Just think of this as Call of Duty 2 Lite.
Released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One isn't as graphics-heavy as Call of Duty 2 for PC or Xbox 360. Nonetheless, it still includes plenty of intense warfare scenarios, differing gameplay scenarios and above-average graphics (as far as current-gen systems are concerned) to make this a superb addition to any war-game lover's library.
'Big Red One' refers to one of the U.S.'s most legendary infantry divisions that fought in World War II. You're a private who leads a group of men into a number of battles, all in the name of fighting for peace.
This sounds like standard war game stuff. But it's far from your standard war game.
'Big Red One,' not surprisingly, starts you off smack dab in the middle of an intense firefight and actually acts (sneakily) as almost a training level. Though you're running through a constant hail of gunfire and your friends are being blown to smithereens all around you, you're taught how to pick up weapons, how to zoom, how to crouch and lay prone, and so on. Before you know it, you're on to the next level and things barely slow down from there.
Everything in 'Big Red One' is classic Call of Duty - that is, everything is very realistic (not that we've ever fought in a war before).
Your gun doesn't include a magical reticule you can use to aim at enemies; at most, you get crosshairs on a sniper rifle. Otherwise, you simply look down the barrel of a gun and line up a bad guy. Unloading a constant stream of bullets with most guns results in serious recoil - again, exactly what would happen if you had a real old-school machine gun.
One of the best aspects of the Call of Duty titles is the emotion you have to invest. In 'Big Red One,' each soldier in your group has their own personality and you get to know each one through cutscenes before or after a mission. Though you're in the middle of a war, hearing the banter between the soldiers really gets you attached to them and makes you want to be a better player in the game, covering them when they're stuck and getting them out of sticky situations.
And these 'sticky situations' occur a lot. When you do get caught behind a wall of enemies, you also can't just run into the middle of a firefight and hope to survive. The AI is quite smart and will unload on anyone who appears somewhere without cover. They're actually quite relentless, especially those behind turrets. If they spot you, they'll shoot in your direction and won't let up until either you or him is dead.
You won't just be travelling on foot either. You'll drive tanks, shoot from airplanes - there's plenty to do here to keep from getting bored. That being said, some of these levels aren't the most exciting, especially an early level controlling a tank. It's a such a difference going from being very tactical to just blowing stuff away in a tank, basically hitting one button repeatedly to get the job done.
There is no multiplayer on the 'Cube's 'Big Red One' but there is a lot of stuff to open up - mostly info and pictures on the different equipment you use and encounter throughout the game.
'Big Red One' should be a title any first-person shooter fan should check out if they don't have an Xbox 360 or a powerful PC - especially fans of war FPS games. The Call of Duty franchise proves that it's not all about mindlessly shooting wave after wave of enemies and moving onto the next section. You have to plan out attacks and take your time. When friends die on the battlefield, you'll actual react to it.
This alone puts 'Big Red One' above the majority of FPS' that have been released in recent months.
WHAM! Rating: |
8.4 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
T (Teen) |
Official Web Site: |
|
|
