Product Reviews

Ask most people if they'd like to experience real combat and their first response will be to look a little frightened, back away slowly and nervously take a seat a little further up the train. But when it comes to World War II action games, the original Call of Duty took some beating. Well now it's time to rejoin the allies and battle the evil Axis troops once again in Call of Duty 2.

The first thing you'll notice are the souped-up graphics. The game takes full advantage of all the visually jaw-dropping effects that graphics cards can muster and if you've got a serious PC, it can look amazing. The battle-scarred towns, the inhabitants and all the vehicles you encounter are all far more detailed. The special effects are also a lot more stunning, with realistic snow fall, dust storms and haze caused by burning buildings and vehicles.

It's the game's impeccably modelled characters that really serve to bring Call of Duty 2 alive. Troops move like they're carrying big heavy packs and act as if they really are right in the thick of the action. So pushing forwards sees your comrades hiding in craters, peering round doorways and generally keeping out of the line

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of fire.

The aural experience is equally striking and features a cacophony of crashes, booms and whistles. Play the game with a decent set of headphones and you'll feel as if you're right in the middle of the fighting.

The enemies are just as well realised and on harder difficulty settings, their survival instincts are formidable. If you look like you're fighting a losing battle, they'll push forwards; if you start winning, they'll hot foot it for cover leaving you to pick them off with your rifle.

As with the original game you get to play as British, Russian and American troops. But whereas the previous version jumped around between the three nationalities, Call of Duty 2 lets you play each one all the way through. You start out as a Russian soldier fighting your way to Berlin at the end of the war, but once you've reached a certain stage the British and American campaigns are unlocked, and you can then switch to those whenever you want. The Russian campaign is perhaps the most gripping of the three, with the Stalingrad missions proving the most fun, challenging and nail-bitingly tense of the lot.

Call of Duty 2 also introduces a new method of taking damage. There's no health bar as such, and you simply get injured when shot or caught near an explosion. A near-mortal injury gives visual and audible feedback, at which point you'll need to find somewhere safe to recover. Not only does this eradicate the less-than-realistic hunt for health packs, but it also means that you don't return from a saved game with minimal health in the middle of a firefight and repeatedly die.

Call of Duty 2 isn't anything new, but it's an enjoyable and well-realised slice of World War II action that'll keep you occupied for a few hours.