First sighting of Call of Duty 3 on PS3

Activision's gritty WW2 shooter series prepares to head back to the frontlines again - this time utilising the awesome power of PlayStation 3.

Call of Duty 3 focuses on a single historic campaign that saw Allied forces in a desperate battle to push beyond their hard-won foothold on the beaches of Normandy. Operation Cobra mobilised troops from many nations to push into the French mainland, facing a deeply entrenched Nazi defence force. CoD 3 follows this advance every bloody step of the way, with you very much in the thick of things.

The first-person shooter action is thick and fast, with something going on no matter which direction you look. Fighters dogfight overhead with the loser fireballing into the earth near you; supporting tanks explode masonry and glass as they target a dug-in machine gun nest; and all around you, your brothers in arms wildly fire off rounds at the enemy, screaming and shouting from the moment the first bullet is fired.

The feeling of noise, panic and fear is perfectly realised thanks to the power of PS3. This is not some clean, futuristic FPS - this is a dirty, messy experience where the line between victory and death doesn't become clear until the shooting stops and you find yourself still standing. Excellent smoke effects and destructible environments bring the chaos of war to life in vivid high definition.

Wait until you see the whites of their eyes

The ferocity and unpredictability of Operation Cobra is further brought to life through the addition of hand-to-hand combat. As in Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, you find yourself battling house-to-house as you clear our villages and towns - and while much of this will rely on a steady aim and well-placed grenades, heading inside a building may just bring you face-to-face with an equally surprised, frightened and desperate German soldier. As you grappling over your rifle, each of you trying to pin and strangle, club or stab the other, a series of button presses (as in Resident Evil 4) will see you victorious or dead. This mechanic is also used when defusing bombs or other time sensitive, nail-biting moments.

Once again, the CoD series has done its homework and draws on the experience of many Allied combatants, not just the American point of view. Throughout the game you'll be fighting the Axis threat as a British SAS soldier, a Polish Tank Commander, a Canadian Mechanised Infantryman and a good old American GI. You'll also be able to fight the good fight online with 24 player battles featuring drivable vehicles such as motorbikes, tanks and trucks.

Call of Duty 3 is shaping up to something very special. Keep your binoculars trained right here for more information as we get nearer to the game's launch.