Infinity Ward has selected to follow the same method for Call of Duty 2 as they did for Call of Duty and focus on doing what it does best, only this time they do it better. In other words, expect to find a whole lot of enemy troops down the sights of your rifle. And they'll be waiting there on the front lines in three campaigns where you will be playing as a soldier in of each of the allied armies as a Russian, British or American trooper.
To really get the full effect you need a top of the line computer system, including a decent sound card and upper end video card. If you have that, what you get is an awesome gaming experience. The excellent sound design brings together the deafening explosions, sounds of gunfire, ricochet echoes as bullets whiz by, and the shouts of your commander as he screams orders directing you and your squad. It really merits 5.1 surround sound and some decent speakers to do it justice.
With all the latest and greatest hardware, Call of Duty 2 is one of the best looking games on the shelf. What makes this game so incredible is the attention to detail, the use of particle effects that blow snow and smoke or clods of dirt from an artillery round's impact, and the distorted vision when one of those goes off close to your position in clouds of smoke. This also brings a strategic element into the game. In the up close fighting, cover was crucial to survival, and when you didn't have it, obscuring the enemy's view with smoke was an excellent option to create your own cover. Throughout the game your squad's success will depend on your laying out smoke to help cover your advancing troops.
With support for up to 32 players in online play, including nine new maps and the excellent HQ mode, Call of Duty 2 should be on your playlist for a good while to come. As for vehicles in online play unlike the (original Call of Duty), there are none and that is really to bad as there was nothing like jumping into a tank and taking out a whole squad of enemy troops.
All in all, Call of Duty 2 is one of the best pc games I have played to date, I only can hope to an expansion pack or a Call of Duty 3 to follow this great game.
