Call of Duty 2

The Good
The graphics are cosmetically better than the prequel, with eye catching lighting and shadows. Just like the first game, you experience the war from the American, British and Russian perspectives. Though the Battle of Stalingrad isn't too different from what you've seen before, there are notable battles intriguing enough to play, including the Second Battle of El Alamein, Point de Hoc and Hill 400.

There are some new welcoming features such as the grenade warning indicator, smoke bombs for cover, a decent arsenal of weapons and some vehicles to mount and maneuver. Each mission does present an interesting number of objectives on the offensive, defensive and covert parts. It's neat that in a couple of those missions you can complete the objectives in any order you wish. Then it's nice to make the acquaintance of Captain Price in the British missions.

The Bad
Much that the first game had to offer is tarnished by a volley of flaws from the upgraded engine and additional features. This is where the traditional reddening screen from taking wounds and regeneration begins in the rest of the series, which makes it hard to see who's shooting and shakes you off your otherwise perfect aim (especially sniping). There's no fun in most battles as you spend half the time ducking and covering from grenade after grenade, ruining the pace you would expect from a shooter.

Then come the many minor problems. For one, it takes so many more bullets to kill a single enemy (even on the easiest difficulty) with torso shots than it would in real life. It's disappointing that you can now only carry two weapons, not including a sidearm for a third. And there's no way to sprint, as was the case in United Offensive. Lastly, there's little in the way of music and none coming from the brilliant Michael Giacchino. And the sound effects are awful with constant chaotic yelling erupting from soldiers who sound like they escaped from a looney compartment.

The Bottom Line
The game mechanics take a lot of getting used to if you're so acquainted with the first game. It fails to capture the real feel of warfare and the fun ends quicker than it begins. When you've breezed through all three campaigns, there's just no real incentive to replay them again. This sequel feels kind of like it's riding on the back of the prequel and not showing off its full potential. If you get bored of this game, you'll be begging for another Call of Duty 1 expansion pack. Don't miss out on this game, but don't think you'll miss playing it after you finished it.