Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

- Reviewed on GameCube -

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One released on November 1st, 2005.

Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One was one of several Call of Duty titles released during the early years of the franchise. 

Rather than following the traditional Call of Duty 2 released on PC and Xbox 360, Big Red One tells its own story, focusing on the legendary United States 1st Infantry Division throughout World War II. 

Unfortunately, while Big Red One does some things better, I personally found it to be a bit of a step backwards overall, compared to previous, older, Call of Duty titles.

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The plot follows the famous "Big Red One" division as they fight through numerous battles during World War II. 

Unlike some of the earlier Call of Duty games, Big Red One spends much more time developing the personalities of your fellow soldiers. 

Throughout the campaign you'll constantly hear conversations between squad members, jokes during downtime, and emotional moments during the war. 

This made the cast much more memorable than I was expecting, and I appreciated that Treyarch tried to make you care about the people you were fighting alongside, instead of simply throwing you into one battlefield after another.

The gameplay is still the classic Call of Duty formula many players know. 

You'll be using various World War II weapons while pushing through enemy occupied towns, bunkers, fields, and cities. 

One thing I really appreciated though, was that not every mission simply consisted of shooting your way from Point A to Point B. 

There are several objectives throughout the campaign that help change up the pacing. 

Whether you're defending positions, destroying enemy equipment, or completing other mission specific tasks, it helps keep the campaign from becoming too repetitive.

Another aspect that immediately stood out to me was just how smooth many of the animations are. 

Reloading weapons, firing your guns, and even the cinematic cutscenes all have a nice fluidity to them. 

Considering this game released back in 2005, I was honestly impressed by how polished these animations looked. 

Small details like these helped immerse me in the experience much more than I expected.

The level design is also one of the game's stronger points. There are several missions that feature some really enjoyable layouts, and I especially liked when the game had you revisit previous locations. 

It doesn't happen constantly, but whenever it does, it helps strengthen the storytelling and makes the war feel like it's continuing around you, instead of every mission being completely disconnected from the last. 

It's a simple design choice, but one I thought worked really well.

Of course, Big Red One isn't entirely focused on infantry combat either. 

During the campaign you'll also get the opportunity to take part in tank battles and airplane missions. 

These gameplay sections help break up the standard gunfights and were some of the more memorable moments for me. 

I always enjoy when military shooters throw in different vehicle gameplay every now and then, and Big Red One does a respectable job with them.

Now onto some of my biggest complaints.

The soundtrack was a massive disappointment to me. 

After playing Call of Duty: Finest Hour, I expected another soundtrack filled with memorable orchestral pieces during the campaign. 

Instead, Big Red One goes for a much quieter and more realistic presentation. 

While I understand why they chose this direction, I honestly can't remember a single standout track from the entire game. 

That's a huge shame because music can really elevate emotional moments during a campaign, and I felt this game missed that opportunity almost entirely.

Another gameplay decision I really didn't like was the lack of a hit marker whenever you shoot an enemy. 

Nowadays this feature is standard across most shooters, but going back to Big Red One reminded me just how much I appreciate that small piece of feedback. 

Sometimes it wasn't immediately obvious whether my shots were landing or not, and personally, I think leaving hit markers out was an atrocious design choice.

Difficulty is another area that may frustrate some players. 

Like many older Call of Duty games, checkpoints can be fairly sparse, meaning you'll often replay larger sections after dying. 

It's something I expected going into an older title, but it can still become frustrating, especially during some of the more difficult encounters.

Finally, the graphics unfortunately haven't aged very well. 

In some areas I actually think they look worse than Call of Duty: Finest Hour, which surprised me considering this game released afterwards. 

Character models, environments, and certain textures just don't hold up particularly well today.

At the end of the day, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is still an enjoyable World War II shooter with some genuinely great ideas. 

The stronger cast of characters, varied mission objectives, smooth animations, enjoyable vehicle missions, and well-designed levels all make for a solid campaign. 

However, the forgettable soundtrack, lack of hit markers, aging visuals, and sometimes frustrating difficulty kept me from enjoying it as much as its predecessor. 

If you enjoyed the older Call of Duty games, Big Red One is still worth playing, but personally, I believe Call of Duty: Finest Hour remains the stronger overall experience.

Pros: 

    - Personality Driven Cast of Characters

    - Varied Mission Objectives

    - Smooth and Fluid Animations

    - Neat Level Design

    - Tank and Airplane Missions

Cons:

    - Forgettable Soundtrack

    - No Hit Markers

    - Difficult with Sparse Checkpoints

    - Graphics Haven't Aged Very Well

My Rating for Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (on GameCube):

3 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.