The first Call of Duty from Aspyr stood out from other WWII First Person Shooters (FPS) because it emphasizes teamwork to complete mission objectives.  In fact, its tagline was “In The War That Changed The World, No One Fought Alone.” And Aspyr's recent release of Call of Duty 2 builds on the original CoD’s strengths.

Call of Duty 2 has a fairly simple plot. You’re an anonymous soldier fighting in WWII. The Campaigns are, in the order you unlock them, the Russians, the British, and the Americans. I must say the artificial intelligence (AI) is quite amazing. The soldiers, both Allied and German, act like real people. Gameplay is quite basic, you run around shooting Nazis shooting MG42s, MP40s, and Lugers. However, the health system is new. Say goodbye to health packs. All you need is cover. Instead of using health packs, you just have to duck somewhere and get cover for a few seconds, and you’re all right. The graphics are amazing. I was stunned. They look like the Xbox 360. The dust particles are amazing, as with the smoke.

Let me say this out loud, folks: this is NOT a game for kids. They curse, there’s blood (it gushes out when you shoot someone), and it is a very intense game. In fact, I’m surprised it’s ESRB rating isn’t M! (Its rating is T.) Yet, in spite of this, it’s a very good game. The action will keep you on the edge of your desk chair, or seat. The thrilling action, the highly detailed weapons, and the greatly improved AI all add up to an amazing game. And the movement of the soldiers looks like movie animation.

However, the system requirements will make you think twice before buying the game. It’s a Universal Binary application, but barely. You’ll need a G5 or an Intel chipset with OS 10.3.9 or above.  If you have a G4, forget about this game. If you’re going to play this game, get an Intel iMac or a Power Mac. When I played it on a Power Mac G5, the game ran very smoothly, except when I turned the graphics very high. It wouldn’t even play. All in all, Call of Duty 2 is a great sequel. Just make sure you have the power to run it.

Thomas Fogel, Posted 7/27/2006 

For more information on Call of Duty 2, visit: www.aspyr.com