|
|
|
| Call of Duty 2 |
|
| Shooters |
|
| Infinity Ward |
|
| Activision |
|
|
24th November 05 |
|
24th November 05 |
|
|
16+ |
|
(T) - Teen |
|
|
|
During my visit to X05 I had the opportunity to complete the entire demo that was showcased, from start to finish. The game begins in a convoy which is crossing a sandy beach and heading to a small coastal village. As usual you can view your surroundings as things begin to heat up and with this I mean explosions going off all around you. Some of the explosions take out vehicles in the convoy leaving your truck to carry on to the insertion point. Once on the outskirts the view changes and boom you are right into the heat of battle!
Call of Duty 2 is a major surprise because this first mission is totally full on. The first thing you will notice is simply how much atmosphere is in the game. Rather than being a lone troop verses 100’s of German soldiers, you are actually part of a larger campaign whereby your fellow soldiers fight along side you. What is really cool is the fact that your allies will react to the action as and when it happens; so for example if a German gun emplacement is spotted ahead then the troops will hold and take appropriate cover. What is more, your allies are as vocal as ever and really do give the vibe of being in the thick of it, even though some of the phrases are a little on the adult side!
Navigating the level is pretty straight forward and a fairly linear affair at this stage. You follow waypoints on your compass and generally take a predetermined path, although at times you can take an alternate route. There are various nooks and grannies to duck in and out of especially as Germans appear all over including at windows above ground. Things can get pretty intense with gun fire coming from all angles so being cautious is definitely the way forward. At first I tried to be a little bit on the Rambo side but soon discovered that this approach was simply not going to happen as I was shot down in mere moments! The level was a mixture of ground floor in the open to indoors in tight corridors with Germans popping out from seemingly nowhere. Objectives such as using a radio or grabbing plans, to destroying a specific point on the map was the general order here; all very simple stuff in theory but not so simple to carry out and admittedly I did have to restart at the last checkpoint a couple of times here!
Actual combat is pretty cool with some fluid first person controls and some shoot and cover tactics required. The enemies also adopt the same approach at times although in close quarters it does become who shoots the longest and fastest when you come face to face with each other. I think the general ambience of having your allies and yourself verses the German troops is excellent and makes for some engaging game play; especially as its usually your job to clear a route for the others.
Completing the demo of Call of Duty 2 gave me a sense of well being and during playing I felt like I’d been bitch slapped by a bear after a manicure. It was full on all the way but left no damaging scars. So I can’t wait to play some more of the game. If you have any pre-conceived ideas about Call of Duty on a console then I suggest throwing them out of the window because once you play this version you simply won’t have time to think about the past. Call of Duty 2 rocks solid!
Preview By: Robert Cram
|
|
|
|
|
|
