Let’s go ahead and get the hard news out of the way.  Yes, Infinity Ward has handed the next Call of Duty back to Treyarch.  Treyarch is known for making Call of Duty 3, which was a great game, but fans complained it was too much like the 2nd installment.  This might be hard for some to swallow but the game has the surname World at War.  Activision has said they want to hold the numbered Call of Duty games.  When Treyarch made Call of Duty 3, they were only given one year to develop that title.  World at War has been in development for 2 years now, and it’s looking like Treyarch is developing a immense playing experience; even though were going back to WWII.

          Now that the hard news is out of the way, let’s get down to the awesome improvements Treyarch has planned.  They are developing this title using the Call of Duty 4 engine, which still looks beautiful displaying tremendous explosion effects and breathtaking lighting and shadow physics.  Call of Duty: World at War is introducing a feature that has never been a part of any of the games in the series, co-op.  Squad based combat is what made the Call of Duty games so popular, but now you will be able to tackle the game with up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen.  This will allow even deeper squad based missions that will provide some awesome tactical executions.  There are plenty of screenshots showing off planes, so hopefully they have some aerial combat planned as well.  In certain areas of the game, you might have to swim across bodies of water which could provide some great places for hiding.

          Another new feature is in fact a new weapon that looks like a blast to play around with.  While not entirely new, the game was first seen in Call of Duty: United Offensive, the flamethrower is being re-introduced. The flamethrower is used in ways where you can set fire to almost anything.  You can burn away environmental elements to help scope out that camouflaged enemy.  Some destructible environments have been announced, but to what extent is unclear. I know the pyro in you would just want to flame anything in your way, but I would say that is not the case.  I doubt everything will react realistically under fire, but we will have to wait and see how they handle this issue.  In the trailer, you can see the flamethrower in action which looks pretty astonishing.  The flames near the barrel of the gun looks liquidized before actually turning into a huge cloud of combustion, which adds to the realism.  Another upgrade to the weapons is the ability to shoot through walls to the point where you actually create a hole that you can climb through.

          When the game was first announced, they only stated it was held in the South Pacific fronts, but later confirmed it will also include the European front.  I would have been perfectly happy with staying in the South Pacific, but we are forced yet again to trek through the European front.  The game takes a more darker, more brutal tone than previous entries where the trailer showcases a prisoner of war being tortured by a Japanese soldier, right before the soldier slits his throat with his katana.  The enemy soldiers display no fear no mercy tactics employing vicious lethal attacks garnering this title a M rating.

          Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer hangs with the best of the best.  World at War will adopt most of the same features including perks and gun customization.  Vehicles have also been added for a deeper multiplayer experience.  Actual modes haven’t been announced yet, but we can assume the standard death-match will show up somehow.  Scaling will take place judging by your rank and your friends rank as well to provide a deeper level of challenge.  Online multiplayer components such as rankings, stats, and challenges have been announced though.

          Love it or hate it, this title could surprise you with its new features and upgrades to the Call of Duty 4 engine.  Activision has stepped on the wagon making sure with each new year, we get a new Call of Duty, much like a yearly sports title. Still, Treyarch has made some strong improvements to the franchise, hoping to show they can release quality Call of Duty titles. Call of Duty: World at War is being released for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2 and PC. No release date as of yet, but hopefully we will get this entry before the end of the year.