Call of Duty 2 lets players experience four individual soldier stories as they overcome insurmountable odds in multiple campaigns. Players have the freedom to follow each of the four storylines through for the ultimate character-driven experience, or they can engage in the historic battles chronologically for quick hitting action. Infinity Ward has also expanded the scope of combat to deliver a truly realistic battlefield experience. Squads now have the freedom to take on a variety of mission objectives, on expansive battlefields that allow for multiple paths and the ability to utilize actual combat tactics like outflanking and fire and maneuver capabilities. Call of Duty 2's new engine and A.I. technology set the stage for authentic squad combat and astonishing action. Concealment can be key as battlefield smoke or even deployed smoke grenades cloud visibility. Weather effects such as the dusty sandstorms of North Africa and whiteout blizzard conditions of Russia, for example, will keep soldiers glued to their bunkers. The team has also employed a state-of-the-art Battle Chatter System that brings the action to life as squad-mates bark out context-sensitive updates in real-time to players through an advanced A.I. system. [Activision] PUBLISHER: Activision DEVELOPER: Infinity Ward GENRE(S): First-Person Shooter, Action PLAYERS: 32 ESRB RATING: T (Teen) RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2005 WHAT THE CRITICS SAID All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. 100 GameSpy Instead of feeling like a stale retread or losing steam halfway through, it manages to be a blast from start to finish. 100 GameShark With familiar and entertaining gameplay, a slick overall presentation and multiplayer that still proves to be a worthwhile distraction Call of Duty 2 may very well be in the running for the 2005 action game of the year. 98 Game Informer Quite simply, this is the best WWII game ever made. [Dec 2005, p.146] 98 Gaming Target With a single player campaign so exciting it should be illegal, combined with an incredibly fun multiplayer, Call of Duty 2 is an absolute must-have for any gamer. 98 Game Chronicles With more campaigns and the larger and non-linear missions and objective structure, Call of Duty 2 is easily much more than the original. It is a finely tuned work of art with so much research and attention to detail incorporated into it that action gamers will become totally immersed in the unrelenting experience of brutal combat. 97 PGNx Media Infinity Ward took the bar, threw it up, and jumped over it when it was still in the air. 96 GamingTrend The levels were incredibly balanced and elicited feelings of imminent danger as you are often starting very close to your enemy’s location. 96 BonusStage It’ll push your rigs to its limits, and when it does, you’ll know why Call of Duty 2 is one of the most visceral, exciting, and blisteringly addictive experiences in gaming ever. 94 Gamers' Temple Call of Duty 2 is like a good war movie, it may not be a realistic portrayal of war but it is dramatic, compelling, and epic in scale. 93 netjak Bringing to the table solid gameplay elements, great visuals, and even better sound makes this game the culmination of the World War 2 FPS experience. 92 Gaming Illustrated The graphics are jaw-dropping, the sounds is amazing, and the missions are varied and fun to play. 92 Gamezilla! Detailed textures, weather effects, realistic explosions all put together a solid performance. The only issue I had was some slow down issues when too much was going on. 92 Next Level Gaming You must have this game. This is the front-runner right now for Game of the Year as far as I am concerned. 91 Computer and Video Games Infinity Ward wants screaming, smoke, flying bodies, chaos and you running around with goggle-eyes, jaw-hanging and tongue lolling, wondering where the next hail of bullets is going to come from. It doesn't want to make you feel cool, it wants to pulverise you. [PC Zone] 91 Gaming Horizon Even if gamers have grown tired of World War II, Call of Duty 2 features the largest battles and most detailed environments of any game to date, making it worth a look. 90 Ferrago Even the tutorial level at the start of the game is a work of genius in this gem of a game. 90 Computer Games Magazine Infinity Ward lays claim to the creation of the ultimate WWII shooter with Call of Duty 2. [Jan 2006, p.63] 90 Play Magazine For now, they can bask in the glow of a truly superior achievement. [Dec 2005, p.80] 90 Worth Playing Call of Duty 2 continually kept me on the edge of my seat. Non-stop adrenaline stretched across a surface tension that’s unmatched in any other first-person shooter. 90 GameBiz It may not be the most realistic in terms of solider damage and battlefield strategy, but for bringing across the atmosphere, and pure chaos of World War II, Call of Duty 2 is the still the best around. 90 eToychest It may not really innovate or move the genre into a new direction, but it offers everything most players want from the genre and it does it with certifiable mastery. 