History YMMV / CallOfDutyWorldAtWar

* GameBreaker: The [=MP40 SMG=], especially on the console versions where the weapon was never {{nerf}}ed. All of the [=SMGs=] were balanced around taking roughly the same amount of time to kill someone under sustained fire, but [[DidntThinkThisThrough what the devs hadn't considered]] was what that meant for the damage dealt per individual bullet when the [=MP40=] had a noticeably lower rate of fire than the others - whereas the fastest of the [=SMGs=], the [=PPSh=], deals a paltry 22 damage at most because of its extremely high rate of fire (the [=PPSh=] already being easily capable of annihilating an unprepared opponent up close), the [=MP40=], firing at less than half the rate, deals almost ''60'' at best, making it one of the most powerful automatic weapons in the entire series. The most common class setup for the [=MP40=] online is Dual Magazines for more firing without having to reload, Juggernaut to be able to withstand more gunfire and explosives, and Steady Aim to already compliment the already great hip fire and you become a walking one-man army capable of slaughtering dozens in close-quarters combat. There are other options that go well with this as well, particularly trading out Juggernaut for Stopping Power, which due to being a percentage-based increase in power means [[UnstableEquilibrium the MP40 benefits more from it than the other SMGs as well]], reaching the point where it's the only SMG in the game that can kill in one headshot.

* GameBreaker: The [=MP40 SMG=], especially on the console versions where the weapon was never {{nerf}}ed. All of the [=SMGs=] were balanced around taking roughly the same amount of time to kill someone under sustained fire, but [[DidntThinkThisThrough what the devs hadn't considered]] was what that meant for the damage dealt per individual bullet when the [=MP40=] had a noticeably lower rate of fire than the others - whereas the fastest of the [=SMGs=], the [=PPSh=], deals a paltry 22 damage at most because of its extremely high rate of fire, the [=MP40=], firing at less than half the rate, deals almost ''60'' at best, making it one of the most powerful automatic weapons in the entire series. The most common class setup for the [=MP40=] online is Dual Magazines for more firing without having to reload, Juggernaut to be able to withstand more gunfire and explosives, and Steady Aim to already compliment the already great hip fire and you become a walking one-man army capable of slaughtering dozens in close-quarters combat. There are other options that go well with this as well, particularly trading out Juggernaut for Stopping Power, which due to being a percentage-based increase in power means [[UnstableEquilibrium the MP40 benefits more from it than the other SMGs as well]], reaching the point where it's the only SMG in the game that can kill in one headshot.

* GameBreaker: The [=MP40 SMG=], especially on the console versions where the weapon has superior damage figures. Due to being unlocked early in multiplayer, the [=MP40=] has extreme class construction versatility. The most common class setup for the [=MP40=] online is Dual Magazines for more firing without having to reload, Juggernaut to be able to withstand more gunfire and explosives, and Steady Aim to already compliment the already great hip fire and you become a walking one-man army capable of slaughtering dozens in close-quarters combat. There are other Tier 3 perks players can use if Steady Aim isn't wanted.
** On the PC version, this is a subversion, thanks in part to heavy nerfs in subsequent patches.

* SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: At the time it's DownloadableContent packs were released, and for a while after that, many people simply bought the game for ''VideoGame/NaziZombies''.

** While it was already positively received during its release, it was dismissed by a lot of the newcomers who drawn in to the series because of ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''. As the backlash toward the future oriented ''Call of Duty'' intensifies, people look back to this game and see how the game portrays war in a bleak light, and the game is often cited to be the second-best entry (behind the acclaimed ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare'') in the series according to more recent surveys. The fact it explores the Pacific Front, a setting almost no games based on the war, have ever done, it helps give it a unique experience that later games like ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWWII'' were criticized for not having.
** One criticism that did come up on occasion was the absence of a British campaign, which was planned but ultimately cut due to lack of time. That much of the Soviet campaign was a rehash of earlier missions in previous Call of Duty games (notably a sniper duel and the storming of the Reichstag) was also a point of contention. With ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWWII'' having nothing but an American campaign, rehashing the exact same D-Day missions as previous games, World At War actually having a Soviet campaign AND having the American campaign focus on the Pacific theater both become even more of a breath of fresh air in retrospect.

** "Black Cats" from the American campaign is remembered fondly by players for not only being one of the easiest levels (for starters, there are not [[DemonicSpiders grenades being tossed at you], but also for the air and sea combat sequences seen nowhere else in the campaign. While it is an on-rails turret level, it is quite fun nontheless due to the atmosphere, story, and especially the music creating a cohesive experience.

** "Black Cats" from the American campaign is remembered fondly by players for not only being one of the easiest levels, but also for the air and sea combat sequences seen nowhere else in the campaign.

** One criticism that did come up on occasion was the absence of a British campaign, which was planned but ultimately cut due to lack of time. That much of the Soviet campaign was a rehash of earlier missions in previous Call of Duty games (notably a sniper duel and the storming of the Reichstag). With ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWWII'' having nothing but an American campaign, rehashing the exact same D-Day missions as previous games, World At War actually having a Soviet campaign AND having the American campaign focus on the Pacific theater both become even more of a breath of fresh air in retrospect.

* VindicatedByHistory: While it was already positively received during its release, it was dismissed by a lot of the newcomers who drawn in to the series because of ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''. As the backlash toward the future oriented ''Call of Duty'' intensifies, people look back to this game and see how the game portrays war in a bleak light, and the game is often cited to be the second-best entry (behind the acclaimed ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare'') in the series according to more recent surveys. The fact it explores the Pacific Front, a setting almost no games based on the war, have ever done, it helps give it a unique experience that later games like ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWWII'' were criticized for not having.