Call of Duty 2 is one of the first multiplatform titles that has been developed for both current and next-generation systems (a little something called the Xbox 360). Although it may seem obvious on what Call of Duty version you should buy, the Xbox 360 game is actually a completely different title compared to the Xbox version (a brilliant idea by the developers to expand the game to the next-generation system without foregoing sales on current consoles).  

That being said, as an Xbox title you will find  Call of Duty 2 to be a pretty good FPS title with movie-like scripted sequences and atmospheric tension I haven’t seen in war games for quite some time. It is, however, a tad inferior to recent World War II titles like Brothers in Arms because of the lack of a deep storyline, merely adequate character development, and boring segments of gameplay, like lengthy romps on the turret guns and trying to weed out heavily entrenched enemies.

The full title of the game is Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One, which focuses on a group of soldiers known as the “Fighting First” infantry division. Trying to capture the journeys of these brave men, the developers try to portray the many combat scenarios they engaged in (while adding their own ingredient of action to beef up the gameplay). The game barely touches on character development and the relationships of the division. The feeling of camaraderie in the armed forces is what makes the job so bearable. I was hoping to see more cutscenes and in-game personal interaction besides working toward the task at hand. Without it, there is not much of a difference between Call of Duty 2 and any other WWII game.

All together, the gameplay is pretty good. Everything from controls to weapon options is top notch for a war title. The developers have also thrown in the ability to hop a ride on vehicles like tanks and watercraft as well as use heavy artillery-like antiaircraft guns. Driving on the roads of Europe is a brief part of the game but does add a lot to the gameplay value. I do wish there were more real-time fighting sequences, as most of the combat situations the Germans and Allied soldiers engaged in were obviously staged. I guess the developers tried to pack more gameplay excitement with some of the scripted events, but the gameplay actually hurts because of it (especially considering the single-player campaign shouldn’t taken longer than 10 hours to complete). The game takes place in Europe, Africa, and Italy. A lot of the environments felt as though I had been there before in other war titles, with the exception of Italy. The enemy A.I. was so defensive at times, it left me with the impression that the Germans cared more about hiding behind brick walls than fighting a war. Sometimes it takes several minutes just to take out two hidden soldiers.

When it comes to multiplayer, Xbox Live really makes it simple to jump in and play. The developers have failed, however, in designing any sort of ranking system to differentiate each player’s skill level. As such, the games can be a little unbalanced. As many as 15 players can play together with all the standard game types like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. It is not as fluid as other online games I have played and suffers with glitches, but the lag is barely noticeable. In general, online play feels like a small bonus thrown into a game primarily based on a single-player campaign and is not worth the purchase alone. 

The graphics, while not stunning, do contribute a lot to the game's value. It really does a good job bringing the game's ambiance to life, with crumbling cities hit hard in artillery and air raids, and smoky dark skies that give you the feeling you really are in the worst place in the world. Complimenting the graphics are the realistic sound effects of the era. I’d be lying if I said I ducked when hearing enemy fire whiz by my head, but the sound is in line with that of big studio blockbuster war movies like Saving Private Ryan.

Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One may not have accomplished what it was developed for, to create a title built upon the brotherhood of the soldiers. It may be overlooked as “just another war game.” But as an entire package, WWII shooter fans that are looking for a new title to sink their teeth into should look no further than this one.

Gameplay: 8.0
The game feels a little too scripted for my liking and it doesn’t flow as naturally as it could with hard-to-get enemies and periods of time that are just boring, but Call of Duty 2 still manages to deliver a pretty solid experience.

Graphics: 8.4
More gritty than I like, it still does a good job in portraying a realistic sense of war … hell on Earth.

Sound: 9.5
I knew there was a reason I upgraded to a surround-sound system

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
At this point, WWII has enough games about it to be considered a genre.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Although its supports a respectable 16 players at once, the lack of a ranking system really hurts the game.

Overall: 7.9
I had hoped Activision would have pushed for more character development and overall gameplay fix-ups from the first title, but Call of Duty 2 still manages to offer some appealing material to war fans worth the price tag.