Call of Duty 3 Review

Overview

Released in November 2006 by Activision and developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty 3 represents the series' most ambitious World War II campaign on the Original Xbox. Unlike its predecessors, the game focuses exclusively on the Normandy Breakout Operation, telling the story through the perspectives of American, British, Canadian, and Polish forces. As the last Call of Duty title released for the Original Xbox, it pushes the hardware to its limits while introducing new gameplay mechanics like close-quarters combat and more extensive vehicular sections. The game marks Treyarch's first solo development of a main series entry, establishing many of the narrative and gameplay elements that would become hallmarks of their future Call of Duty titles.

Graphics and Presentation

Call of Duty 3 strains the Original Xbox hardware in its attempt to deliver a visually impressive experience. The game features significantly improved environmental destruction, with buildings that crumble realistically under artillery fire and terrain that deforms from explosions. Character models show improved detail over previous entries, with more expressive facial animations during cutscenes and combat sequences.

The environments of the Normandy campaign are rendered with attention to historical detail, from war torn French villages to dense forests. Dynamic weather effects add atmosphere to battles, with rain and fog impacting visibility in meaningful ways. However, these visual improvements come at a cost, with noticeable frame rate drops during particularly intense sequences.

The presentation benefits from high-quality pre-rendered cutscenes that smoothly transition into gameplay, creating a more cinematic experience. The user interface remains clean and functional, though the visual effects for damage and suppression can sometimes obscure the action during hectic firefights.

Sound and Music

The audio design in Call of Duty 3 creates an immersive battlefield atmosphere that stands among the best in the series. Weapon sounds carry appropriate weight and distinctiveness, while explosions and environmental effects convey the chaos of combat effectively. The voice acting across all four national campaigns maintains a high quality, with authentic accents and emotional performances that bring the diverse cast of characters to life.

The orchestral score by Joel Goldsmith adapts dynamically to the action, building tension during stealth sequences and swelling dramatically during major battles. The sound mixing deserves particular praise for its ability to balance the cacophony of combat with crucial gameplay audio cues, ensuring that important dialogue and enemy positions remain clear even during the most chaotic moments.

Gameplay Mechanics

The core shooting mechanics retain the series' signature feel while introducing several new elements. The new close-quarters combat system adds tension to building-clearing operations, though the quick-time event implementation feels somewhat clunky. Vehicle sections have been expanded significantly, offering more varied experiences from tank combat to motorcycle chases, each with distinct control schemes that generally work well despite occasional camera issues.

Level design has evolved to support more dynamic encounters, with multiple paths through larger combat areas and improved vertical elements. The game introduces environmental interactions like destroying cover and creating new paths through destructible walls, adding tactical depth to firefights.

Squad mechanics show improvement, with AI teammates providing more effective support and responding better to battlefield situations, though their behaviour can still be inconsistent during complex sequences. The new smoke grenade mechanics add welcome tactical options for both advancing and retreating.

Story and Setting

The narrative focuses exclusively on the Normandy Breakout Operation, telling interconnected stories through the perspectives of American, British, Canadian, and Polish forces. This focused approach allows for deeper character development within each national campaign while maintaining a coherent overall narrative. The writing effectively conveys the multinational nature of the operation, with each force's contribution feeling significant to the larger story.

Character interactions benefit from improved dialogue and more personal moments between combat sequences. The game balances its portrayal of historical events with dramatic storytelling, though it occasionally sacrifices historical accuracy for gameplay excitement. The Polish campaign particularly stands out for telling a lesser-known story of the operation.

Content and Value

The single-player campaign spans approximately 10-12 hours across all four national storylines, offering good value for the content. Multiple difficulty levels and hidden collectibles provide replay incentives, while the varied mission structures help maintain engagement throughout the campaign.

Multiplayer features have been significantly expanded, supporting up to 24 players online with various game modes and a class-based progression system. Split-screen multiplayer supports up to 4 players, though with noticeable technical compromises. At its current pre-owned price of £14.99, the game offers substantial content for both single and multiplayer enthusiasts.

Technical Performance

Running on the Original Xbox, Call of Duty 3 frequently pushes against hardware limitations. Frame rates can become inconsistent during large-scale battles or when multiple explosions occur simultaneously. Loading times between missions are relatively long, often exceeding 30 seconds.

The game generally maintains stability, though crashes can occur during particularly intense multiplayer matches. Texture pop-in is noticeable, especially when entering new areas or during vehicle sequences at high speeds. The save system remains reliable, with well-placed checkpoints and manual save options.

The Verdict

Call of Duty 3 represents an ambitious finale for the series on the Original Xbox, delivering a compelling multinational campaign that successfully captures the scope of the Normandy Breakout Operation. While technical limitations and occasional mechanical clunkiness hold it back from perfection, the game's varied missions, improved multiplayer, and strong narrative approach make it a worthy addition to the series. Despite showing the age of its hardware platform, it remains an engaging World War II shooter that honours the contributions of multiple Allied forces.

Pros

• Rich multinational campaign narrative
• Improved multiplayer features
• Enhanced environmental destruction
• Varied mission objectives and vehicles

Cons

• Significant performance issues
• Awkward close combat sequences
• Dated graphics and textures
• Inconsistent AI behaviour

Final Score: 7.5/10

Call of Duty 3 succeeds in delivering an ambitious and varied World War II experience despite technical limitations. While the Original Xbox hardware struggles with its scope, the compelling multinational narrative and expanded features make it a worthwhile final entry for the platform.

By OGXbox Archive