Call Of Duty 3 takes everything we love about this series – drama, atmosphere, scale and authenticity – and buggers it with some horrendous programming. The sort that could be fixed with a patch, so there’s really no excuse for it to still exist in the UK version. Especially when it’s one of Activision’s biggest franchises and ostensibly a next-game to boot. Sure, it’s been released on PS2 and Xbox too, but when you buy this PS3 version you’ll expect a certain level of detail and polish, right? Well there’s some of the former and very little of the latter.

This is a game that constantly wows you – but constantly winds you up too. Like we said in our import review, its ineptness doesn’t make much sense in light of how brilliant it is – and if something doesn’t make sense, how the hell do we make any sense of it? Here’s a good example: early in the game, you and two friendlies enter a cellar. There’s clearly an enemy standing in the room above you because he suddenly opens fire and starts shooting at the floor. But it’s impenetrable, meaning he looks like a bloody idiot. Worse still, your two friendlies are firing back – but they’re shooting the ceiling, which is also impenetrable, meaning they also look like idiots. It’s inexcusable programming in a franchise that prides itself on authenticity and realism. It wouldn’t matter if the enemy idiot hit one of your friendly idiots, mind you – they’re generally bullet proof when it comes to enemy fire… but not when it comes to yours.

Pop a cap in a friendly and it’s game over. Still, problems in mind, the sheer spectacle Call Of Duty 3 presents is always impressive. You’re here for action and cinematic set pieces and won’t be disappointed, at all, in that respect. In fact, some of the levels in this game – and we’re thinking strictly of the final Polish level – are genuinely amazing. Sure, Treyarch still can’t quite capture the brilliance of Red Square in the original Infinity Warddeveloped Call Of Duty – which is one of the most disturbing set pieces ever created – but it’s close.

With Big Red One and Call Of Duty 3, Treyarch proves it can still meet the potential – without every actually eclipsing it. With another year of development this could have been stunning. Right now, it’s stunning… but equally annoying. Still, it’s nothing a patch won’t fix.

Craig Gilmore