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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Call of Duty 2 lets players experience four individual soldier stories as they overcome insurmountable odds in multiple campaigns. Players have the freedom to follow each of the four storylines through for the ultimate character-driven experience, or they can engage in the historic battles chronologically for quick hitting action. Infinity Ward has also expanded the scope of combat to deliver a truly realistic battlefield experience. Squads now have the freedom to take on a variety of mission objectives, on expansive battlefields that allow for multiple paths and the ability to utilize actual combat tactics like outflanking and fire and maneuver capabilities. Call of Duty 2's new engine and A.I. technology set the stage for authentic squad combat and astonishing action. Concealment can be key as battlefield smoke or even deployed smoke grenades cloud visibility. Weather effects such as the dusty sandstorms of North Africa and whiteout blizzard conditions of Russia, for example, will keep soldiers glued to their bunkers. The team has also employed a state-of-the-art Battle Chatter System that brings the action to life as squad-mates bark out context-sensitive updates in real-time to players through an advanced A.I. system. [Activision]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 100
GameSpy
Instead of feeling like a stale retread or losing steam halfway through, it manages to be a blast from start to finish.
 100
GameShark
With familiar and entertaining gameplay, a slick overall presentation and multiplayer that still proves to be a worthwhile distraction Call of Duty 2 may very well be in the running for the 2005 action game of the year.
98
Game Informer
Quite simply, this is the best WWII game ever made. [Dec 2005, p.146]
98
Game Chronicles
With more campaigns and the larger and non-linear missions and objective structure, Call of Duty 2 is easily much more than the original. It is a finely tuned work of art with so much research and attention to detail incorporated into it that action gamers will become totally immersed in the unrelenting experience of brutal combat.
98
Gaming Target
With a single player campaign so exciting it should be illegal, combined with an incredibly fun multiplayer, Call of Duty 2 is an absolute must-have for any gamer.
97
PGNx Media
Infinity Ward took the bar, threw it up, and jumped over it when it was still in the air.
96
GamingTrend
The levels were incredibly balanced and elicited feelings of imminent danger as you are often starting very close to your enemy’s location.
96
BonusStage
It’ll push your rigs to its limits, and when it does, you’ll know why Call of Duty 2 is one of the most visceral, exciting, and blisteringly addictive experiences in gaming ever.
94
Gamers' Temple
Call of Duty 2 is like a good war movie, it may not be a realistic portrayal of war but it is dramatic, compelling, and epic in scale.
93
netjak
Bringing to the table solid gameplay elements, great visuals, and even better sound makes this game the culmination of the World War 2 FPS experience.
93
AtomicGamer
The AI is better than ever and the action is the perfect mix of tactics and full-on gunfights - and the regenerating health system means I have to worry less about how much health I have left and more about how to take out the overwhelming numbers of Germans.
92
Gaming Illustrated
The graphics are jaw-dropping, the sounds is amazing, and the missions are varied and fun to play.
92
Gamezilla!
Detailed textures, weather effects, realistic explosions all put together a solid performance. The only issue I had was some slow down issues when too much was going on.
92
Next Level Gaming
You must have this game. This is the front-runner right now for Game of the Year as far as I am concerned.
91
Computer and Video Games
Infinity Ward wants screaming, smoke, flying bodies, chaos and you running around with goggle-eyes, jaw-hanging and tongue lolling, wondering where the next hail of bullets is going to come from. It doesn't want to make you feel cool, it wants to pulverise you. [PC Zone]
91
Gaming Horizon
Even if gamers have grown tired of World War II, Call of Duty 2 features the largest battles and most detailed environments of any game to date, making it worth a look.
90
GameBiz
It may not be the most realistic in terms of solider damage and battlefield strategy, but for bringing across the atmosphere, and pure chaos of World War II, Call of Duty 2 is the still the best around.
90
Play.tm
Even the tutorial level at the start of the game is a work of genius in this gem of a game.
90
Worth Playing
Call of Duty 2 continually kept me on the edge of my seat. Non-stop adrenaline stretched across a surface tension that’s unmatched in any other first-person shooter.
90
Play Magazine
For now, they can bask in the glow of a truly superior achievement. [Dec 2005, p.80]
90
Games Radar (in-house)
This multiplayer component caps an already stunning single-player campaign and extends the value greatly.
90
Computer Games Magazine
Infinity Ward lays claim to the creation of the ultimate WWII shooter with Call of Duty 2. [Jan 2006, p.63]
90
eToychest
It may not really innovate or move the genre into a new direction, but it offers everything most players want from the genre and it does it with certifiable mastery.
90
RewiredMind
The atmosphere is as thick as ever, the battles are tougher and grittier, the highs higher, the lows lower, the enemy more cunning.
90
GamePro
Multiplayer-wise, Call of Duty 2 supports a whopping 32 online players with general FPS game types, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, and CTF, and Call of Duty 2's own brand of Headquarters and Search and Destroy--all wonderfully smooth via online.
90
GameZone
This is a very satisfying and enjoyable game, full of tension, chaos and war’s horror, but with an intelligent AI and terrific visual elements.
89
ActionTrip
Little things like how you need to hold your breath to shoot a sniper rifle and the use of smoke grenades, as well as the much more significant improvements that deal with the technology and the level design in general, show that Infinity Ward has invested a lot of time and effort into this project.
89
Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
Nothing radically new but 30 missions of the most furious, vibrant, relentless, utterly insane war your can imagine. [PC Gamer UK]
88
PC Format
Unbelievably intense and absolutely beautiful on a high-end PC. [Christmas 2005, p.93]
88
GameSpot
It doesn't really break any new ground, but the game nails the core aspects of first-person-shooter gameplay so well that it doesn't need to.
