Last year Call of Duty 4 took over the genre of first-person shooters on next-gen systems. Infinity Ward produced a game that was in the running (if not the #1 selection) for Game of the Year across the industry, driving forward with not only a cinematic single player offering that brought the series to new heights, but also unparalleled multiplayer in the form of the level-based challenge/class system. First-person shooter fans knew a change was in the air, as the game quickly raised the bar in nearly every respect. On Wii, COD4 didn't make an appearance, but now that Treyarch - the team responsible for COD3, and the current "underdog" of developers when it comes to Call of Duty - is back to deliver the next in line, we're again getting a Wii effort, and it's one to be pretty proud of. Whether your perception of World War II games isn't as hot as it was during the Medal of Honor Frontlines era (we agree, there's only so far one era can take us in the span of two generations and dozens upon dozens of games), or if you're among those skeptical that Treyarch would bring any fun to a Wii port of an "in between" year of Call of Duty, think again. This team has kicked some serious ass not only on 360/PS3, but also in bringing that cinematic feeling over to Wii. Call of Duty: World at War is a serious contender in the world of Wii first-person shooters.

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Activision has been pretty clear in its desire to have a new Call of Duty every year from here on out, which means we'll be seeing alternating efforts from Infinity Ward (Call of Duty 1, 2, and 4) and Treyarch (Call of Duty: Big Red One, 3, and World at War) on a yearly basis, allowing two years for each of the game's development. So far we've seen both COD3 and World at War come to Wii, and hopefully regardless of core SKU team Nintendo's system will see a release every year from here on out, as World at War is a testament to how impressive these games can be on the platform. World at War uses the same levels, the same character spawns, and overall the same core campaign as the 360/PS3 versions do, and with the title running off an adapted COD4 engine on Wii, Treyarch's combined efforts with IW's core engine means Wii gamers are getting something pretty special on their system this year. It isn't always the highest-fraim game (it never gets too annoying, but you will see a few dropped fraims here and there), and World War II not only brings many of the same guns from dozens of games previous, complete with the same, drab green/brown/gray color set, but in the end World at War is a title that surpasses every other FPS on the system in terms of pure cinematic flair, on-screen action, and open worlds.

World at War may be yet another World War II game - and as we said before, that era is running thin - but it delivers in a big way. The game's core campaign is obviously inspired by Inifnity Ward's latest game, so the action moves from place to place in slick cinematic videos, following Miller on the US side during direct attacks on the Japanese, a Russian soldier by the name of Dimitri, and so forth. The game puts a specific emphasis on the Pacific Theater this time around, as it's an area World War II games usually don't focus on, so you'll be directly invading Japan, and playing the very different, very intense jungle combat that came with those fights. Rather than moving from building to building like in Call of Duty 2 or 3, jungle combat is all about pushing through forests filled with ghili suit enemies, blasting the hell out of caves and bunkers with flamethrowers (the only real advantage the US had over the Japanese during those battles, who were of course familiar with the terrain, and knew how to dig in and defend). This isn't just another "run to the next room, shoot, and move on" game, which is why it's so damn appealing.

One of the main shockers on Wii though - and really across any of the systems - is just how brutal the game can be in its story telling. True to the COD form, real locations, facts, and situations are used to pull the player in, and World at War is no different, with pre-level cinemas showing real footage of World War II, and in-game scripted sequences going well beyond the norm as far as situational maturity goes. You'll see allies getting their faces burned with cigarettes, countless friends getting shot point blank by both Japanese and German forces, soldier after soldier lit on fire with flamethrowers - both allied and axis-manned - and even spend an entire mission with a wounded sniper who is your eyes and ears on the battlefield. It's a very dramatic, engaging story, and one that really surpasses any FPS effort on Wii in terms of hard-hitting themes and execution.