Call of Duty sitting atop the charts is a Christmas tradition, so how does the latest instalment stack up?

It's a mixed bag of old and new: a different developer but a tweaked COD4 engine, a return to a second world war setting but featuring a broad mix of heroes and storylines.

It's also a more adult game, with occasionally brutal cutscenes and sadistic new weapons like the flamethrower. It's still hugely challenging to play, and online players should enjoy the plethora of new modes to try.

COD: World at War may not be the best of the series, but it's a vast and occasionally outstanding shoot-em-up.