Call of Duty 3 has a familiar control dynamic when it comes to the consoles … err, check that … it did have a familiar control dynamic on several consoles. What you may have known about the game, and the control scheme is about to get a revision that may be frustrating, confusing and downright difficult, but it is quite immersive.

First, though, a bit of the backdrop of the game itself …

The third main title in the franchise begins just after D-Day, while Paris is waiting for the allied forces to march through and liberate the City of Lights. And yes, when you launch the first mission, you get the prerequisite tutorial prompts that help with the transition from launch to the thick of the battle.

But what CoD3 does it does very well and that is not give the player time to breathe as they are dropped into the midst of the battle. First up is Saint Lo, one of the bloodiest and most desperate confrontations of the war, post D-Day. Your task, as Nichols (the first character you will play in this game), is to traverse the town. To do that you will engage in the kind of duck, cover and shoot action that the franchise is known for. You will move from point-to-point, following the compass that marks your objective. But this is not a totally linear experience. You do have to get from point A to point B, but there are usually a couple of ways to do that.

Ok, right up front – Call of Duty 3 is the same game – in terms of the game itself, not the controls – on the Wii, 360, PC or PS3. The action is intense with just minor stopping moments, the story continues to evolve along the time line (not necessarily an individuals story), and the graphics – once again – push the franchise forward, as relentless as the Allied march toward Berlin. There is a reason that this remains a standard-bearer for the war first-person shooter genre.

But whereas the PS3’s sixaxis controller is used marginally, the Wii control scheme can seem like a nightmare initially, and you will have to remain glued to the screen, no roving eyes in order to maintain any sense of direction within the game. Why? Well, first off, the game uses the nunchuks of the Wii, not just the base controller. Be prepared for a huge learning curve. The nunchuk is your primary means of looking around. But it does not stay where you want it to, you constantly have to maintain a position with the controller. If you find where you want to look, and then relax your arms, the view follows the direction the nunchuk is moving. You can go into the options and slow down the speed of the scan but you can’t get away from the one fact that if you move the nunchuk in any direction (during first-person battle sequences), the camera follows dutifully.

If you get binoculars, you scan with them by pointing the remote controller at the screen and moving it around. Early in the tutorial you get jumped by a German soldier and have to engage in a tussle over the rifle stock. To fight the soldier, you perform punching motions with the controllers. Too little punch and you will lose. Too much and if the tussle goes on a while, you will wear out from the frantic pacing. Driving is position the controllers at 10 and 2 on an imaginary wheel in front of you and steering. Sound easy? It isn’t even close to easy.

While the developer has done a terrific job of integrating the controller into the game, bringing on a more physical and immersive experience, it is still a new dynamic that feels awkward, increases the difficulty of the game and will truly separate the hardcore gamers from the more casual fans in a hurry.

As for the game itself, in many ways CoD3 builds on the same formula as its predecessors, and that is not a bad thing. The gameplay and game mechanics will seem familiar but the intensity level is anted up with the third installment, a game that was built from the ground up for the next generation systems. The game has a great physics system, and the visceral experience is still top drawer.

The game has a new physics engine, and part of that allows players to take out enemy “soft cover.” Essentially, you can target environmental elements being used and peck away at it until the enemy has no choice but to abandon the cover and appear in the open. However, as you can do it to the enemy, the enemy can do it to you. There is also a sense of more action taking place on the screen at the same time. The battles seem bigger and that pops the intensity level up a notch.

The game does have squad control, drama between NPCs that further the intrigue of the game, and different stories that add to the collective Allied march along the war’s timeline.

Graphically the game is still a tasty bit of eye candy. The effects are all wonderfully created to render out a game that is immersive simply by jumping into a zone. The explosions and smoke all look amazing and realistic. The sound also does a very good job of supporting the graphics. The game still is at the forefront of World War II action shooters in every regard.

While the game requires that a player accomplish specific goals during the course of a mission map, how you accomplish those goals is basically up to the player. You have objectives, easily accessed, but you are given a fair amount of latitude to determine how you will actually carry out those goals. This is a nice touch.

Big Red One notwithstanding, CoD3 represents a step forward for the franchise. PC-quality gaming has arrived on a next-gen console system with a great deal of flair and pizzazz. The control makes this a joy to control and having been a PC fan of the series, this transition sat rather well.

Personally, the nunchuk control scheme feels like a bit much and was physically draining. It felt like the game transitioned, at times, from entertainment to intense work. Your eyes will remain glued to the screen and you will feel the strain in your arms after an extended bit of time.

That said, in other regards CoD3 does what is expected, in many ways. It delivers the CoD experience with the next-generation console touch. The improvements are minor; the campaign is tough and entertaining while being based on actual events of the war.

Treyarch has taken the CoD banner up firmly and advanced the franchise.

Gameplay: 8.2
The Wii controller/nunchuks make CoD3 a laborious endeavor. Some may really enjoy this step forward in the use of the next-gen control scheme. While intensive, for this reviewer, it proved frustrating as well. Levels that were conquered in a reasonable time frame before on other platforms became a time sink as the controls – and the learning curve to get comfortable with them – resulted in a few deaths.

Graphics: 8.8
Great particle effects, dynamic lighting and animations all add up to a game that looks very good.

Sound: 8.5
The cacophony of war rattles the speakers with an aural intensity that is very appropriate. Turn it up – way up. As visceral as the graphics are, the audio is a real treat.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
There are several options for players to select their challenge, and regardless of what difficulty level you select, the nunchuk controls will compound it.

Concept: 8.0
The control scheme can be frustrating for a long time and each new element within the game proves to be a challenge.

Overall: 8.3
Again, the Wii controller makes this a laborious, intense experience. The game mechanics and general feel of the game are not overly different from what gamers are used to, but that this is brought to such vivid life on a console is a tribute to the diligence of the developers. The game still looks great and sounds terrific, and the game advances the historical time frames of the franchise.