 Preview By: Jared Black |
Developer: | Infinity Ward |
| Publisher: | Activision | |
| Genre: | FPS | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-16 (1-8 online) | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | System Link | |
| Estimated Release: | 11/14/2005 |
With an emphasis on the brutal reality of war and lifelike visuals and sound, the original Call of Duty on PC set the standard as the definitive World War II based game. Unfortunately, the console adaptation Call of Duty: Finest Hour was a disappointment as it didn’t really capture the realistic nature and intensity of the original. Well, not only does the sequel look to be an even more realistic take on the brutality of war, but this time around Xbox 360 gamers should enjoy the same experience (minus the mouse and keyboard of course) PC fans do.
To add even more to the realism, the team at Infinity Ward has talked to a number of WWII veterans and consultants to get a true feel for what it was like on a WWII battlefield. The result is an increase in chatter between squad mates and more realistic fogging and weather effects. Now your squad mates will say more unscripted things, responding to events occurring on the battlefield in real-time and forcing the player to really pay attention to their surroundings. Smoke and fogging is now much denser, providing realistic cover for friends and foes alike.
The AI has also been given a significant overhaul, which will result in smarter teammates and enemies. In fact, Infinity Ward has reportedly devoted one of the Xbox 360’s two core CPUs entirely to handling AI. During my experience with Finest Hour I encountered a number of instances where enemies would stand directly in front of me and ignore me or my squad mates would fail to cover my back. Now, they should do a better job of anticipation troop actions from all angles and fighting a much smarter war.
Once again the game will focus on three different campaigns, this time the Allied attack at Normandy, battles in Russia, and Britain’s North African campaign. Each of the missions should include more branching paths than before (Finest Hour in particular was incredibly linear) resulting in a more fluid and realistic battle. For example, if a mission calls for the use of a sniper and tank commander the player may be able to choose which part of the mission to play through and objectives to achieve first. Naturally multiplayer support will be provided, including Axis vs. Allies team-based battles and many of the original PC game’s modes online.
Although there are several shooters due out at launch, Call of Duty 2’s focus on intense realistic warfare should make it a hit. Based on my time with the PC single-player demo that left me wanting much more, Infinity Ward has definitely delivered on all promises. The battlefields are more dynamic, teammates are smarter and chattier, and smoke and fog effects now have a tangible density to them that hangs over the battlefield and realistically obscures vision in the process. Assuming they can deliver the same experience to the Xbox 360, Call of Duty 2 may be the shooter to own this holiday season.
Posted: 2005-10-18 13:14:24 PST