The year was 2007. If you owned a PlayStation Portable, you were likely obsessed with trying to figure out how to cram a full console experience into a device that basically had one thumbstick and a screen the size of a candy bar. Most shooters on the handheld were, frankly, garbage. Then Activision dropped Call of Duty Roads to Victory. It wasn’t a port of the console games. It was its own weird, ambitious, and sometimes frustrating beast.
Honestly, it shouldn't have worked.
The PSP was a technical marvel for its time, but it was notoriously bad for first-person shooters. Why? Because the lack of a second analog stick meant you had to aim with the face buttons—Square, Triangle, Circle, and Cross. It felt like trying to perform surgery with oven mitts. Yet, Call of Duty Roads to Victory managed to become a staple for PSP owners. It captured that specific World War II grit that the series was known for before everyone started wall-running and wearing exo-suits.
The Struggle for Control in Call of Duty Roads to Victory
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the controls. If you go back and play this game today on original hardware, your hands will cramp in about fifteen minutes. That’s just a fact of life. Developers at Amaze Entertainment had to get creative. They offered several control schemes, but most players defaulted to the "Carbon" or "Nitrogen" setups. You moved with the analog nub and aimed with the buttons. It sounds like a nightmare because, by modern standards, it is.
But back then? We didn't care. We were playing Call of Duty on the bus.
The game heavily relied on "Snap-to-Target" ADS (Aim Down Sights). You’d point your camera roughly toward a German soldier, tap the Left Trigger, and the reticle would magnetically lock onto his chest. It was a workaround for the hardware's limitations. Without that aggressive auto-aim, the game would have been literally unplayable. You’ve got to appreciate the engineering that went into making a fast-paced FPS feel somewhat fluid on a device that was never designed for it.
A Campaign of Three Perspectives
Unlike the massive, cinematic blockbusters of the modern era, Call of Duty Roads to Victory kept things grounded. You played through three distinct campaigns: the Americans (82nd Airborne), the British (6th Airborne Division), and the Canadians (First Army).
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Wait, the Canadians?
Yeah, that was actually one of the coolest parts. While most WWII games focus exclusively on the US and the UK (with an occasional Soviet mission), Roads to Victory gave some shine to the Canadian 1st Army during the Battle of the Scheldt. It felt authentic. It didn't have the Hollywood bombast of Call of Duty 2, but it had a certain charm. The missions were short—usually 10 to 15 minutes—which was perfect for a handheld. You could finish a mission while waiting for your mom to pick you up from practice.
Technical Wizardry or Just "Good for its Time"?
Visually, the game was a powerhouse for the PSP. The weapon models looked sharp. The M1 Garand had that iconic "ping" that sounded surprisingly crisp through the PSP’s tiny speakers. However, the environments were often barren. You’d run through a French village that looked like it had been scrubbed clean of any furniture or life, save for the three Nazis waiting behind a crate.
There were limitations. Huge ones.
The draw distance was short. Enemies would sometimes pop into existence. The AI was... well, it wasn't smart. They mostly just stood there or ran to predetermined cover points. If you flanked them, they often didn't know how to react. But you have to remember the context. This was 2007. We were just happy the game didn't crash.
The Multiplayer Ghost Town
Did you know this game had multiplayer? It did. It supported up to six players via Ad Hoc (local wireless). You could play Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and King of the Hill.
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The problem? You had to find five other people who also had a PSP and a copy of the game and were in the same room as you. Infrastructure mode (online play) wasn't a thing for this title. It’s a shame, really. On the rare occasions you could get a group together, it was chaotic fun. The maps were mostly stripped-down versions of campaign levels, but the frantic nature of the PSP controls made every kill feel like a genuine achievement.
Why Does It Still Matter?
You might wonder why anyone would bother with Call of Duty Roads to Victory in 2026. With the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and even high-end smartphones, we have literal "console-quality" gaming on the go.
It matters because it represents a specific era of game design. An era where developers were fighting the hardware to deliver an experience that shouldn't have been possible. It was the last time Call of Duty felt "experimental" on a handheld before the series moved toward the more refined (but arguably less soulful) mobile entries.
Also, it’s a goldmine for the emulation community. If you play this on a modern handheld emulator, you can map the face buttons to a right analog stick. Suddenly, the game transforms. Without the "control handicap," you can actually see the solid level design and the surprisingly decent pacing that Amaze Entertainment built. It goes from a "clunky curiosity" to a genuinely fun retro shooter.
Historical Accuracy and Setting
The game stayed pretty true to the history books. You weren't a superhero. You were a soldier. The missions focused on Operation Market Garden and the push toward the Rhine. There’s a certain weight to the missions, bolstered by the briefings that used actual historical footage and maps. It gave the game a documentary-style feel that the series has largely moved away from in favor of "Black Ops" conspiracies and futuristic warfare.
Realities of the Experience
Let’s be real for a second. The game isn’t perfect. The framerate would chug during heavy explosions. The voice acting was repetitive ("Grenada!"). And if you died at the end of a long mission, the checkpoint system could be brutal.
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But it had heart.
It was a time when Activision was willing to take a chance on a dedicated handheld spin-off. They didn't just outsource a cheap port; they tried to build a Call of Duty game that felt "right" for the PSP.
How to Experience it Today
If you’re looking to revisit this piece of history, you have a few options. Each has its pros and cons.
- Original Hardware: Buy a physical UMD and play it on a PSP or PS Vita. This is the most "authentic" way. You will experience the hand cramps, the slow loading times from the UMD drive, and the dim screen. It’s a nostalgia trip, but it’s rough.
- The PS Vita Workaround: If you have a modified Vita, you can play the digital version. The OLED screen makes the colors pop, and you can use the Vita’s built-in software to map the D-pad or buttons to the second analog stick. It’s a massive improvement.
- PPSSPP Emulator: This is arguably the best way. You can upscale the resolution to 4K, add texture filtering, and—most importantly—map the controls to a modern controller. It feels like a completely different game.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're jumping in for the first time, keep these things in mind to avoid frustration:
- Abuse the Snap-Aim: Don't try to "track" targets like you would in Warzone. Flick your view near an enemy and tap the aim button. Let the game do the heavy lifting.
- Manage Your Grenades: You don't get many, and the throwing arc is a bit wonky. Save them for machine gun nests.
- Check the Corners: The AI loves to hide in doorways. Since the PSP's FOV (Field of View) is narrow, you can easily get blindsided.
- Vary Your Loadout: Don't just stick to the Thompson or MP40. The rifles like the M1 Garand or the Kar98k are actually very effective because the "snap-aim" makes headshots easier than you'd expect.
Call of Duty Roads to Victory is a fascinating relic. It’s a reminder of a time when gaming was transitioning from the "experimental 3D" phase into the polished, standardized industry we see today. It’s flawed, it’s clunky, but it’s undeniably Call of Duty. Whether you’re a series completionist or just someone looking for a hit of 2000s nostalgia, it’s worth a look. Just maybe bring some ibuprofen for your thumbs.