Call of Duty: Roads to Victory

If you're a fan of what's arguably the world's leading FPS franchise, you'll know that their handheld offerings haven't ever faired too well. That notion alarms Call of Duty: Roads to Victory, a spin-off of the third series offering. Maybe there will be some optimists, but from our perspective, we can safely say our expectations aren't high.

But alas, we're looking back on what was the first ever handheld game of the genre on the PSP, so we'll give it that there might be some kinks that need working out. However, with such a big budget behind it, and a history of poor mobile games, we're still a little on edge about Call of Duty: Roads to Victory. But we can't judge a game because of a few little preconceptions here and there, so let's see if it will impress.

A World War in Your Pocket

Players will understand that they're playing a Call of Duty game here, so they'll likely know what they're getting into, considering the franchise rarely changes its formula. Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is essentially a handheld spin-off of the third title, set in the Second World War, where players will join up with units in three different campaigns, American, British, and Canadian.

You'll do what you generally do in the series, storming through crucial battles of the European theater with guns blazing, all to reach the end without meeting death. Yes, Call of Duty: Roads of Victory delivers that same cinematic war experience you get on home consoles, with outstanding visuals and intense firefights. However, there are plenty of nuisances that do hinder the enjoyment of the game.

The AI is ridiculous sometimes, the control scheme is stiff, and the linear progression goes awry in the most random places. Players will feel like playing Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is the equivalent of trudging through a mud field. Something that shouldn't happen considering the experience behind developing games of this genre: but then again, we know the track record with these things.

The positives include the online multiplayer, arguably more fun than the campaigns. Players can get a decent amount of gameplay from the various competitive modes, most of which are entertaining for a good chunk of time. It's an admirable feat for a handheld game. However, we still can't forget that Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a remarkably average title.

Holding the Middle Ground

It would be harsh to say that Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is not a great game. That's because its presentation and multiplayer are suitable for a handheld title. However, the numerous glitches, terrible intelligence, and clunky controls seriously deter from what could be a good franchise experience. Instead of replicating the home console games on handhelds, maybe developers should have looked at the success of Killzone Liberation.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The multiplayer is excellent for a handheld game
• Cinematic presentation is all there
• Still some enjoyable firefights

Cons:

• The control scheme deters the gameplay experience
• AI enemies are nearly laughable
• Asset glitches have players stuck in strange locations