Call of Duty: Finest Hour

Although the PC game exudes with innovation, it's not the finest hour for this Call of Duty.

Let's face it: World War II first-person shooters went into stale, done-that overdrive until Call of Duty came along. The creativity put into that PC game set the standard for all other WWII shooters. It's too bad the console versions of Call of Duty gravely tarnish that benchmark.

Duty Calls
Developer Spark's intentions are admirable considering the shoes it had to fill after the success of Call of Duty on the PC. Not to be mistaken as a straight port, Finest Hour re-creates the frenetic WWII atmosphere in brand-new campaigns that span the North African, Eastern, and Western fronts. You take control of soldiers from the Russian, British, and American armies in missions that have you rescuing comrades, demolishing encampments, sniping waves of Nazis, and controlling Allied tanks. Truly, the goals are as varied as those in the original.

The visual and sound presentations also follow in the original game's footsteps. Pretty outdoor scenery is constantly besieged with chaotic firepower, a flurry of explosions, and fellow grunts yelling at you. It evokes the same awe-inspiring feeling as when you first played Call of Duty on the PC or watched Saving Private Ryan.

Regret To Inform
The execution of the gameplay, however, sorely lacks the same aesthetic wonderment. To start, the enemy A.I. is entirely scripted, which means enemies rarely react to you until they reach a specific spot, and you can predict their movements. Moreover, wander off your mission or skip an objective, and enemies as well as your fellow soldiers won't know what to do next. Your allies are also dumb: Their aim is horrible, even at close range, and they get stuck behind the smallest of obstacles ...in doorways and around corners. Additionally, save points are far and few between, which only increases the frustration level. And should you need to restart at the last save point, the weapons you were previously carrying disappear and are automatically replaced by what you started with at the very beginning of the mission. How stupid is that?

Online, Finest Hour is a huge disappointment. Again, there's a lot to be expected because Call of Duty impressed online players on the PC. But playing this game live on the console systems (except the GameCube) lacks the finesse and speed to which you're accustomed. Lag is apparent everywhere, from watching other players float across the ground to empting an entire magazine into a foe at close range with no effect.

Not Their Finest Hour
With so many inconsistencies, Finest Hour just doesnt live up to its PC forefather. Alone on the consoles, this is one World War II moment that's better rented than bought.

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