GAME REVIEWS

Call of Duty 2
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: T for Teen
Developer: Infinity Ward
Genre First-person shooter
Release date: Nov 2005
Activision

-- reviewed by Alexander Scott

War is hell - this game is not

After the SNAFU that was Call of Duty: Finest Hour, I was quite hesitant to play another Call of Duty game. While Finest Hour made me feel as though I was in the midst of truly massive battles, it had a myriad of problems that ruined the overall experience. Upon closer inspection, I found that the game was made by a different company than the much-heralded Call of Duty and that it would not be involved in Call of Duty 2. So, when I got my 360 (go watch the video) I also picked up Call of Duty 2, hoping to experience the game as its designers intended, not a game with the name slapped on it.

Upon starting the game and finishing some basic training as a Soviet recruit, I was immediately thrust into the battle for Stalingrad. From there I spent mpre than a year in the besieged Soviet city, fighting the Nazis in urban combat. I then spent time fighting the Desert Fox as a British soldier in North Africa, commandeering a tank and an anti-aircraft gun in the process. I concluded my service as a United States serviceman, enduring the D-Day invasion and crossing the Rhine River into Germany. And when I finished my 20 hours of service, I re-enlisted. Call of Duty 2 is that good.

I have played many World War II games and even more first-person shooters, but never have I felt so immersed in a game as I did during my time with Call of Duty 2. Every element of the game works perfectly to make the player feel like a soldier in World War II.

Instead of being a one-man army you are forced to rely on your computer-controlled brothers-in-arms to help defeat the Nazi menace. Thankfully your buddies have excellent AI, though you will still fear your enemies’ abilities, especially on the hardest difficulty settings. Adding to the sense of being an average soldier, you may carry only two weapons at a time, which provides for some strategic thinking during battles. While I would have loved to take the Bren light machine gun with my newly-accquired Panzerschreck (a German rocket launcher), I chose to grab a standard rifle to provide some long-range abilities.

The sound of CoD2 adds yet more realism. From bullets whizzing by your head to the screams of the young men fighting and dying around you, the audio is amazing. The music is an epic score that rivals most movies’ and feels completely appropriate for the events taking place. There is also a great deal of spoken dialogue, both in actual commands and various battlefield insults screamed from both sides.

CoD2’s graphics are even more impressive. The character models are very detailed and expressive, even in death. The weapons and levels are also unbelievably realistic and add yet more to the already immersive experience. Perhaps the most impressive graphic effect of the game are the smoke grenades; when thrown they create an absolutely gorgeous cloud of smoke that obscures the area, and when you run through them you can almost feel your eyes burn. Additionally, I have to add that while enemies show no physical damage (ie: no bullet holes or destroyed skulls), the spray of blood they emit upon being shot is very detailed and surprisingly graphic for a “T” rated game.

Maintaining the player’s feeling of truly being in the battle, CoD2’s controls are perfect. The buttons are mapped perfectly and the responsiveness of the analog sticks made me feel like the controller was an extension of my body. I also really like the aiming system used in CoD2. Instead of zooming in slightly on the enemy when using the precision-aiming, the player uses the actual sights on the weapon. It really adds to the realism of the game and I hope other first-person shooter developers start using it.

In the end, I can think of only two complaints. The first is the health system. It uses a Halo 2-style system where after you take a certain amount of damage, you have to avoid being hit to heal. While it is more realistic than having a health bar and being magically healed by med kits that happen to be lying on the ground, it still makes you realize you’re playing a game. However, that’s really the only aspect of the game that makes it feel like a game, which speaks volumes about CoD2.

My other complaint is the multiplayer. It is not bad, but it only accommodates eight people online, which feels far less epic than the single-player campaign. There is a system link option as well that allows for 16 players, but again, it is still a less impressive experience than single-player mode.

In spite of my two minor complaints, Call of Duty 2 is an amazing game. From the moment you start to the time you end, the game never stops impressing you. Every aspect of the game comes together to create one of the best experiences to be had in a first-person shooter.

Go enlist now, you won’t regret it.

Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Control: 10/10
Gameplay: 9.75/10
Overall: 9.75/10