Call of Duty: Big Red One
The biggest change afoot that you may notice if you are a veteran of the series is that you actually play as just one character the entire way through. This is good for gamers who want more continuity as far as story and development goes, but for fans of the franchise it may feel a little disjointed. You step into the combat boots of a soldier in the 1st Infantry Division of the American Allied forces. Throughout the game you will come to know the soldiers around you, get to see them grow as people, and yes, eventually die in battle.
With all of the development abound, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (CoD2: BRO) proves to be a much more cinematic experience. It's because of this the game sometimes feels like it's being pushed along on rails. You often go from one scenario into another without a lot of room for exploration or getting sidetracked. One could argue that the story takes place during World War II so it's not like soldiers were skipping off to smell the daisies in the midst of battle. A little more freedom could have gone a long way, but what ends up happening here is that you'll feel swept along with the game and caught up in its events. The game may not make as much of an impact as the real CoD2 does, but for PlayStation 2 owners this is one of the better FPS experiences around.
Gameplay:
The Call of Duty franchise has always hit the nail on the head in terms of constant action. The game never lets up or gives you a moment of respite from the moment you start it to the point where the last bullet flies. In that regard BRO is no different as you are constantly swept from one objective to the next until that particular mission comes to an end. Sometimes you have to fortify a position or destroy a tank while at others you have to overthrow an enemy stronghold. There's always something to do in the game, but like I said it comes across as very linear because of this.
If you have played any of the CoD games then most of the stuff here probably sounds familiar to you. For the most part it is old hat, but after experiencing CoD2 I can honestly say that this game lacks those wow-factor moments. In the real sequel I found myself having my breath taken away at just about every turn thanks to the sequences that were lain out before me. In BRO however, the game didn't carry as much of an impact. It may have had something to do with the on-rails feeling but it felt less impulsive and chaotic than it should have. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things here; they just aren't as good as the other game.
As far as the core gameplay for CoD2: BRO is concerned there's really nothing here that hasn't been done before. You control your soldier with the dual analog sticks and toss grenades and melee with the shoulder buttons. You can also go prone, jump, lean to the sides and zoom in with weaponry for better shots. If you've played CoD2 then you'll notice that the health system is different more akin to other shooters.
Unlike it's bigger brother, when you get hurt you have to pay attention to your damage meter in the lower right hand corner. If it starts to dip you better find a health pack fast if you want to have any hope of winning the war. Granted it's nothing new to the genre but systems like this in a World War II game have always trivialized the conflict in my opinion. Then again, compared to other series like Medal of Honor or Brothers in Arms I suppose it's only fair to use a system like this. I was just hoping for the relative lack of a health system that CoD2 used because I felt it was more realistic.
Fortunately the AI is just about as strong in this game as it is in its counterpart. Enemy soldiers take cover and try to sneak up on your position so you are constantly having to watch your (and your allies') back. The conflict really heats up as you find yourself trekking through burnt out buildings and war torn villages with no knowledge about what's beyond the horizon. You'll find yourself relying on your squad mates for direction and suppression fire as you move from one objective to the next. It's immersive, intense and one of the most action-oriented FPS experiences that you will find on the PlayStation 2.
A dab of multiplayer helps to spice things up a tad if you have a Network Adapter, but to be fair it's not the best offering in the world. Granted you can access online games with 16 players for Deathmatches, Capture the Flag rounds and Domination, but when there are so many bumps in the road, why bother? I encountered a bunch of lag and graphical glitches while playing online, and it almost felt to me like the game was too much for the system and network to handle. This was a far cry from the experience I had playing CoD2 on Xbox Live for the 360.
Graphics:
You will not find a better looking first person shooter for the PlayStation 2; period. This was one of the most immersive graphical endeavors that the console has seen and there was so much going on all of the time that it's surprising to me that the system could handle it. The action surrounds you, the environments are huge and the particle effects bring the game to life.
Things are a little rough around the edges though and if you have any choice between this or the Xbox version; you're probably better off with that one. I also hit a few points where some strange anomalies popped up in the battlefield that weren't supposed to be there. I don't know if it was related to my copy alone, but it felt almost like there was a hole in the polishing process. The framerate also drops occasionally as well when the action heats up, though it usually rights itself just as quickly.
Audio:
CoD2: BRO makes some great use of the Dolby Pro Logic II with an impressive array of content. Everything here from the music to the voice acting is handled with such care that it deserves to be applauded. The sound effects surround you as the constant explosions, screams and ambient sounds craft a lifelike experience. What impressed me the most however, was the quality of voiceovers that made their way into the game. Names like Mark Hamill, Michael Cudlitz, and Michael Gough grace the credits as well as a slew of actors from the Band of Brothers series.
Conclusion:
CoD2: BRO may not be as great an experience as its brothers in arms on the 360 and PC, but it certainly does well for itself on the PS2. The action is intense, the immersion is omnipresent and the aesthetic presentation is remarkable for the console. Linear gameplay and some occasional glitches hurt things a bit, but this is one of the better FPS games that you'll find for Sony's system. Don't let memories of Finest Hour leave a sour taste in your mouth for the series; this game is much, much better. Highly Recommended