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Call Of Duty 2


SplaTtzZ

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Just downloaded the single-player demo for COD 2. I'd recommend a download of it to see whether you like the game. I thought I might post my thoughts on the game and each element of it.

 

Graphics - Technically very good. The game is visually very impressive (Like its predecessor) with all sorts of smoke, shrapnel and nice looking explosions. It has quite good particle and decal effects, the textures look authentic and the character models and animations can be quite expressive (Usually on scripted occasions). COD 2 uses an engine that could be very effective for a WW2 game.

 

Sound - Music doesnt seem such an important feature for this demo, though it does have some nice sound effects (typically explosions and gunfire - alot of sounds seemed to have been recycled from the first game). The voice acting is also passable.

 

Gameplay - This is where I really get hung up about this game; and IMO its the game's greatest downfall. The AI seems to be exactly the same as the first one. I suppose its a bit better than most FPS's in that it requires you to take cover instead of being a gung-ho maniac; thought there are times when you can do this. However the way it makes you simulate taking cover is by giving the AI (particularly on higher difficulty settings) unerring accuracy, and an uncanny ability to know where you are, even in a massive gunbattle. This, coupled with your amazing accuracy, makes the game feel more like leap-frog than WW2; with you basically moving from cover to cover; standing up, firing and instantly killing an enemy before ducking back into cover where they cant hit you. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. To me it makes the game tedious; i enjoyed Half Life 2's AI that moved around alot more.

 

The AI for COD 2 is sometimes beyond a joke as well; with enemies and teammates finding the most ridiculous places to take cover (though to be fair; most of the time they seem to do ok, even if they're a little bit slow about it) and hopping on grenades or running into your field of fire. And no wonder the Axis lost the war if their sole tactic was "rush"; particularly into choke points. I know about the Blitzkrieg and all; but the AI either acts like its storming a beachhead or has a "not one step backward" plan of defense. AI that move around a little more would be alot more fun. And the whole teammates "talking" to you feature; yeah i think its a great idea but they overdid it a little. I think its good when an AI teammate shows me an enemy i didnt know was there or highlights a grenade to my attention; but when i've been focusing on the one house for a while using my stand-up and instant kill method it grates on my nerves to hear the same British accent voice-over say, for the twentieth time, "Jerries in the house...second floor...left!" when I and 20 of my AI teammates have already been firing in that direction. I hope this feature is toned down a little for the realease.

 

COD 2 plays like COD 1; in fact there was no real difference besides an updated graphics engine and some new stages and a few vehicles. I think i will still buy it; mostly for the multiplayer which i thought for COD 1 was really enjoyable; IMO the multiplayer makes up for whatever the single player loses out on. Overall the singleplayer seems to play like a Hollywood Action movie; COD 1 is the epitome of how hollywood treats WW2, and i think COD 2 will also be like this. The lack of an Axis campaign really doesn't work well in the game's favour either.

 

COD 2 is a very cinematic experience; if you like that then I'd recommend it. For me though, i need proper gameplay; and the COD games always spouted rubbish about soldiers in war "never fighting alone", but by the end of the 1st game and the demo I felt like a one man army. HL 2 was much better because although I also felt like a one man army, at least the AI was a bit more challenging. Perhaps im being overly critical, but i don't think COD is really doing the World War 2 genre any justice by conforming to Hollywood standards.

Edited by SplaTtzZ
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I just read a preview in a german game mag about COD2. They seemed quite happy about the AI, which is quite contrary to your report. I don't really trust the gamemags anymore, especially when it comes to titles that have a high profile like this one.

The only points they said was a bit negative, was that COD2 has a LOT of scripted sequences, and that the AI is respawning. So when you, for example, have to enter a hut and in there are 4 enemies, you can't rely on them being killed afterwards, because if you wait to long or something then they will continously respawn until you achieved the objective.

 

From the first title, I liked it a lot, because it was really a good cinematic experience, as you also say, but it has no ot much of a replay value. On the other hand, the part in the russian town with the sniper rifle is really one of the best. I especially liked the multiplayer part there, because you actually could use the sniperrifle a lot. And the sounds were extremely well done. So I guess I will give COD2 a look and see what it's all about, but only when it is finished. I don't like to play unfinished demos. :)

Gerhard

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Not even interested in wasting 20 mintues downloang if it's anything like the first obne. You'd be better of watching a war movie than playing this scripted nonsense. It's barely interactive. Like the legend on the game cover says 'Just get a big bag of popcorn, and watch the show'.

I like do-it -yourself games like Gothic and Morrowind, where you're just dropped into a huge world and told to fuck off.

Civillisation will not attain perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.

- Emil Zola

 

character models site

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It certainly is a heavily scripted and cinematic game; much like the first one. I really didn't like the AI in the first one at all, or in this demo. To me it seems the dev's decided to make every enemy extremely easy to kill, and just put lots of them in there (and with respawns); I think thats a hollywood/american thing because by the end of it all you have a few hundred kills to your name and so you feel like a one man army. Its this romantic/action view of the war that really gets to me, and i think it really limits the gameplay and AI. CoD has all this hype about being 'realistic' but in reality it shoots itself in the foot by having this 'action blockbuster' feeling.

 

I suppose I also dislike the single player so much because the multiplayer is so good. Like you Sparhawk, I really enjoyed alot of little things about CoD (like being able to aim your gun close to your face), and played the multiplayer religiously for a very long time. When you are up against human intelligence the game becomes alot more enjoyable and the gameplay and controls are awesome.

 

Besides the whole whizz-bang factor of the graphics and the cinematic experience the singleplayer game didn't really offer much depth for me. I'm still waiting for a WW2 shooter that has both a good story to tell and really fun gameplay. I actually thought Return to Castle Wolfenstein was more fun than CoD singleplayer, because it didnt try to be realistic at all. I find it hard to suspend my belief and get into the game (which I can usually do quite well) for CoD's campaign.

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While i haven't gotten around to playing it yet (the dvd is still staring at me. though i played the demo several times) Brothers in Arms has quite good gameplay, where you spend a good amount of time directing your squad and armor around the battlefield, and can join in on the fight at any moment. There are a few scripted events, yes, but the majority is a fun strategy-fps type gameplay.

http://www.thirdfilms. com

A Thief's Path trailer is now on Youtube!

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have the first one prolly wont get this one though. the stalingrad battle was good and all. but overall the game doesnt feel right. it's nice to mess around once in a while but getting addicted to it nope.

Edited by prey
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