Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

VGPub

A brilliant World War II game and standout first-person shooter.

PGNx Media

The impression of war is always well intact in the game which is simply amazing. The actual gameplay is top-notch with tight shooting and controls making the game as approachable as possible.

Game Chronicles

Excellent sounds, graphics, and gameplay are rooted in Call of Duty 2: Big Red One.

GamingTrend

You are never lost as to where to go throughout each level, so seasoned veterans of first-person shooters might find the game a bit easy, but they would be missing a great time if they passed this over.

WHAM! Gaming

The Call of Duty franchise proves that it's not all about mindlessly shooting wave after wave of enemies and moving onto the next section. You have to plan out attacks and take your time. When friends die on the battlefield, you'll actual react to it.

Gaming Illustrated

An immersive and cinematic game featuring a storyline plenty of action enough to spare.

Gaming Age

It's a shame that the GameCube doesn't offer any type of multiplayer which in turn just makes it an even shorter game with little reason to come back.

eToychest

The graphics are far from superior, but the environments with the ambient noise and activity allow for a unique experience which other action-oriented war titles have not been able to completely or adequately emulate.

Gaming Target

A technically solid first person shooter that creates a great atmosphere using above-par visuals and a wide array of battlefield sounds. Combined together, these two aesthetic aspects of Big Red One create a very intense atmosphere.

IGN

For however unapproachable it may be, Big Red One is still a nicely directed, exciting shooter. And while the basic multiplayer component and a few obvious drops in pacing sometimes make the title feel a touch flat, the singleplayer campaigns are actually anything but.

1UP

You don't have to already be a fan, though, to appreciate the game, and that's a big part of its appeal. It's pretty easy to jump in, grab a gun and start starring in your own WWII movie mowing down Nazis.

Gamer 2.0

A great game. The sound and graphics alone make this title worth checking out; the only problem is that it does little to innovate. The whole game, while exceptionally well done, is just more of the same old WWII action that we have already seen a hundred times before.

AceGamez

A multiplayer deathmatch with bots would have also have been welcome, although I have yet to see any war game incorporate this feature, so maybe it's just not technically viable on current-gen machines.

NintendoWorldReport

While the main thrust of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is probably the most polished and enjoyable WWII experience on GameCube, its lack of replay value may still only warrant a rental.

Cincinnati Enquirer

A good WWII shooter with great graphics and effects, but missing the finer points and freedom in the first-person mode.

Nintendo Power

Big Red One's personalized storytelling and scene delivery by reputable actors succeed in creating a movielike experience, but the linear, heavily scripted gameplay suffers as a result. [Feb 2006, p.102]

Game Over Online

While the gameplay is adequate and the concept behind the title is a solid one, the brevity of the single player campaign and the drab multiplayer, along with some quirky features makes Big Red One a game to check out first before you buy it.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Treyarch have done a commendable job with the single-player in such a tough development cycle, that just managing to make a multiplayer mode that improves upon Finest Hour’s is a fantastic achievement.

GameZone

Avoid at all costs if you are looking for your next FPS to show off to your friends as they’ll never get the chance to play with you.

Game Informer

The total lack of soul in Big Red One, along with the irritating level design, are simply too much for the technical excellence embodied in its smooth framerate and slick graphics to overcome. [Jan 2006, p.137]

Ferrago

If however you are considering what should be your first folly into World War action, then consider looking elsewhere.

N-Insanity

I love the controls, but the lack of intelligence in your friendly and foe A.I. is annoying, and the GCN version really has no replay unless you love the missions.

GameSpot

While it offers an interesting and varied campaign, Big Red One doesn't quite nail down the intense feel of World War II infantry combat.

Worth Playing

The campaign was short, the turret and tank missions felt tacked on, there was no multiplayer mode, the save points were very sporadic, varying difficulty levels were present, and the A.I. was abhorrent. Otherwise, CoD2:BRO is an enjoyable killfest, if you want a very linear, playable movie.

Gamer's Hell

The omission of any kind of multiplayer aspect for the GameCube version in itself takes away a large portion of the title’s potential longevity, particularly when the single player section won’t take any more than a weekend’s worth to plough through.

My Gamer

If you have never played a game in this genre, you should probably pick up this title. However, if you feel like you can handle an MP-40 pretty well already, the main fun to be found here is in the airplane and tank missions.

Console Gameworld

If played for too long, I found the game to be rather tedious and repetitive, but in short busts (about one mission per seating, I would say) the game can provide fun.

Game Revolution

This game’s single-player campaign is a decent diversion and serves up a relatively well-produced version of the PC series. Unfortunately, what it lacks in replay value and online play leads to a solider a bit too thin for his britches. Will this war never end?