90 Games Radar This multiplayer component caps an already stunning single-player campaign and extends the value greatly. 90 RewiredMind The atmosphere is as thick as ever, the battles are tougher and grittier, the highs higher, the lows lower, the enemy more cunning. 90 GamePro Multiplayer-wise, Call of Duty 2 supports a whopping 32 online players with general FPS game types, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, and CTF, and Call of Duty 2's own brand of Headquarters and Search and Destroy--all wonderfully smooth via online. 90 GameZone This is a very satisfying and enjoyable game, full of tension, chaos and war’s horror, but with an intelligent AI and terrific visual elements. 89 ActionTrip Little things like how you need to hold your breath to shoot a sniper rifle and the use of smoke grenades, as well as the much more significant improvements that deal with the technology and the level design in general, show that Infinity Ward has invested a lot of time and effort into this project. 89 Games Radar UK (Pre-2006) Nothing radically new but 30 missions of the most furious, vibrant, relentless, utterly insane war your can imagine. [PC Gamer UK] 88 PC Format Unbelievably intense and absolutely beautiful on a high-end PC. [Christmas 2005, p.93] 88 GameSpot It doesn't really break any new ground, but the game nails the core aspects of first-person-shooter gameplay so well that it doesn't need to. 87 FiringSquad Compelling is barely adequate to describe the feeling as you’re gritting your teeth and trying to find a new way to assault that strongpoint at the highest difficulty levels – grenades gone, no squadmates in sight and an MG42 trained on you. The visuals, the sound, the yelling and screaming and the rain or dust storms just suck you right back in. 86 2404.org You get a real sense of claustrophobia in the middle of the mess trying to figure out which direction to go and who to shoot in the haze. 85 Game Over Online The fast paced action is still the centerpiece of the game, and the action is engaging enough to capture even the most jaded first person shooter vet who’s probably tired of the numerous WWII titles that’ve been released. 85 Da Gameboyz It's by far the greatest WW2 game to date and it will be so for a long time. 85 IGN I find implementing regenerating health to be a little troublesome. It allows you to experience a kind of combat only a mythical super-soldier could withstand, and in so doing, propels the game from gritty authenticity to John Woo fantasy. 85 Armchair Empire There are many great World War II games but in my mind Call of Duty 2 is the best of the bunch. 85 PC Gameworld Provides a great single-player experience that immerses the player completely in the experience. If not for the lacking multiplayer, this game would be nearly perfect. 85 Game Power Australia To stick so closely to the first game was probably a mistake that is bound to hit sales. It almost feels like an expansion pack, sort of a follow-up to "United Offensive." 84 PC Gamer If you're looking for a pure action game, I can recommend no better, at least not for single-player. If you're looking for the bleeding edge of digital storytelling, however, you'll find it at Valve and Monolith. [Holiday 2005, p.60] 84 Pelit (Finland) Call of Duty 2 has near-perfect visuals and great gameplay, but suffers from a serious case of same old, same old. Where is the innovation? [Nov 2005] 82 My Gamer The most realistic WWII-inspired game in the market. 80 EuroGamer Justified cynicism aside, Infinity Ward's latest effort unquestionably refines the cinematic World War II shooter genre to new giddy heights of bombastic brilliance. 80 Total Video Games It makes no attempt to move the genre forwards and is largely a routine run and gun shooter from start-to-finish, albeit an intense one at that. 80 Yahoo! Games When something is this well done, just because you've seen it all before doesn't mean it's not worth seeing again. 80 1UP Pulling its trigger condenses everything that's right about Call of Duty 2 into a single moment. Online or off it is the epitome of visceral thrill seeking. 80 Cheat Code Central This attention to realism is actually disturbing. It reminds you that war isn't a party. 80 NTSC-uk An exhausting, exhilarating ride which will hold you captivated 'til the very last second of the last mission. 80 Sydney Morning Herald This exhilarating and atmospheric World War II action game does little to advance the run-and-gun genre, but it is a memorable experience. 80 Thunderbolt Maybe I was a victim of my own expectations, but I really think it comes down to the fact that this game is essentially Call of Duty with a few bells-and-whistles. 80 3DAvenue While some areas could have used more polish, particularly the AI which is a tad disappointing, the experience the game has to offer is unmatched. 80 AceGamez It's not going to impress anyone who's grown to loathe games based in this era, but action fans and those desperate for more since the original Call of Duty burst onto the scene will be hard pressed to find a bad thing to say about it. 80 Gamenikki I would have liked to see a little more variety in the level design, and just a bit more of the “over the top” craziness of the original, but I still enjoyed the single player missions enough to rate the game highly. 