August 24, 1942
Dearest Mary Louise,
I am writing to you from the jungle island of Peleliu. The scenery is really quite beautiful and would be a great place to start our family, if not for the horrors of war that have followed us here. We've been wading through waist-deep rivers for hours, and the leeches are huge!
We lost Sergeant Sullivan this past Monday. Some of the men are in bad shape about it, but shedding tears isn't an option for us until next week. Right now, we're just trying to clear the island and stay alive. Roebuck is the new Sarge; he got a hold of an entire case of requisitioned Browning Automatic Rifles (BARs), which fires the Springfield bullets that I use in my hunting rifle. It's quite a gun, and loud! I might be allowed to bring one back with me.
By the time you receive this letter, I'll be petitioning to come home, but I have little hope that my requests will be granted. Fred Warrens overheard some Marines from another unit talking about an incident at the Berlin Asylum...says a couple of squads are headed that way -- volunteer only -- and aren't coming back out. The stories I've heard are like nightmares...really good for late evenings around the fire. Roebuck wants to take a few of us; I'm torn between my sense of duty and my wish to come home.
I love you and can't wait to see you again. Give my regards to your mother. Tell Benny to make sure to change my car's oil every three weeks if he uses it.
Love always,
Billy
Call of Duty: World at War gets more than its fair share of attention here at Co-Optimus. Some would contend that the number of news posts and features for World at War borders on bias, and although it's an issue we're well aware of, the simple fact is that the game can be enjoyed in many different ways, and each holds its own against more straightforward games. Beyond the questionable four-player online co-op campaign (or two-player local splitscreen) are the four-player splitscreen customs multiplayer modes, the wildly successful online multiplayer modes -- of which there are over a dozen -- and the two Nazi Zombies co-op survival maps.
You'll notice that I've spent a lot of my game time striving toward that ever-enticing 65th level, which can only be attained by playing online multiplayer matches; I'm not usually a completist, but I am very adamant about customization, and when there are character options to unlock, I obsess until I am sure that I've exhausted every configuration for my character/loadout. If World at War's co-op yielded XP points toward my global rank, I would avoid deathmatches altogether...this is how I earn my EXP in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and H.A.W.X. (both future Battlefield Report candidates, by the way). Alas, XP is only gained by playing online multiplayer matches, and Treyarch loves reinforcing this perpetual brutish conflict by offering Double XP weekends. I cherish these events, if only to cut my competitive multiplayer exposure in half.
This past weekend was one such Double XP event, and was further extended through Monday. I was only able to log on twice, but in that short period gained two high ranks (50 and 51). I'm excrutiatingly close to 52, wherein I earn the M1919 Browning Machine Gun, an automatic cannon that literally blows limbs off (providing progress toward the "Gib Factory" challenge usually dominated by bazookas, artillery strikes, and grenades).
Luckily, I was also given the opportunity to run through several matches of the Nazi Zombie map Zombie Verrückt with Nick, so my efforts were not in vain. In case you were wondering, though: we got our Marine butts handed to us by the scurge of gape-mouthed, clawing monsters. In fact, we never even got far enough to turn the power on. (To be fair, it was just the two of us, and we were chatting more than concentrating on survival.)
As Nick mentioned in the last Co-Opticast: Treyarch has made a lot of improvements to the already fun stormy-night scramble, including multiple paths of progression. The farther along you move into the Asylum, the more split-second tactical decisions you have to make to be effective. Sure, you can rattle off mag after mag of MP-40 rounds and dance around zombies like a lightning-struck Michael Flatley, but to reach Round 10 or higher you'll need some smarts to go with those bouncy golden locks.
Too bad the competitive multiplayer doesn't offer a less frantic way to play... Flanking your enemy on the inspired lineup of deathmatch maps is relatively easy, thanks to a myriad of paths and choke points; that's as far as serious strategy goes. World at War attempts to build on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's award-winning formula, but unfortunately doesn't deliver the same tactical experience. Small-team servers are available -- as are the more intense Hardcore modes -- but don't provide a sense of accomplishment. This is partially due to a faulty respawn system and hit detection that sometimes crop up. Playing Call of Duty: World at War for anything beyond mindless mayhem is like the ninth inning of a Houston Astros game: it doesn't let you down until you actually need it to come through for you.
So after arguing with the competitive multiplayer, I find myself resorting to Nazi Zombies (the save-no-progress co-op campaign is fun...once) for a taste of strategy and tactical teamwork. It's true that having a team of morons can be frustrating, but only if you're absolutely dedicated to reaching a certain point. More often than not I find myself caught up in the atmosphere, a victim of the constant see-saw of urgency and relief. Everyone has an idea, and everyone gets the chance to try it; when one fails, the round ends and we're ready for another...when one succeeds, it feels great. Struggling to win against a human is a misplaced ideal -- Nazi Zombies is a far more satisfactory effort, and a testament to each player's resourcefulness.
There will still be the days when a fellow player entices me to join their party and fight together on the frontlines of a Domination match or a Ground War, but upon reaching level 65, I hope to still see servers full of Nazi Zombie slayers...for among the undead is where I find the true tactitions. Here's hoping you had a similar experience during our Official Games for Windows Live Co-Op Night this month (April 21st), and in the future: look for the four-star (level 65) Commander of the Army Van Lingo...he'll be the one crying in the corner, waiting for orders.