The thing is, I have actually reviewed CoD: WaW a LONG time ago, but after forming a much different, more negative opinion of it, I had my review deleted. It has still been quite a while before I finally got around to re-writing it like I did now. I am more of a fan of the original Call of Dutys, and personally wasn't too astonished by CoD4 (if you want to know why, just read my review of it). WaW has done some things even worse, but there were still some things that Treyarch managed to execute extremely well. This review is gonna be presented the way I presented my CoD4 review as that's how I see best fit for talking about these games.
The Good:
Moving back to WW2 was obviously a risky choice with the modern turn people have gotten used to in the fourth game, but I actually liked it. Many complain that there are too many WW2 shooters and not enough Modern Warfare games, but that's far from true. The only reason it feels that way is because MW games are always the same in plot (CoD4's setup was Holy(woodly) unoriginal), whereas WW2 games have more room for different theatres. You just never get it since too many of these games are US-Developed and so would only focus on the American Allied side. There are PLENTY of battles around the world that haven't even made it to gaming yet. While CoD5 doesn't introduce them, it does tackle war theatres that don't come around often; The Pacific War, and the Soviet Stand. These are certainly more interesting than yet another plot of stolen nukes in the Middle East aided by (God knows why) Russian villains.
You have to compliment the atmosphere of this game. Although nowhere near as horrific as these movies, the feeling of the levels will remind you a lot of moody films 'Flags of our Fathers' and 'Enemy at the Gates' (one level is based off it, like in COD1). It is partly due to the graphical improvement of the engine where everything is less colourful while still looking real enough. Weather effects are even better, with water splashing on the screen under a thunderous storm during a bloody battle. The intro vids while each level loads, are masterfully presented with a good feel of what to expect in the following level. Musical score certainly helps, with samples like its epic Soviet Choir and creepy hymn in the main menu. There is so much stronger feeling of the gloom that is war, that atmosphere in the campaign is every bit as convincing and dark as the Nazi Zombie mode you unlock at the end. The storyline here is filled with very realistic characters, and I cannot forget Reznov and Chernov in the Russian campaign. They give a strong feeling of reality, and unlike before, I was a bit saddened when a character died.
Gameplay is familiar and will definitely remind you of the previous instalments, but it manages not to feel totally the same. I have noticed bigger physics improvement, and bayonet combat does bring up a whole new level of intensity, and burning up the environment or corpses with the new flamethrower weapon is very beautiful in an ugly way. The tank level has some feature of destructibility which you don't see in many vehicle-based games. Throwing around mortar bombs by hand in the final level did have an odd feel to it but never ceased to be hugely entertaining. I also must mention the awesome 'Black Cats' mission, clearly inspired by 'Death From Above' but instead is so much better and has more replay value. But the biggest addition to the series is by far, the gore. If you have a shotgun or a machine gun, limbs will fly right off enemies with blood gushing right out as they reach for their wounds under pain. The detail put into an AI's dismembered body is so big that this must NOT be played by children. It will certainly be entertaining for many, but Treyarch has done a competent job of realising the horror of war through this level of bloodshed. It's not Painkiller entertainment; it REALLY shows you how graphic war can be. You'll certainly find it fun, but you'll also be disturbed by the fact that it isn't even close to the real thing.
The Bad:
The biggest problem I have with War Games these days is an often one-sided picture of the wars, which IMO make it harder to show/tell a good story. In gaming's earlier days it was fine, but now it's gotten to a very irritating point. WAW's storylines are neither unique nor in-depth. In WAW the Japanese, while portrayed accurately in their combat tactics, are painted as inhumane monsters while the Allied side are all heroic. Granted, the Japanese Army in WW2 was responsible for some HORIFFIC attrocities not neccessarily based in the Pacific only, but it's not like the West had clean hands either. The first level intro was a pathetic attempt to wave that 48-star flag with a fearless POW getting a lit cigar stuck in his eye before having his throat slit. I know it's just a game and it can be thrilling to have moments like this, but when the developers try to market this game as an accurate portrayal of WW2 and people call storylines of this quality "GREAT" then I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to call this out.
The European theatre has a bit more balanced portrayal, but with its own prices. Apparently every one of the German foes you face in combat is a Nazi, and not ordinary soldiers like the 'Wehrmacht' which are the ones your Soviet comrades always seem to execute like shameless murderers, with only one character regarding those actions as inhumane. And this brings me to another hypocritical aspect where WW2-storylines commonly save the "grey" aspect of war only for the Russian side. It's funny how in an attempt to be "even-handed", ruthless Soviet crimes are easily put in (which is otherwise fair enough), but American or British share of atrocities is completely brushed aside in favour of glorified patriotism. Guess I am still stuck with 'Men of War' there which does a good job of humanising all sides in their storylines even if those storylines are average at best.
As usual the campaign is short. Although you get more replay value with the zombie mode, the search for hidden 'death cards' won't be so appealing unless you play the multiplayer unlike the intel in COD4 that unlocked cheats applying to single-player as well. Short campaigns can definitely be saved if the storyline in them is good. As you may have read earlier I already had certain qualms with the presentation, but here I'll focus less on the "history" and more on the journey. While there is a story to this game's campaign, you really get two separate ones that don't bear any relation to one another whatsoever: one Pacific, and one Eastern Front. Therefore it's best to review them on their own merits. The EF was alright with interesting characters; Reznov and Chernov actually had a bit of heart and development. On the other hand, the Pacific one didn't have anything special to speak of; just your prison escape at the beginning. Next you fight in different islands, losing two of your squad members along the way with an ending dialogue full of cliché monologue that tries to sound moving but never reaches that point.
While at least the single-player was fun, excusing the lacklustre storyline, the multiplayer kinda lacked what I previously enjoyed. CoD4's multiplayer was a real highlight, and IMO the only big reason to get that game. WaW re-introduced the familiar formula with a couple of vehicles. In some ways, it's a good and bad thing; you are still getting the same phenomenal experience as you did before while fighting against fellow players, whether it be online or LAN. On the other hand, what was really suited to an experience of more modern warfare really feels out of place for the WW2 setting. It certainly does not quite fit in the same way the multiplayer style did in Red Orchestra.
Conclusion:
I certainly found the campaign to be a lot more atmospherically engaging, intense and believable than before. It's good to see that it includes the Theatres that don't always involve around the over-used D-Day, even if it sticks to locations we have already fought in in WW2 games before. It is certainly one of the better Call of Dutys in the last few years, and at this stage might be worth the dropped price from what it cost when it first came out. Just be sure to take it for what it is, and you might find big enjoyment in playing it.