87
FiringSquad
Compelling is barely adequate to describe the feeling as you’re gritting your teeth and trying to find a new way to assault that strongpoint at the highest difficulty levels – grenades gone, no squadmates in sight and an MG42 trained on you. The visuals, the sound, the yelling and screaming and the rain or dust storms just suck you right back in.
86
2404.org
You get a real sense of claustrophobia in the middle of the mess trying to figure out which direction to go and who to shoot in the haze.
85
Game Over Online
The fast paced action is still the centerpiece of the game, and the action is engaging enough to capture even the most jaded first person shooter vet who’s probably tired of the numerous WWII titles that’ve been released.
85
PC Gameworld
Provides a great single-player experience that immerses the player completely in the experience. If not for the lacking multiplayer, this game would be nearly perfect.
85
Game Power Australia
To stick so closely to the first game was probably a mistake that is bound to hit sales. It almost feels like an expansion pack, sort of a follow-up to "United Offensive."
85
Da Gameboyz
It's by far the greatest WW2 game to date and it will be so for a long time.
85
IGN
I find implementing regenerating health to be a little troublesome. It allows you to experience a kind of combat only a mythical super-soldier could withstand, and in so doing, propels the game from gritty authenticity to John Woo fantasy.
85
Digital Entertainment News
A technically accomplished and truly involving first-person shooter.
85
Armchair Empire
There are many great World War II games but in my mind Call of Duty 2 is the best of the bunch.
84
Pelit (Finland)
Call of Duty 2 has near-perfect visuals and great gameplay, but suffers from a serious case of same old, same old. Where is the innovation? [Nov 2005]
84
PC Gamer
If you're looking for a pure action game, I can recommend no better, at least not for single-player. If you're looking for the bleeding edge of digital storytelling, however, you'll find it at Valve and Monolith. [Holiday 2005, p.60]
82
My Gamer
The most realistic WWII-inspired game in the market.
80
Eurogamer
Justified cynicism aside, Infinity Ward's latest effort unquestionably refines the cinematic World War II shooter genre to new giddy heights of bombastic brilliance.
80
Total Video Games
It makes no attempt to move the genre forwards and is largely a routine run and gun shooter from start-to-finish, albeit an intense one at that.
80
Yahoo! Games
When something is this well done, just because you've seen it all before doesn't mean it's not worth seeing again.
80
1UP
Pulling its trigger condenses everything that's right about Call of Duty 2 into a single moment. Online or off it is the epitome of visceral thrill seeking.
80
Cheat Code Central
This attention to realism is actually disturbing. It reminds you that war isn't a party.
80
AceGamez
It's not going to impress anyone who's grown to loathe games based in this era, but action fans and those desperate for more since the original Call of Duty burst onto the scene will be hard pressed to find a bad thing to say about it.
80
NTSC-uk
An exhausting, exhilarating ride which will hold you captivated 'til the very last second of the last mission.
80
Sydney Morning Herald
This exhilarating and atmospheric World War II action game does little to advance the run-and-gun genre, but it is a memorable experience.
80
Thunderbolt
Maybe I was a victim of my own expectations, but I really think it comes down to the fact that this game is essentially Call of Duty with a few bells-and-whistles.
80
3DAvenue
While some areas could have used more polish, particularly the AI which is a tad disappointing, the experience the game has to offer is unmatched.
80
G4 TV
There’s no feature bloat, and there are no dud missions--just quality gaming from start to finish. That’s just about all we can ask for.
80
Computer Gaming World
Like a good meatloaf, it expertly scratches that comfort food itch, leaving you well-satisfied until the craving hits you again, months later - just in time for the inevitable expansion. [Jan 2005, p.94]
80
GamerFeed
The AI has been fixed up a little bit so that they react and take cover quite often, and will even act aggressively to encourage you to push forward.
80
games(TM)
The sense of mortality, tension and sheer scale makes for a truly stunning experience. [Christmas 2005, p.110]
80
Boomtown
It's perhaps a bit too frenetic, but on this showing at least, I know I'll be playing this through a few more times until a welcome sequel arrives.
80
Gamenikki
I would have liked to see a little more variety in the level design, and just a bit more of the “over the top” craziness of the original, but I still enjoyed the single player missions enough to rate the game highly.
80
Maxim Online
Call of Duty 2 isn't a bold new game, but subtle improvements and new historical battles deliver a good reason to keep fighting.
79
IC-Games
Infinity Ward/Activision have certainly shot themselves in the foot with this one. They will be very lucky if it can maintain online playability for as long as its predecessors in its current state.
76
Gamer 2.0
Essentially, the game is missing the refinements that all good multiplayer shooters have. You get the feeling that Infinity rather pushed this game out for the mad Christmas rush.
75
Game Revolution
It delivers unbelievable graphics and more cathartic chaos than you can shoot a luger at, but has something of a dumb head on its shoulders, an overly simple control scheme and busies itself providing greater densities of the same old content without doing anything new.
70
Edge Magazine
For those who can tolerate having their brain beaten numb by it, the game entails often enthralling, occasionally awe-inspiring sights and sounds. But little is there that’s new compared to much that needs renewal. [Christmas 2005, p.96]
70
GamerNode
You won't be disappointed about how great it looks or how much fun and full-on the game can be. If you frequent LAN's or enjoy slaughtering your mates (or strangers), online multiplayer is just as entertaining as the original and furthers longevity to the game once you've finished the single player campaign.
Danneh gave it a10: Mike R. gave it a5: Jag gave it an8: Cangaceiro gave it a10: Wildsnail gave it an8: Blake L. gave it a10: Your Mom gave it a10: |
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