World At War is solid, but it is definitely not the best in the series.
Call of Duty 5 has two campaigns- American and Russian. The Russians are trying to overrun Berlin and destroy all German life for revenge. The Americans are trying to overtake Japan and conquer different islands. There is really no main enemy you have to defeat, which isn't bad at all, in fact, I think it leaves room for the game to offer a better story, instead of the normal story where you get to kill the bad guy and save the world.
GRAPHICS
Better than Call of Duty 4? In some ways, yes. Fire looks incredible (as it did in COD 4) and explosions hit you face first on sandy beaches or the streets of Berlin. It is a lifelike WWII experience. Character models are slightly more detailed than Modern Warfare's, and the environments look just as great. The graphics are not outdated. Lighting really affects the game now, as you will sometimes fight in dark, cramped areas or sunny tropical scenes. Either way, the lighting is fantastic.
GAMEPLAY
It plays like Modern Warfare, same controls. On the Russian campaign, you have more freedom of choice. Sometimes Vladimir Reznov, your best friend and mentor, will ask you which way to go or whether or not you should kill this guy. The choice is yours, and this happens a few times in the game, which is a cool little addition. The Russian campaign focuses primarily on stealth, sniping, and escape. The Russian levels in my opinion, were more innovative and exciting than the American ones. The American campaign focuses strongly on shooting and combat. However, there is one part in the campaign where you control the guns on a boat and rescue injured soldiers. But dont get envious, the Russian campaign also offers a vehicle segment, where you get to fully control a tank, which is, like, COOL! The campaign is way too short however, I managed to beat it in about 5 hours. I was mad.
AUDIO/SOUNDTRACK
Everything you'd expect from a Call of Duty title: fresh guns, nice voiceacting, epic sountrack. This game has it all. Guns all sound WWII authentic, and the voiceacting is hard to forget. The soundtrack offers varied songs that pull at different moods. Some are sad, others angry, some wanting revenge. One song is gloriously epic, and plays on the last Russian mission. I won't reveal the name. Try to find it.
ONLINE
Not as addictive as Modern Warfare and not as fun, either. The game kept stressing "vehicle based combat." Okay, vehicle based combat is Battlefield: Bad Company 2. World At War is far from that, it allows ONE team to ride a tank, which can unfair. There is only one tank, and it takes a while to spawn. 95% of the online is infantry, NOT VEHICULAR! The game still has weapon attachments, challenges, and perks. The perks are different, some are the same of course. Another nice addition, and also rather creepy, is Nazi Zombies. Nazi Zombies is a survival horror game mode. You buy weapons, upgrade them, barricade doors and windows, and open new areas, while trying to save yourself from 80 year old zombies! Its fun, and with new maps available, it only gets better.
VALUE
Buy
OVERALL
Pros: Very compelling Russian campaign, nice environments, Nazi Zombies
Cons: Weak online, story very short