Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (Xbox, 2005)

I got this game for Christmas Last year, the original was fun and addictive, and this one looked even better. To my delight, it was an amazing game, taking the player through Operation Torch (North Africa), Operation Husky (Sicily and Italy), and Operation Overlord (Invasion of Normandy) all the way to the Sigfried Line, but sadly it ends there. The missing end of the story (Aachen, Remagen, etc.) was a bit dissapointing, but the prequel (Finest Hour) covers that in the American campaign.
A wide range of weapons to use, including American, French, Italian, and German weapons, as well as various turrets and cannons. Makes for some great multiplayer, especially with no one running and gunning with MG42s (which are all stationary in the game) or blasting from across the field with the G43 Sniper (which is no longer a sniper weapon in the game).
Multiplayer is a great improvement from the original, and features 4 gametypes, Capture the Flag, Team Death Match, Death Match, and Domination. Maps also have a variety of locations an match ups, such as Gela, Italy, featuring Americans Vs. Italians, and Cassino, Italy, featuring French Vs. Germans. Another great feature of multiplayer is ranks (Private, Corporal, Sargeant) which enable different class specific weapons and abilities. For example, Snipers at the Corporal rank get the ability to call in air strikes every 10 minutes or so, and Machine Gunners can throw down ammo for himself or others to collect.

All in all, its a great game, and even better if you have XBox Live.
My only problems with it are:
-No Omaha Beach Multiplayer Map
-No Canadians in the game >:(
-Campaign ends after Sigfried Line

But those arent reasons to toss the game aside, its a great game, and even includes some fun facts!

5/5, get it...

I'm a big fan of first person shooter games and especially world war 2 based fps, and this game is the definition of that sub genre. Call of Duty 2 The Big Red One follows the true story of the American infantry unit and its conquest which resulted in major aid in collapsing the German campaign. I love that aspect of war video games, the all to real feeling the gamer gets in the midst of the explosions, gun fire, and amazing cinematic qualities that really put you as close as you could get, all from your chair. I am speaking passionately about this game, I know, but it is a fantastic game with a quick learning curb, excellent choice of weaponry, as usually, and missions that become so intense at moments that you become completely lost in the gameplay. Not only this but the missions take you all over, the maps all designed beautifully and look scenic and serene at times. And a screen shot later terror and havoc from the war become re-imagined and overwhelm your senses (even touch, lets not forget the rumble in your hands). I love the smell of napalm in the morning, in the early morning hours coming from the call of duty disk. Ownage.

In the WWII genre, this is a good game. The feel of the game brings you into the war. Unfortunately, as many people who are familiar with this genre already know, there are many areas that need improving.

Problems(or room for improvement):
-difficulty is created by making the environments excessively dark. I think this is a cop out.
-multi-player leaves a lot to be desired. Very glitchy. Jumpy. Opponents do not move smoothly.
-many remaining glitches in the game. Try crawling through dead people...it's cool. Some dead people simply float in the air.
-sometimes aggravating AI. Your teammates occasionally block your path or obstruct your view right in the middle of a battle.

Strengths:
-cool cut scenes. Nice ambiance.
-great action. Good variety of weapons with realistic feel.
-great music and ambient sounds.
-controls are simple.

This game is worth a rent and probably a purchase, but future iterations of the call of duty series are likely to improve upon these issues.

Not a bad buy for the price if you are looking for a few new campaign missions to play until the next Call of Duty comes out.

After playing CoD4 and CoDWaW, the graphics, but more importantly, the AI feels extremely outdated. As such, the infantry missions are very easy. The XBox control scheme for which the game is designed is also different from that used in the XBox 360 installments and takes a little getting used to.

However, the B-24 mission (for which I bought the game) is one heck of a good time and the rest of the campaign is good enough to keep you entertained until Infinity Ward and Treyarch roll out their next installments.

A good buy if you are a CoD collector, someone who loves the aircraft missions in the series, or someone just looking for a cheap game to pass the time.

If you enjoy first person shooters, you'll love this one. The story is compelling, interconnected and emotional. You really feel like a soldier from the Fighting First Infantry Division. I know I was sad when my buddies in the game died.
Possibly the best of this game comes out when playing live; it is the ultimate first person shooter for xbox live.