While a remarkable title in it's own right, it still does not eclipse Modern Warfare.
The Single player storyline follows both a US Marine and a Soviet Soldier. The campaign is played out jumping back and forth between the two. While this serves to break up the action and avoid tedium, it also works to undo any potential story continuum. The single player campaign is of a roughly equivalent size to Modern Warfare. The US campaign starts off with a dramatic prisoner rescue on Makin Atoll, proceeding onto Peleliu and onto the home Japanese Islands. The Soviet campaign will start off in the now all to familiar battle of Stalingrad, progressing west through Seelow and into Berlin itself for the closing moments of the European war.
Both sides of the campaign attempt to recreate the brutal realities that occurred in both the Pacific and along the Eastern Front, prisoners will be executed among other little guilty pleasures, by both allied and axis soldiers, as the campaign progresses. The voice acting is done particularly well, but little will remain with the player once the campaign has been completed. This storyline could have been more memorable as some of the environments and set peices are quite brilliant in their own right.
The multiplayer is nothing short of what you would expect and is the kicker in adding so much more replayability to this title. It's a very similar deal to Modern Warfare including weapon and talent upgrades and customizations that will become available as the player progresses. A nice innovation is adding the use of deployable bipods for support weapons. Bipods will restrict the players arc but will alow the player to be much more effective at mowing down opponents within a killing zone. There are plenty of weapons to choose from, including the flame thrower which can be unlocked at the final rank. A major addition to multiplayer for this title is the ability to use tanks on some of the larger maps. To supplement this nicely treyarch have provided extra talents that can be used to dish out misery and carnage from these steel beasts.
Overall this is a worthwhile title in it's own right, however overshadowed by Modern Warfare it maybe. If your a fan of the Call of Duty series, I believe you'll still take away enjoyment from this title as Treyarch have pulled off a relatively impressive work, even if it seems to be carried by Modern Warfare. The sound and visuals are what you would expect from the Modern Warfare engine. This title is worthwhile in it's own right for the multiplayer and new maps will only add to this should they be released. Definately worth a shot.