Call Of Duty BETA review (Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360))

Member Name: freetimeaction

Product:	Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360)
Date:	05/11/08 (259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic Graphics | Same engine as COD4 | Great sounds | Good weapon choice

Disadvantages: None (Except when team mates kill you)

I can only write my review on the Call of duty: World at War: BETA, until November 14th 2008.

What is BETA / what does BETA stand for?
BETA dosen't stand for anything, a BETA is a testing stage used to find bugs and problems within the software.

Why is a BETA released to the public?
Well, there's only so much testing that can be done in house, the real test is when we get our hands on a copy of the game and really put it through it's pace. A BETA is designed for us to test, and report back with any problems, glitches or bugs we may find.
Without a BETA, a game could be released with hundreds of problems, this could give the game a bad review, and in turn loose sales.
I have spoken to so many people stating there are too many bugs within the BETA release, and these shouldn't be there... this is the whole point in the BETA!

How can you get a BETA release?
With COD5: World at War, the 360 BETA code was available to anyone who pre-ordered the game, and registered on the Call Of Duty website.

How long will the BETA run for?
The BETA will expire shortly before release. Once the game is available in the shops, a more stable DEMO will be provided to anyone wishing to download it.
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Now, for the Call of duty: World at war review :)

The setting:
The game is set within the World War 2 years, which means no UAV, or Red dot sights. For some gamers this is a disapointement, but I love it. The BETA can ONLY be played online.

Maps:
There are 3 maps available on the BETA, Castle, Makin and Roundhouse.
Castle: Located in a japaneese setting, high roofs, wooden frames and paper windows. Very open map, with plenty of hiding places for snippers, and shrubs to crawl in.
Makin: This is a dark level, located on a beach. With huts on stilts, wooden platforms and watchtowers, this is a fantastic level for the stealthy players.
Roundhouse: This last of the 3 levels is situated in a train station / depot. With upturned train carriages, coal carriages and trains. This level gives you the use of two tanks too.

Weapons:
There is an array of weapons to choose from, snipper rifles, bolt rifles, shotguns, handguns, machine guns and knives.
Depending on your gaming style, there is plenty to choose from. Why not go for the MP40 to show the Rambo in you, or find a hide out, and use the sniper rifle.
As with COD4, you unlock more weapons each time you rank up through the badges. You also get the 3, 5 and 7 kill streak bonus.
Provided you kill 3, 5 or 7 people in a row without dieing yourself, you will get the use of the following during gameplay.
3 kills = Becon plane - This means you can view all enemies on the map, provided they don't have Camo clothing on.
5 kills = Air Raid - This gives you the chance to direct an air raid onto an area of the map to bomb out the enemy.
7 kills = Dogs - Normally easily achieveable after you've got an air raid, you will get the use of 5 dogs which will run around the map, killing off enemies with a single bite (on hardcore).

Perks:
There are 3 classes or perks to choose from, each class will in turn have 8 different perks to use.
Perks include, Camo clothing, Gas mask, steady aim, run for longer, extra health and many more.

Ranking up:
Again, as with COD4 you can rank up from 1 - 65 badges, and prestige to do it all over again. Ranking up can be achieved through your score (kills / challenges)

Challenges:
There are challenges available during the gameplay too, such as "kill 25 people with the MP40" which in turn will give you 250 points, or "get 25 headshots" which will get you 500 points. All these points go towards your badge, and help you rank up.

Game Types:
There are several game types available including Team deathmatch, search and destroy and free for all.
Hardcode is also available on team deathmatch and search and destroy, which means no map, single shot kills, and no kill cam.

What is Kill cam?:
It's a feature that allows you to watch your own death when you've died, which can give you an advantage to seeing where that leathal shot just came from.

Graphics:
The game's graphics are fantastic, and as it uses the same engine as COD4, the gameplay is very simular. With small details such as empty shells on the floor once you've fired a few magazines at the other team, or the fact your legs can be blown off if someone throws a hand grenade at your feet.

Glitches:
There are several glitches on the BETA, some are pretty cool such as being able to cimb onto roofs and sniper. There's one glitch that really annoys most, which allows you to cimb under the map on Roundhouse and shoot people from underground, but no one can see or kill you. This should be sorted upon the game's release.

Team Kills:
A new addition to this game, to prevent team members killing each other. If you kill your own team members 3 times in one game, you are kicked and can not re-enter the game. (This counts even if you accidentally kill your team mates with grenades etc). This is a great feature!

Overall:
I love this game, and so far have spend 21hours playing it. It's better than COD4, more realistic and a fresh choice of guns and maps.
I can't wait for the full release on 14th November.

Summary: The NEW Call Of Duty will be another success!