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Gaming Review: Call of Duty 2| Category | | | Summary | | When the first Call of Duty game shipped back in autumn 2003 it was a major hit. Overwhelming atmosphere and great multiplayer support ensured the longevity of the game. Multiple awards and great community appreciation allowed the creators, Infinity Ward, |
| | Body | When the first Call of Duty game shipped back in autumn 2003 it was a major hit. Overwhelming atmosphere and great multiplayer support ensured the longevity of the game. Multiple awards and great community appreciation allowed the creators, Infinity Ward, to work on several ports, add-ons and also the sequel - Call of Duty 2!
Grey sky, black sea. Surrounded by your brothers in arms, you're approaching the Point du Hoc, a heavy fortified strip of shore. Only two or three meters of sand, and a 70 meters-high cliff. A natural obstacle, its zenith bristling with German gun emplacements. Whilst one of your friends is choking into your face, the one next to him dies in an instant from a head-shot. At this moment all hell breaks loose. Climbing ropes are lifted, and rangers begin the arduous climb.
"When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms." (Ronald Reagan: Remarks at the U.S. Ranger Monument on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day)
These are impressions from the beginning of the US Campaign in Call of Duty 2. It's one of three unfortunately very short campaigns. You will also play on on the Soviet and British side. Again, you're a nameless soldier integrated into a quite large-scale assault force. Where ever you go, there are always plenty of AI-controlled team mates around you. The AI itself does a very good job, on allied as well as on enemy side. Enemies will jump behind cover and keep you at a distance with a combination of suppressing fire and grenades.
The latter are a major threat since they are the only weapon able to kill you with one shot. That's because in Call of Duty 2, you don't have a "life bar indicator" or similar. Theoretically, you possess infinite life energy, but when you take too much damage within a short time, you'll first be wounded (indicated by slow motion and red view) and if you cannot make it out of fire quickly, you'll quickly find yourself dead.
The missions are all well-designed and varied. During the British campaign you'll control a giant tank gun as well as several flak cannons, while as a Russian trooper you have to clear the front of a building with a sniper rifle. All of this feels very realistic (e.g. you have to hold breath to snipe efficiently). The atmosphere of the game is extremely dense and can drag you into the game like not many else. You can easily find yourself suddenly screaming at the endless stream of enemy soldiers while your ammunition begins to run out.
Whilst on the gameplay side the game is very good, it is simply a blast when it comes down to the technical side. Never before was the heat of battle displayed in such beautiful graphics. Wherever you see, there'll always be a huge explosion accompanied by a scripted sequence of artillery firing or aircraft breaking an enemy defence line. The grade of violence is moderate at best; there is no senseless splatter and gore.
The sound fits in at any moment in the game. The weapon effects and explosions all have the right amount of bass and treble, and sound highly realistic. The sporadic music insertions and the orchestral soundtrack during the mission briefings perfectly fit into the scenario. After many operations you'll find yourself wanting to sink back into your chair and just rest for a moment thinking about what had just happened.
To experience both the top quality graphics and sound, you'll need a high-end PC, but to play the game with minimum settings you don't need very sophisticated hardware. You can even choose between DirectX 7 and DirectX 9 rendering mode. The highest settings for the PC version still look better than on the XBox360, but the XBox may be cheaper than the hardware you require for highest settings.
All in all, one can say that Call of Duty 2 is a great game, but far too short. Compared to games like Doom 3 or Half Life 2, you get far less content for the price the game costs. However, if you don't care about the price and enjoy a good shoot em' up, or are enamored by WWII scenarios, this is the game you are looking for.
Graphic 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 9/10
Replay Value 3/10
Price/Performance 6/10
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This article was imported from zZine. (original author: gmw)
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