I'ver perosnally played the whole entire call of duty series and the violence has altered tremendously since the first one came out. Call of duty 5 is a violent and gruesome first person shooter. While in campaign and online play you'll encounter decapitated bodies, and you might even find an arm on the ground. There is an up side to this M rated game. In the options setting at the main menu there's a content filter which controls the blood level and the language during the game. Although this filter works extremely well during the campaign, when it comes to online play, you better fasten your seat belts because your going to be seeing arms being blown off again. I love this game because it has a content filter which alters the gameplay of the game in a very motivative way. It allows kids to play this game without seeing to much blood and gore. Hope this helped you in your decision whether or not to play World at War.
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Call of Duty: World at War
(2008, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 17. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Intense first-person shooter captures brutality of WWII.
Why We Rated This 
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of Call of Duty: World at War was written by Brett Molina
Parents need to know that this is a grisly shooter based on World War II. Players can kill enemy forces with guns, grenades, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. Besides seeing lots of blood, players will witness enemies writhing as they are burned alive or losing limbs in explosions. Players will also see bodies strewn across the various battlefields and experience realistic sounds of agony. Profanity is also heard. The game is playable online, a feature Common Sense Media does not recommend for children under the age of 12, and colorful language will most likely be heard there as well. An unlockable zombie mode features hordes of Nazi zombies that need to be killed.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about video games based on historical events. Is this a good way to learn the perils of war? Are there other ways video games can teach historical events like World War II?
More on Call of Duty: World at War
What’s the Story?
The Call of Duty franchise returns to familiar territory with the release of CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR, an intense first-person shooter that captures the brutality of warfare. The campaign takes place through the eyes of an American soldier fighting the Japanese and a Russian battling German forces. As U.S. Private Miller, you navigate the jungles of the Pacific led by Sgt. Roebuck, voiced by 24 actor Kiefer Sutherland. When playing the role of Private Petrenko of the Soviet Army, you'll push into the German capital Berlin to finish off the Nazis.
Players can tackle the campaign either solo or with a friend through the cooperative mode. There's also a deep multiplayer mode where players can rank-up based on skill level and acquire new weapons. When you conquer the campaign, you can unlock a Nazi zombie mode where up to four players fight wave after wave of zombies. Close
Players can tackle the campaign either solo or with a friend through the cooperative mode. There's also a deep multiplayer mode where players can rank-up based on skill level and acquire new weapons. When you conquer the campaign, you can unlock a Nazi zombie mode where up to four players fight wave after wave of zombies. Close
Is It Any Good?
While the last release in the franchise, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, set the bar for first-person shooters on consoles, World at War delivers a very similar experience. The campaign is chaotic and intense. The Russian missions tend to feel like typical WWII games, but action in the Pacific is more intriguing. Japanese enemies employ ambush tactics like charging with bayonettes. Because most prefer hiding in grass, your character will often use a flamethrower to flush out enemies.
World at War is also dark and brutal. Smoke and gunfire blanket the skies of Berlin as you break through Nazi defenses. You'll see enemies burned alive or missing limbs following explosions. On the default difficulty, opponents are relentless. However, they do exhibit some odd behaviors. There were a few moments where opponents were inches away and opted to sit and aim as opposed to aggressively attacking. Weapons are diverse, ranging from mountable assault rifles to grenades and sniper rifles. Multiplayer is equally impressive, with a deep ranking system and rewards for bolstering your skills. With a wealth of World War II games available, World at War stands out as one of the best. Close
World at War is also dark and brutal. Smoke and gunfire blanket the skies of Berlin as you break through Nazi defenses. You'll see enemies burned alive or missing limbs following explosions. On the default difficulty, opponents are relentless. However, they do exhibit some odd behaviors. There were a few moments where opponents were inches away and opted to sit and aim as opposed to aggressively attacking. Weapons are diverse, ranging from mountable assault rifles to grenades and sniper rifles. Multiplayer is equally impressive, with a deep ranking system and rewards for bolstering your skills. With a wealth of World War II games available, World at War stands out as one of the best. Close
Publisher’s Details
Released on 11/11/2008, price $30-60, not online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language )
ESRB rating: M (for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language )
Our Members Say
See all 133 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
The truth behind COD 5
- I rate this title on for age 16 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Easy to play
A truly excellent WW2 FPS
This is an awesome game! Its a lot of fun to play! It is however very violent, this is not the Classic T rated Call of Duty. EVERYTHING looks real, no joke. As you fight your way through the campaign you will see limbs blown off, guts spilling out of soldiers as they die, decapitations, charred bodies from the aftermath of a flamethrower assault, bayonet attacks are always very bloody usually with blood spurting from wounds and limbs being cut apart. This is truly a very realistic and grisly depiction of war. Many uses of F***, and S***. Players will encounter A TON more language online. However online there is the ability to mute the players and/or report them to PSN. This is a really good game regardless of all the previously mentioned, and is one of the best FPS's on the market.
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Easy to play
great shooter shows great perspective on ww2
While there isn't any real highlights for younger kids, there's a great amount of knowledge earned by playing the game. Large amounts of guts, blood, gore, is shown, and when viewing dead bodies, you encounter heads missing, arms gone, torso blown open, etc... i wouldn't recommend it for young teens. a large selection of f--k words, s--t, c--t, d----o and usual profanity is used by burning soldiers, and dead soldiers are strewn across the battle field. be careful when playing this game.
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Easy to play
great shooter shows great perspective on ww2
While there isn't any real highlights for younger kids, there's a great amount of knowledge earned by playing the game. Large amounts of guts, blood, gore, is shown, and when viewing dead bodies, you encounter heads missing, arms gone, torso blown open, etc... i wouldn't recommend it for young teens. a large selection of f--k words, s--t, c--t, d----o and usual profanity is used by burning soldiers, and dead soldiers are strewn across the battle field. be careful when playing this game.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Worse than CoD4
goose1441 what are you talking about this one is worst than CoD4
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Ratings at a Glance
| 71% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 64% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 57% | of parents say it's educational |
| 29% | of parents say kids find it easy to play |
| 29% | of parents say there are good role models |
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For Your Family
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openmindeddad recommends:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
for kids age 14
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
for kids age 14
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