More of the same, but that's not a bad thing.

Everyone knows the WWII genre on home consoles has been beaten into the dirt, and then trampled upon by developer after developer in the hopes of digging it back up and finding that it has turned into gold again.
Most of the time, they merely dig up the dried up and decayed remains of what was buried the first time.
But sometimes, what was buried may not be the mother-load you were looking for, but an occasional jewel can be found.

Call of Duty 3 is not the mother-load, but it is a diamond in the rough.
Basically, if you liked Call of Duty 2 (and really, who didn't?), you will like Call of Duty 3.
Different developer, same basic blue-print.

I was one of those people who waited to buy my Xbox 360, rather than get it on Day 1. I did not relish the idea of waiting in line for days to get it, and after hearing about the initial hardware problems, I'm glad I waited.
The one thing I WAS interested in playing was COD 2. I have always loved FPS games, and even though I mentioned earlier that WWII has been over done, this game still looked amazing, and I wanted to play it.
The funny thing is, when I actually went out and bought my Xbox 360, back in August '06, I didn't buy COD 2, but instead purchased Dead Rising and Prey.

After a few months, I went out and got COD 2 after the price had been reduced. I don't like paying full price for a game that has been out for almost a year, so when it went down to $25, I jumped on it. And loved every minute of the game.
So, obviously this experience peaked my interest in COD 3.

Now, looking at the still-pictures in magazines and online, the game appeared to be head and shoulders above its predecessor in terms of graphics and lighting. The previews also touted a much-improved multiplayer experience. Remember, COD 2 was a launch title that was developed primarily with the PC as the lead SKU and ported to the 360. COD 3 was being developed with next-gen consoles as their lead SKU's.

After getting the game and popping it into my 360, the game booted up with a nice orchestral score that gets your patriotism jump-started. Who doesn't want another chance to lay the smack-down on the Third Reich?

The graphics:

The graphics are a slight improvement over COD 2, as it actually seems like more of an art-direction change than a graphical overhaul. I noticed the characters in your squad do a good job of looking like they are solid characters, and the rain effects hitting both the soldiers and vehicles looks great. The lighting is excellent. The flare of the muzzle flash on the guns is beautiful and looks better when the rain is coming down, and the sky is a bit dark.
The cut-scenes seem to use the in-game engine and look really good. My problem with the cut-scenes is that eternal problem that I had hoped this generation would finally send to its watery grave. They cannot be skipped. At least I have not found a way. The problem with this is, EVERY time you boot up the game and load your progress in the single-player campaign, the game will replay the same cut-scene that began the current chapter. That is annoying. It wouldn't be so bad if you could skip it, but you can't.
But that's a minor complaint, as it has nothing to do with the gameplay.

Speaking of the gameplay:

As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, if you liked COD 2 you will like this game. The gameplay has not changed, and the mission structure is also similar. When you think about it, what else can you really do to change the gameplay? It was WWII. Allies fought the Axis. That will never change, so the core mechanics will always be familiar. It's how well they are implemented that matters, as well as the level design and balance.
All of these are done very well. The levels are challenging and fun to play.
I know many people used to criticize COD 2 for its Halo 2 style of health regeneration, and that continues in COD 3. Personally, I like it. I find it much better than scouring the map trying to find health packs. It also keeps the game challenging, but not frustrating, so most people have a chance to finish the game.
It may not be realistic, but at least people will be less likely to give up, put the game down, and find that they are out $60 bones on a game they will never finish.
The battles are excellent, and really get your blood and adrenaline pumping. That is what I want out of a shooter.

Sound:

The sound in each COD title has been excellent. Each sound is extremely realistic. The screaming of soldiers barking out orders, or enemy positions, to the rattle of automatic weapons, the rain pounding off vehicles, explosions all around the battlefield, and the amazing musical score all combine to immerse the player into a world people actually fought and died in.
It is impressive. I haven't found any fault in the sound quality at all, and if you have a 5.1 home theater set up, you will be amazed as bullets whiz by your head.

Multiplayer:

My review of the multiplayer will be brief. I'll be honest, I haven't played more than 15 or so matches online, and I haven't participated in a single team-based match. I only played the standard deathmatches. It was pretty fun, and performed well, with few incidents of lag.
The team-based games are probably a ton of fun as well.
The multiplayer is definitely the one area where I see a major improvement over COD 2, as up to 24 players can get together.
I personally enjoy Halo 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas when I play online, but WWII game nuts will be all over this.

The final verdict:

If you like shooters, if you like WWII themed shooters with plenty of action, great graphics, and online multiplayer, you really have to buy this game.
And if you like all of that stuff, you didn't really even need to read my review. But I hope it helps.
A very fun game, that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

**Multiplayer UPDATE**
Recently, I've begun playing more games online in multi-player.
I have to upgrade this to 5 stars. This game, while similar to COD 2 as mentioned previously in single-player, it truly shines in multi-player. Upping the player count to 12 on 12 in team games is really like an all out battle.
The multiple classes and vehicles, especially the tanks, add immense variety and intensity to this great game.
I've put down Halo 2 for this.
It's that good.
If you have Xbox Live, you MUST get this game and play online.