Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
If I had to describe Call of Duty 2: Big Red One in one word it would be "authenticity". The sequel to the smash hit Call of Duty is back for more action. Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, developed by Treyarch is based on one of the U.S Army's most decorated and heroic fighting unit, the 1st Infantry Division also known as "The Big Red One". Throughout World War II, the Big Red One engaged in furious battles that make it among the most decorated units ever. The 1st Infantry Division is the oldest continuously serving division in the United States Army. The Division entered World War II at Oran, North Africa and stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Alright enough with the history lesson, now on to the actual game!
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One for Playstation 2, just like its predecessor, is a first person shooter based on combat missions from World War II with jaw dropping action and accuracy. The uniforms of your fellow soldiers all feature the infamous Big Red One unit insignia patch for the added realism. All your favorite WWII era military hardware is available such as the M3A1 Halftrack and the Willys Jeep. Doing its part to help add to the historical authenticity of the game, the Military Channel has produced a series of historical vignettes that are featured in the game. They're basically mini movie clips which outline the actual military action taken by the Big Red One at certain parts of the game.
Missions primarily involve recapturing cities or holding certain positions but also cover a variety of land, sea and air combat missions spanning North Africa, Italy and Nazi-occupied Western Europe. The air combat aspect of "Big Red One" places your character in a B-24 Liberator bombing mission which predictable gets attacked during the mission. You are able to take different roles in the bomber such as gunner and bombardier. One aspect I really enjoy about "Big Red One" is the constant action around you as you move through your mission. Artillery rounds fall everywhere, enemy tanks try to take out your position and even your fellow soldiers get hit by grenades and bullets around you. This definitely relays to the gamer the chaos of combat, and is lacking in a few military titles. Actual missions are quite lengthy as new objectives get added throughout your campagin.
Another, aspect I enjoy is the sheer size of the battlefield. As you look around you see nothing but scores of troops fighting to advance their position. Scenery is well put together as battle damage is clearly marked throughout the area. The graphics for the PS2 version of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One are good and detailed. The sound is nothing spectacular but the noise of German Stuka's is really cool.
The main element which makes "Big Red One" stand out from other first person shooters is the enhanced character A.I. Never before have I seen such a detailed and accurate character A.I. Characters in "Big Red One" make perfect use of their environment to execute tactical maneuvers such as, envelopment flanking and fire-and-maneuver behaviors. Your squad members actually comment on their actions throughout the battle. For example, you watch your squad hit an enemy on a rooftop and they actually yell "Got'em on the rooftop." The character animation also takes on better detail as you can watch your squad members reload their rifles when they run out of ammo. All characters use motion captured imaging so their movement is as real as it gets.
One downside to the A.I is that your squad members don't use grenades and rarely take advantage of captured enemy gun turrets. After you clear out an enemy bunker, the only person that can use the machine gun turret is you, which doesn't help your overall mission. Essentially, your squad members just use their rifles -- but they do use them quite well. Your teammates do score some enemy kills, which is good because they won't end up in an endless battle exchanging bullets. On some occasions your teammates A.I seem to get stuck on certain tasks such as charging through a gate which was very frustrating. Nevertheless, the A.I is still better than other games I have played, and most of these cases are rare.
Surprisingly, the controls to the Playstation 2 version of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One are extremely easy to learn, so you should be able to learn them within the first few minutes of play. Of course these days online play is the standard, so "Big Red One" is online playable. Featuring a 16-player online multiplayer format, which contains classic games such as deathmatch, and capture the flag, should keep you and your online friends busy for a long time.
The one drawback I see in "Big Red One" is that this game is mainly a storyline based shooter. That means that without your squad, their is no action. So basically you have to follow around your squad in a sort of scripted manor rather than go around and explore each level. Your squad members guide you through areas by telling you where to go, and they don't advance without you.
Some hardcore military fans might be turned off by this but I think it is enjoyable; it develops the characters you fight with and lets gamers feel the "brotherhood" element of military units. I also felt that "Big Red One" should have a command element which lets you issue commands to your fellow soldiers. A command element would have at least broken some of the monotony of the story element to this shooter.
Overall, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a really great game. Disregarding some minor issues along the way, the first time you play the game you will be blown away. If you crave hardcore World War II style games this is a must buy for you. If you have never played a World War II military shooter, give "Big Red One" a shot. I definitely found this game enjoyable and I would recommend this title especially for the Holiday season. Good graphics and detail put this title on a league of its own. The difficulty of the game advances as you get deeper into the game, although experienced military gamers should have no problem with the objectives. Coupled with online play this title has a pretty decent replay value. It's is one of the best World War II combat games ever released for the PS2. Call of Duty 2 available for PC and Xbox 360 is different from the PS2 version, and features a different storyline.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is rated "T" for Teen (Content suitable for ages 13 or older) and is available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube game consoles.