Call of Duty: World at War

The Pacific missions are a pretty good way to make a treadmill session go by faster, because there’s usually something moving, shooting, or asking you to turn around. I’d keep the difficulty comfortable and let the war be loud without making every missed shot a crisis.

Gameplay

World at War is an action game that mostly understands what you came for. You move through World War II battles as an American Marine in the Pacific and a Soviet soldier on the Eastern Front, and I think the change between those settings helps keep the campaign from feeling like one long stretch of the same muddy field. It’s grim, but the missions keep pushing you forward. There isn’t much time spent just waiting around.

The Pacific sections are the ones I’d expect to feel most tense while exercising, because Japanese soldiers can appear from places that make you turn and react quickly. The game leans into that chaotic feeling, and it works when you’re sitting still, but I can see it pulling your attention away from your pace if you’re trying to play on a harder setting. I’d lower the difficulty before starting. You don’t have to prove anything to the jungle.

The Soviet missions bring a different kind of weight, and I like that the campaign moves between personal moments and big battles instead of making every mission a nonstop firing range. Some story scenes slow things down, but they’re not long stretches of reading or menu management, and I’d be fine taking a breather during one. I don’t know that every scene lands equally well, but the campaign keeps moving enough that I wouldn’t expect to spend much of a workout standing around.

Nazi Zombies gives you a separate reason to keep playing after the campaign, and I think it can work well when you want a simpler loop of moving, aiming, and staying alive. The later rounds ask for more precise attention, though, and I’d treat that as a harder workout for your hands than for your legs. It’s a good extra mode, not a reason to pretend your aim is steady while the treadmill is bouncing you around.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The campaign’s constant movement should keep you engaged, but aiming is still the part that makes me hesitate. You’ll be steering, looking around, and trying to hit enemies while your body is already moving, so I think this suits a steady walk or an easy ride better than a fast run. If you set the pace like you’re late for something, the game is going to get a little messy.

A controller works, which matters here, and I’d use one rather than trying to manage keyboard and mouse while exercising. I’d also turn the difficulty down so a few missed shots don’t turn every fight into a long back and forth. I don’t know how much of a workout you want your thumbs to get, but the game can supply some.

On a bike, the steady position should make aiming feel more manageable, especially in the more open parts of a mission. On a treadmill, I’d keep the pace comfortable and be ready to ease off when enemies start coming from several directions, because turning your view while your feet are moving takes more attention than it sounds like it should. It’s not a game I’d pair with a hard interval.

I’d skip the harder Zombies rounds while moving, or at least save them for when you’re comfortable with the controls and not trying to push your pace. The mode gets more demanding as enemies pile up, and there’s a point where watching the screen closely starts to feel like the whole activity. That’s fine, but it’s not the same kind of easy distraction as the early campaign missions.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Computer Requirements

This is an old PC game, and the listed minimum graphics card is from a much earlier era than most computers people use now. I’d check that your system can run the game and that you have the space for it, but graphics hardware shouldn’t be the scary part.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

World at War is a solid choice if you want a focused action campaign that keeps you busy without asking you to read a pile of menus between fights. I’d play it at an easy pace, turn down the difficulty, and save the tougher Zombies rounds for when you can give them your full attention.

Overall Score: 2.67 out of 3