Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

"Overall Great WWII Game, Its a Miracle"

Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One, is one of the better WWII games that I've played, although I have not expierenced the game online. Playing this game is like living in WWII, the mortars going off all around you, a Panzer showing up at the worst possible moment, and the non-stop flow of enemies. Now for the actual review.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics in this game are by far better in this game then any other WWII game, except for maybe Brothers in Arms. The enemies and the allies all look very realistic, although the enemies seem to all look very alike. The weapons look stunning, and the explosions from morters and tank shells look realistic enough to make you wet yourself. The amazing thing is, all of this stuff going on on screen and no lag what so ever. Thats why I give the graphics an 9 out of 10.

Audio 9/10

When you think of useing a flak gun, you think of the very loud sound that it makes, this provides just that. The Thompson actually sounds like a Thompson, and the M1 Garand sound exactly like it should. I thought the voice overs were done really well, and the sound is what gives you the added effect of being caught up in the tides of war.

Game Play 8/10

The game play in this game is great, but not perfect. Sometimes when in appears that you have completely eliminated the enemy. Pop, there's another one to man the machine gun, it seems like they come out of the middle of no where. The aiming system is pretty good to. Just running and gunning you will not be very accurate, but when you stop and pull up your sights, thats where the headshots come in, and the helmets go off. The audio and the graphics make the game play see far more realistic then it actually is. Like the fact that you can't hope over a little brick, or walk into a wall that isn't there. Despite these flaws I still think this is one of the better WWII first person shooters.

Replay Value 7/10

The replay value isn't all that great. You play it, you beat it, and thats pretty much it. The online play is what keeps the game alive. The game does offer three modes of difficulty, easy which is where enemies do very little damage, and the computer does not do a good job of finding you. Normal which is normal, enemies are smarter and enemies do much more damage. The most realistic difficulty level is Hard. Its hard, but thats why its good. Enemies will pick up on your location faster, and a bullet will devastate your health bar, not to mention a morter that lands at your feet. Other then that though the replay value is not all that great.

Overall 8/10

This is definitely one of the better WWII games that I have played, and a lot better then Finest hour, even with the minor flaws, this is still a very solid game. Which is why I give it a shell popping 8 out of 10.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/06