Call of Duty World at War throws out the rulebook of war to transform WWII combat through a new enemy, new tactics and an uncensored experience of the climatic battles that gripped a generation. As U.S. Marines and Russian soldiers, players will employ and enjoy new features like cooperative gameplay, and weapons such as the flamethrower in the most chaotic and cinematically intense experience to date. Many times it has been said, and yet it's relevant to repeat it here: the world of first person shooters would be incomplete without Nazis. Coincidentally, Activision's own history of FPS has oft featured them, and Call of Duty: World at War is their latest anti-Third Reich gaming experience. With fifteen gruelling single-player stages that will drag you through the Battle of Okinawa, the Nazi-Soviet War, and a comprehensive multi-player experience, it brings a lot to the table.
In the past, Call of Duty opened with a tutorial level. World at War, cuts right to the chase, leaving you to find out everything on your own. Luckily, you've got us to send some advice your way. A lot of this applies to the single player experience, so keep that in mind.
LOOK, MOVE, COMBAT, INTERACT: These are the four configuration sub-menus, located under "Controls." If you didn't visit them prior to starting your game, do so immediately upon starting it. It's important to spend some time with these menus, and -- following that - to familiarize you with the controls in-game. Unless you've never played a FPS before, you're already used to things like primary fire and grenades, so we'll focus on the features that aren't as common.
TOGGLE CROUCH, TOGGLE PRONE: Since Call of Duty doesn't cater to the run-and-gun types; you should quickly befriend the Crouch and Prone commands. You can use them in various ways, but the Toggle method is perhaps the most natural. Assign each function to a key you can easily strike, and then test them out in-game. Crouch will lower your profile and let you duck behind cover, while Prone lowers you further still and lets you crawl quietly. It's also good to go Prone near a great hiding spot when you're severely wounded, and need time to recover.
AIM DOWN SIGHT (ADS): With Crouch or Prone, you'll set yourself up to dole out the kills, but your accuracy won't be that great until you use Aim down Sight. The best combatants are capable of using ADS while running around too and you want to be the best you can be, don't you? Better start practicing, then! Use ADS as often as possible, but apply common sense to the situation, too. As aforementioned, it increases your accuracy by letting you aim with sights, but it also slows you down. Thus, there are some situations where spraying with lower accuracy is better.
LEAN LEFT AND RIGHT: Occasionally, you'll find a spot to hide in, but won't be able to see your enemies from it. When this happens, it's much better to lean than it is to simply move away from your cover. Too many soldiers don't use this functionality, and everyone should. Be careful, though; a quick sniper can pop your skull if you lean out for too long. As in ADS, don't be afraid to use this, but do so with discretion.
THROWING ENEMY GRENADES: When they realize where you're hiding, your enemies might lob a grenade into your area. If it lands close by, you may have an opportunity to pick it up and throw it back. This requires lightning-quick reflexes, but can be incredibly useful. It basically grants you the destructive power of an extra grenade for free, and also saves your bacon. If you can't get the timing down, there's only one other option: run for cover!
MELEE ATTACK: If your aggressive foes don't have any grenades, they may try to run into your hidey-hole and blow your face off. When they're up close and personal, you can use a Melee Attack against them and conserve your bullets. In situations like these, it kills or is killed, so this is another function you should be plenty familiar with.
