Big Red One isn't as good as Infinity Ward's CoDs, but it's a step in the right direction for the other companies.
Cons:…But it won’t keep your attention long at all; You still won’t care about the characters in your squad as they get disposed one by one as you move on; Indoor combat still isn’t really exciting; Inconsistent enemy AI; Dying animations of your enemies aren’t always clear; Control system on Xbox is weird Before I start reviewing this game, I feel the need to inform you that Call of Duty 2, and Call of Duty 2 Big Red One are both very different games. Call of Duty 2 is the official sequel, made by the true developers of the series, keeping the same high-quality standards as the original classic. Call of Duty 2 Big Red One is more or less the companion game, no doubt meant for Activision to get a few extra sales in the holidays of 2005. However, that doesn’t mean you should definitely discard this game though, as Treyarch has tried to recreate what made Infinity Ward’s games so special, and in doing so has made a solid, if unremarkable game in its own right. The key points that got Call of Duty its name are the cinematic scenes that feel like a real war with multiple fighting soldiers on each side. Such is the case with the opening sequence, the ending sequence, and a few points in between. In those scenes, everywhere you look (if you can keep your head popped up long enough without being shot) action is unfolding. You’ll watch soldiers run to their imminent death. You’ll see explosions take place just feet from your hiding spot. You’ll watch teammates take cover and poke their heads up and fire at the enemy. Even though these scenes are heavily scripted, you won’t care, and you’ll get sucked into combat. Other than those points, the game still throws a lot of variety at you. You’ll operate a machine gun on the back of a truck, you’ll drive a tank, you’ll defend a city, you’ll spot targets for artillery, and more in the game’s relatively short campaign. The missions tend to be quite varied, changing when you are about to get tired of your current activity. The only sections of the game that don’t hold up are the indoor hallway sections where you mow down Nazis one at a time. The other potential issue is the Nazis themselves. They are smart enough to take cover, but still often keep their heads up, and their aiming is inconsistent. Often I’ve fought enemies who couldn’t hit me with a full clip, even enemies who wouldn’t shoot, only to suddenly turn a corner and find one that has perfect aim. It’s not too bad if you learn to be a quick shot, but when you are low on health, and can’t see the Nazi yet, it’s frustrating. Still, the campaign is fun, it just won’t be on your mind long after you finish it. When you are done with that, you can try multiplayer. Multiplayer in Big Red One, is pretty fun, but it isn’t going to be on your playlist long unless you are starved for new online action. The combat is basically the same as single player, just less cinematic, and more repetitive (with few players), so it’s fun at first, but gets old faster than most shooters.
On a happier note, the graphics Big Red One are good. The environments are typically good and detailed, while the smoke effects, guns, and equipment are great. The people are pretty good too, featuring the standard array of animations in a WWII game. My only issues are the ugly faces (to be fair, they’re better than most faces on last-gen systems), and that the death animations are the same animations used for the soldiers who fall and then get back up again (which is pretty confusing). Even better than the graphics is the sound. The music is dramatic, and helps set the mood for some of the best moments in the game. The sound effects from the guns are great and seem realistic enough. And the voice acting is great, which soldiers shouting over the loud noise of combat to be heard, often stressed and scared, and basically showing plenty of emotion. In the end, Call of Duty 2 Big Red One is a good rental, but probably nothing more. If you can only play up to 3 Call of Duty game(s), play the better ones made by Infinity Ward (or Call of Duty 3, which is the closest to an Infinity Ward game that any developer has come). However, taken as just one game, and not part of a superb series of shooters, Big Red One is a solid game from start to finish, and a rental you won’t regret.