Water Warfare, clearly named after Activision`s shooter of the same genre "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," is a suprisingly addictive first-person-shooter available on the Wii Shop Channel for 800 Nintendo Points. As the title suggests, all deadly weaponry (such as guns and grenades) have been replaced with good-ol` water guns. The guns in this game vary from everyday water guns (pistols, shotguns) to more advanced weaponry and firepower (bazookas, sniper rifles, ect). Water Warfare also adds quite a few power-ups to the formula, such as water bombs (grenades) and raincoats (temporary invincibility).
Believe it or not, there is a lot this game has to offer. There are a variety of fun-yet-challenging levels, and all of them are great. All levels in the single-player campaign are timed, so you will be rushing through the stages a lot, but even when you lose due to the timer hitting zero, the game is still a blast. The levels offer gameplay elements such as Elimination (take down all of the enemies), Capture the Flag (no description necessary), and Checkpoints (race opponents to checkpoints and, eventually, the finish line). While not all levels are great, all of them are fun to play. If you`d rather just go head-to-head against opponent AI, there`s a mode for that, too.
Now, onto a rather large part of Water Warfare: The multiplayer mode. Not only can you go split-screen with a buddy, but you can also go all-out against complete strangers in the online versus mode for up to eight players. The stages online are the same as in the single-player campaign, so at least you`ll be familiar with the water-themed stages you`ll compete in.
The graphics are... well, to be honest, a mixed bag. The player graphics are terrible and can become rather pixelated at times. The enviorments, on the other hand, look amazing: Colorful cel-shaded graphics and smooth animation certainly make up for the character graphics which, for the most part, don`t really matter.
The controls are fair: rarely unresponsive, and a clever scheme to round out the package. All is introduced via a well-done tutorial.

Water Warfare doesn`t exactly compete with other top first-person-shooters, but if you wanna play something new, look no further. It is well-done and deserves a solid 8.5 out of 10.


- StuffMan