"... many thrills
but you’ll have to weigh that against the very directed action which
takes a bit of the fun out of it."
Call
of Duty 2: Big Red One is a follow-up to the well-received original,
which follows the exploits of a small group of American guys who are
part of Big Red One, an elite fighting unit formed during World War II.The game manages to convey an epic feeling while essentially
funneling the player from place to place – you can’t even open doors
on your own – and creating a first-person cinematic experience that is
at times breathtaking and at other times downright aggravating.Big Red One is an uneven experience overall but it holds enough
surprises and instance encounters to keep your interest.
No
doubt about it, Big Red One is a cinematic experience and as such the
game will kill you if you attempt to move outside the confines of the
predetermined path – often putting a minefield right your way.When you do go with flow, do what the game suggests (your
squadmates are always yelling out information) the feeling of taking
part in an episode of Band of Brothers or the best action sequences of
Saving Private Ryan or The Dirty Dozen is extremely strong.
Helping
convey this sense of being there is great sound design.If you’ve for a decent sound arrangement, turn up the volume
because it absolutely thump, particularly when you’re
manning an
anti-aircraft gun.Your
squadmates also sound very believable (and you’ll know why if you
watch the extras included with the collectors edition).
Big
Red One mixes up the action quite often.You’ll spend most of your time hoofing it but there are also
tank battles, “rail” sequences, and stationary fights, like the
aforementioned anti-aircraft gun.You’ll
spend time scrambling for cover, sneaking around, and patiently scanning
for enemy snipers.And more
than a few mission objectives (easily checked during the course of the
game) will need to be played again and again until you find the right way to go or figure out the correct action to perform to
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the next scripted action sequence.But overall, it’s a fun mix of missions and there's the
obligatory multiplayer over Xbox Live and system link with enough action
to keep most gamers satisfied.
Control
wise Big Red One features comfortable control similar to just about
every other first-person shooter available.This is a good thing because you don’t have to cope with a
learning curve.
At
the end of the day, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One features many thrills
but you’ll have to weigh that against the very directed action which
takes a bit of the fun out of it.