Activision Call of Duty 2 review

The original Call of Duty was the most exciting and scary World War II game we had ever seen, but this second version goes one better.

The game's graphics are much slicker. Damaged towns, people and vehicles are all more detailed. The effects are stunning, with realistic snow fall, dust storms and haze caused by burning buildings and vehicles. But it's the character animation that really brings the game to life. Troops move exactly as they would while carrying heavy packs, and act as if they don't want to get shot. Pushing forwards sees your comrades hiding behind crates and peering round doorways. The enemy is just as good, and the AI is superb. If it looks as if you're losing a battle, they push forwards, and if you start winning they turn and run for their lives, leaving you to shoot them in the back.

One of the best additions is the ability to climb over obstacles that were too high in the previous game. This makes advancing on a position much easier, as you don't have to expose yourself to unnecessary gunfire. But the Germans can do exactly the same and we were frequently caught out by enemy troops climbing up to our supposedly secure position. Sound is stunning, from loud explosions to the echo confines of an enemy bunker. Play it with headphones on and it's as close to being in a real battle zone as you'd care to get.

As with the original, you can play as British, Russian and American troops. Whereas the previous game jumped around between the three nationalities, Call of Duty 2 lets you play each one all the way through. You start as the Russians but once you've unlocked the British and American missions you can switch to them manually. The Russian missions are the best, with the battles in Stalingrad proving the most scary and difficult. All the missions are enjoyable, though, and once you start you'll want to keep going until you've finished.

Call of Duty 2 introduces a new method of taking damage: there's no health bar, but when you get shot you become injured. Take another shot when you're injured, and you die; find cover, and you recover your health.

The multiplayer modes are transported from the original along with the maps, but beefed up to match the new look. There's a wider range of weaponry, though, including our personal favourite, the trench gun. You can keep yourself amused online long after you've completed the single-player missions.

There may be plenty of World War II games on the market, but this is the best by a long shot.