weapons from fallen foes can be picked up to replace weapons in a player's arsenal. Players can also find weapons with additional attachments, including guns equipped with rifle grenades, telescopic sights, and bayonets.[16]
A character can be positioned in one of three stances: standing, crouching, or prone; each affecting the character's rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage, as there are no armor or health powerups. When the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red and the character's heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player in deciding whether to flee or throw it back at the enemy.[16]
The single player campaign includes thirteen hidden "death cards", denoted by playing cards attached to makeshift war graves. There is one in each level (barring those that take place in vehicles); collecting them unlocks cheats for Co-op mode, such as reduced enemy endurance and "paintball mode".
[edit] Multiplayer
World at War includes a similar multiplayer experience to that which was established in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. All versions of the game use a similar perk and ranking system[4] and feature six different multiplayer modes, including team deathmatch and capture-the-flag.[18]
Gameplay in online multiplayer's War mode
The game also features a cooperative gameplay mode with up to two players via split screen on consoles, or four players online, for the first time in the franchise. The Wii version of the game does not include online co-op, but two players can play through a "squadmate co-op" mode which allows both players to experience the game through the same screen and point of view.[4]
The minigame Nazi Zombies consists of 1–4 players fighting an unlimited number of waves of Nazi zombies. Players can work together with other people to kill the zombies known as "co-op" mode either offline with two players or online with 2-4 players. The players gain points by injuring or killing the zombies or repairing boarded-up windows, which are used to remove blockages inside the bunker and to gain access to more useful weapons than the starting pistol and unlock more rooms. Zombies continually break the windows to gain entrance and to find and kill the players; when all players die, the game is over
