The reception to Call of Duty’s only foray onto the Wii, in the form of 2006’s Call of Duty 3, was decidedly mixed. We recently had a chance to sit down with the Wii version of the latest spin on the series, Call of Duty: World at War, to see if it can make the series respectable, and relevant, on the little white box.

World at War will obviously provide a full single player campaign, which is the main focus of the game on the Wii; however, multiplayer is worth mentioning too. While it won't boast the same sprawling maps and high player counts of its high definition counterparts, the Wii version is getting online competitive play for up to eight players. There’s no cooperative play through the campaign, though; instead, you and a buddy will have the chance to engage enemies in a new type of local coop entitled Squadmate mode. Given the technical requirements for cooperative play, the development team decided to try a different approach that would minimize the strain on the box and at the same time deliver some form of team play.

Squadmate mode essentially puts two players in control of a single screen. The primary player gets control over movement and a firearm, whereas the second player controls a second reticle tied to a second Wii Remote. Since player two doesn't have the ability to move, it's imperative that you communicate efficiently with your partner to work through the intense stages. Initially, the setup is confusing. Having two players using a single screen in the first-person is disorienting. That sense of confusion ebbs away, to a degree, as you adjust to this highly unique design. We're not exactly sold on it, however, it's an adequate alternative to a complete lack of cooperative play. It’ll just take time to get used to the unique design.

The mission before us, "Blowtorch and Corkscrew," involves a series of objectives beginning with an assault on Okinawa's Wana Ridge. As you can imagine, that requires eliminating scores of Japanese troops defending the terrain. They aren't standing out in the open waiting to fight, mind you. Japanese soldiers are hiding out in the thick foliage that characterizes the level, jumping up to take quick shots. Spider holes also prove an effective ambush point for clever enemies, leaving you constantly on edge. Even without high definition visuals, the anxiety of the battlefield comes across startlingly clear here on the Wii.

Unfortunately, a poor performance contributes to that sense of anxiety. While it's understandable that the game is still under development, there are significant issues with the presentation and how the game handles all of the action on the screen. Assaulting the ridge proved difficult not just because the enemy put up a good fight, but also due to the way polygons chop up the screen. Artillery fire rattles the screen, dirt clogs your view, and disorienting camera adjustments make it extraordinarily challenging to know what is going on. This either perfectly captures the sensation of living through war or it makes for some of the most disorienting first-person shooting on the platform.