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Activision’s critically-acclaimed WWII franchise hits the PSP. Call of Duty is one of the most ambitious series on the consoles and PC. The same can be said of the portable rendition of the game. Although the missions are expectedly smaller and the chaotic nature of the series is somewhat more contained, this is unmistakably a Call of Duty game. You’ll be able to carry two weapons at any given time including the MP40 and Thompson submachine gun. And you’ll fight alongside an ally or two.
Activision let us play the first four missions of the American campaign. The final game will have American, British and Canadian campaigns, each with their own missions and characters. As I mentioned above, Amaze has done a great job of capturing the atmosphere and speed of the other Call of Duty titles. You’re still going around to various locations and killing as many enemies as possible, but the scripted events that the series is known for (such as hearing a plane above you and then watching it crash in front of you) are still present in Road to Victory. Of course, the action is mixed up a bit so you’ll also have to take down tanks, fight off enemy planes, and call air strikes with binoculars.
Road to Victory does have a few control issues inherent to the PSP’s lack of a second analog stick. Some actions, including simple ones such as changing weapons and throwing grenades, are not intuitive since you have to stop moving to execute them. Nonetheless, the core of the gameplay works largely because Amaze has included a very generous auto-aim feature. There is still skill involved but it makes the game more manageable.
Visually and aurally the game is shaping up very well. The game’s visuals are comparable to the PS2 version of Call of Duty 3 although the textures are less detailed and the architecture is noticeably simpler. Nonetheless, the game is among the best looking on the PSP. The audio will also not disappoint fans of the series.
Call of Duty: Road to Victory is coming along very well. We are looking forward to playing the other campaigns and the announced multiplayer mode. Expect more information when the game launches in a few weeks. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Feb 22, 2007
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