80 Boomtown It's perhaps a bit too frenetic, but on this showing at least, I know I'll be playing this through a few more times until a welcome sequel arrives. 80 Maxim Online Call of Duty 2 isn't a bold new game, but subtle improvements and new historical battles deliver a good reason to keep fighting. 80 games The sense of mortality, tension and sheer scale makes for a truly stunning experience. [Christmas 2005, p.110] 80 G4 TV There’s no feature bloat, and there are no dud missions--just quality gaming from start to finish. That’s just about all we can ask for. 80 Computer Gaming World Like a good meatloaf, it expertly scratches that comfort food itch, leaving you well-satisfied until the craving hits you again, months later - just in time for the inevitable expansion. [Jan 2005, p.94] 80 GamerFeed The AI has been fixed up a little bit so that they react and take cover quite often, and will even act aggressively to encourage you to push forward. 79 IC-Games Infinity Ward/Activision have certainly shot themselves in the foot with this one. They will be very lucky if it can maintain online playability for as long as its predecessors in its current state. 76 Amped IGO Essentially, the game is missing the refinements that all good multiplayer shooters have. You get the feeling that Infinity rather pushed this game out for the mad Christmas rush. 75 Game Revolution It delivers unbelievable graphics and more cathartic chaos than you can shoot a luger at, but has something of a dumb head on its shoulders, an overly simple control scheme and busies itself providing greater densities of the same old content without doing anything new. 70 Edge Magazine For those who can tolerate having their brain beaten numb by it, the game entails often enthralling, occasionally awe-inspiring sights and sounds. But little is there that’s new compared to much that needs renewal. [Christmas 2005, p.96] What Some users said: Matt N. gave it a6: A disappointment overall, the game play is very simplistic much like Quake 4 but nowhere near as entertaining (or good to look at) for some reason - I think it's the lack of gore and the respawning enemies this is my pet hate with this game - nothing robs you of a sense of accomplishment like fighting a never ending stream of enemies. And for such a frantic shooter the weapons are pretty weak - the rifles are all a bit similar though the Bren gun is nice. It's also surprisingly demanding on your PC (my machine P4 3.4Ghz, 2 Gigs RAM, Geforce 6800), I have to run many of the settings at low quality and it's not as if it looks like Half-life 2 or Far Cry. I probably to need to hurry up and get myself an SLI rig (not for this game though!!). Dylan S. gave it a10: Wow... its good to se a game build on its strengths. Justin A. gave it a10: Excellent in single player mode... but the guys playing online are far too good to play against as a beginner... frustrating but im getting better!! but absolutly brilliant overall! Nick H. gave it an8: “Call of Duty 2” is not all it could have been; in fact it’s a lot more of the same. But no matter how familiar it all seems (every town and mission seems recycled from the original), it takes the cinematic intensity of the original PC game and takes it to new levels. Never have I felt such an overwhelming sense chaos in a game before. You’re almost constantly under fire, running from grenades at the risk of exposing yourself to entrenched submachine gunners. All the while your allies are falling dead all around your or diving for shelter behind an overturned table, attempting to fire back against the vicious onslaught. Believe me, if you choose to play this game on its hardest setting (‘veteran’), be warned: you are about to face some of the deadliest combat to ever grace gaming. Your hair will become disheveled, you will clench your teeth as you run to cover, and you’ll yelp with glee when you finally kill that damned Nazi held up in the church. And then your moan with despair when you are on the verge of completing your goal only to take a bullet to the head. Frankly, one of the games biggest problems is that it far to often crosses the line between challenging and mind numbing aggravation. There are so many times that you’ll storm away from your PC in utter disgust. (Once I saw a Nazi spawn behind a bookcase next to my allies due to a buggy trigger… he managed to kill me.) It’s all checkpoint based, too – a system that disregards your previous accomplishments and sends you back the last ‘save’ point just because one Nazi got a lucky shot in. These checkpoints are fairly well placed, but sometimes you’d just wish there was a ‘save anywhere’ feature or at least a checkpoint half way down a Nazi infested street. But, when I look at it, this game wouldn’t have lasted me nearly as long as it did if it allowed me to save every time I reached cover – but it would have made for a much more ‘fun’ experience. Now, adding more to the annoyance rather than the difficulty, there