Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

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.

GameShark

With an amazing single-player campaign and superior control system over its counterparts Call of Duty 2 Big Red One for the PS2 is an all around great game.

GamePro

The comfortable control scheme adapts well to the myriad of mission types (thanks to a forgiving targeting system), and makes switching between standard first-person shooting and the ultra-cool vehicular combat sequences a cinch.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Combining frenzied conflict with Hollywood blockbuster production values, this is one of the most explosive war games around. [Christmas 2005, p.102]

Worth Playing

It's pretty short, but while it lasts, you'll find an intense World War II shooter that sticks to reality but is still a blast to play.

Console Gameworld

The combination of good graphics; great sound and intense action makes for a very immersive game that will be hard to put down.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Not quite as nails as before, yet even more exciting, Big Red One is the gaming equivalent of your synapses combusting. And that can only ever be a good thing. [PSM2]

PSX Extreme

Sometimes a little scripting is needed to bring such an important historical event to life, but decisions made on the field, in the heat of combat are what won the war. The next time around, it'd be nice to see a bit more of that flexibility in the progression of the game.

GameZone

Big Red One isn’t quite “the one” we’ve been waiting for, but it’s a polished and extremely exciting shooter that won’t have anyone reaching for a pillow.

eToychest

One the best examples of a series which makes you feel like you are a part of the war rather than the most important member of the war, which is perhaps the game’s biggest draw, and rightly so.

Gaming Illustrated

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

Gaming Age

Aside from my mixed feelings on A.I., which was never one of the series' strengths to begin with, and the length, the game has a lot of great action, well done atmosphere, and multiplayer to keep you coming back for more.

Next Level Gaming

I would put Call of Duty 2: Big Red One below "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood," but above "Battlefield 2: Modern Combat."

Gamers' Temple

A solid gaming experience with great atmosphere though a little linear.

Computer and Video Games

No other console WWII game has ever produced such a technically stunning or emotionally involving experience. Big Red One has been polished to perfection. [PSW]

AceGamez

If you can pick it up for twenty in the sales, then do it.

Yahoo! Games

More than anything else, Big Red One is all about throwing players into war individually, and letting them feel the despair, noise, and thrill of coming out the other side alive.

IGN

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.

TotalPlayStation

Sure, you've played most of this stuff before -- and in Call of Duty games, too -- but that doesn't stop it from being some of the most gripping and exciting firefights found on the PS2.

Armchair Empire

A significant improvement from the first iteration of the game on the PS2 -- it features an exciting and intense single player campaign, even if it is on the short side, while the multiplayer is mediocre at best.

GamerNode

In conclusion, if you're looking for a great online shooter, well you're just not going to get that here. If you're looking for a little bit of a change in a WWII genre campaign, you may want to check out what Call of Duty 2: Big Red One has to offer.

Cincinnati Enquirer

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

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.

Gamer's Hell

Big Red One comes across as a nicely presented game with some impressive visuals and memorable moments, but it doesn’t have enough to make it stand out from the rest.

Play.tm

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

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]

Gaming Target

A decent distraction, even though it isn't much different from the horde of other WWII games out there in recent years with the exception of some mild squad tactics.

Gaming Nexus

Despite having a strong legacy to build upon, this game somehow manages to somewhat disappoint. In fact, it may be time to let the entire WW II, FPS genre die with dignity.

Game Power Australia

It’s not that Big Red One is a bad game – it’s enjoyable for as long as it lasts – but there are much more entertaining, value-packed titles available.

Gamenikki

Sometimes the graphics were actually surprisingly good, such as the detail on the planes as I gunned them down, or the rust on the vehicles. But other times, like when all the glass windows burst the same, or every office in the game has the same desk, chair and bookshelf, Call of Duty 2 begins to show its age.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

All in all, this is about what we've come to expect from a competent World War II FPS: frequent moments of drama and tension and cinema interspersed with some fairly run-of-the-mill shooting.

PSM Magazine

You're left with a simple arcade shooter cloaked in WWII guise that completes every prerequisite. [Jan 2006, p.76]

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.

Digital Entertainment News

Better than Finest Hour, but still not where it needs to be.

Games Radar (in-house)

There are a few issues with Big Red One (particularly a slow trudge through the Africa campaign and spots of truly artificial intelligence), but fans of the series will find it enjoyable, intense, and an improvement over earlier chapters.

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?