are some instances (one American mission in particular, wherein you must capture an entire town) when you face an ENDLESS flow of Nazis. For a game so soaked in realistic atmosphere, it’s kind of awkward to gun down the entire Third Reich in one small French town. Still, for those of us who love a good challenge, this is the game for you. And for those of us who want the most out of the crafty AI that videogames have to offer, be wary, you’re about to have your ass handed to you. Even though it’s amazingly tough, you’ll still have a good time with it. The games main drawing points are it’s setting and it’s challenge, so if you want a story, or meaningful supporting characters, look else where as you will feel absolutely no connection to “Pvt. Harris” or “Capt. Price” or even the people of Europe who you’re supposed to be helping – hell, it’s WWII, all you need to do is stay alive! (I guess…) = Final Thoughts - 8.3 / 10.0 – The most intense game on the market, it’s good fun even when you’re pissed. Let’s see if they can get the ‘story’ part down next time and could we see some more inventive missions? Jesse C. gave it a9: By far the most engaging and atmospheric WWII game yet. You'll feel like you mean something to your squad, and at the same time you don feel like Duke Nukem - one man army. By combining beautiful graphics, a great soundtrack and sound design this game makes you feel like you're in WWII, at least as much as a video game ever could. Great buy! Sam F. gave it a9: The Mixed Reviews Coming from this Title is Understandable, Everyone expected a new type of gameplay but instead got exactly the same game with a prettier package and new Maps. I Really would have given this game a 10 if it had been less linear, but having the same linear gameplay mostly is really unforgivable. There are areas where you have multiple objectives that you can do in any order but its still very linear. The graphics though are the only major advancement as far as smoke grenades and effects. The Game also took away medkits which are replaced with Seek shelter and magically heal. ALthough many people hate this feature , it actually adds you to run to cover like in real life. Of course nothing that the game will include can imitate real life ...ex. You get shot IRL and your usually dead ...game over. So no matter if its a med kit that heals in an instant or taking cover, it truly does not take away from experience. I can't understand the very low scores some have given this game , but I was around during Pong so I am amazed at the Graphics and gameplay in a game as good as This series. Filip Š. gave it a10: The best PC game of year 2005!
OWNING GAME!! i have it but my computer doesnt run it good meh and i alrdy played cod1 800 hours so i dont feel like playing that anymore xP
Call of Duty and Call of Duty United Offensive are far better, there is no skill really required in cod2 multiplayer because there is no recoil and all the guns are like one shot kills practically. Great Review though
Man cod2 is the best game ever !! i play it all the time. http://www.xfire.com/profile/thecanadien i think people say its "ez" because there no recoil. But once the patch comes out it will be a totally different story (if the rumors are true). But i have to agree with the people that say it's an ez game. In cod i can shoot some one from 1 end of the map to the other him a thompson because of recoil. But in cod2 its ezz to do ! nether the less GREAT review man
No. CoD2 sucks. They rushed the game, used the same setup as CoD. They, however convieniently, forgot to fix all the bugs that were in the original CoD though, so they are all still in CoD2. CoD2 has no mapping or modding capabilities whatsoever, and therefore really kills the community off there. But wait, theres more! Not only have they left all the bugs there, but they show no intentions of releasing a patch for the game anytime soon. CoD2 was a waste of money. Great storyline, horrible game. Simple as that. And for those of you that actually believe the patch will come, the two maps that "will be released" are mp_harbor (from the original CoD) and mp_rhine ( a smaller version of mp_rhinevalley from UO). IW doesnt care about the gamers of CoD2 anymore guys. They have your money and that is all that matters. I will be writing a review shortly of a game that puts CoD2 to shame in 12 different languages.
i've played cod 1 more http://www.xfire.com/profile/majorwannabe http://www.xfire.com/profile/pyhz man i wanna play this game , i just have a :censored: pc
I realize that, but I am only stating what around 65-90% of the populace at IWNation.com has learned. IWNation.com is the OFFICIAL boards of Activision and InfinityWard. I guarantee that even though they talk about how great this is, Activision and Infinity Ward have turned the PC franchise of Call of Duty into a console based game. I will NEVER buy an Activision product again due to the lack of support that was shown in this game by the developers. The only news you hear about a patch is a load of PR talk trying to convince more people to spend their money on a half-completed game.
