Call of Duty: Big Red One

You may be scratching your head trying to remember what Call of Duty: Big Red One is, well this was released in 2005 and was available for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo Game Cube, and original Xbox. It was deemed that these consoles would not be able to handle the “full COD” experience so they got their very own game instead and it is actually far better than you may think.

Today On The History Channel

Even back in 2005, COD delivered blockbuster campaigns, and Call of Duty: Big Red One is no different. What I think is really cool about this is the way that it unfolds as if you were watching a documentary on the History Channel, it actually uses real footage from World War II which is great.

The story takes you all over World War II and puts you in some very interesting scenarios. The story takes you to the North African Campaign, the Invasions of Sicily, Omaha Beach, and more. It is a fantastic retelling and I was engaged from the start all the way to the end of the campaign.

Console First-Person Shooting Action

At the time this was released it was like all people cared about was Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox 360. This was a damn shame as Call of Duty: Big Red One is a fantastic entry in the series in its own right. The gameplay is nice and tight and I liked the way that your compass, tells you all need to know. It points you to your objectives and tells you where the enemy is as well as your allies.

The problem I think is that the game is very basic. It does what it does very well, but it plays it all very safe. At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with that and if you play it you will have fun. It does also have multiplayer modes too and I remember playing this with my buddies in a video game store when I was at college. We actually play this in the store for hours on end.

That Cinematic Flair

One thing that you can never fault the Call of Duty series for is the presentation. This was released at a time when the developers knew these consoles inside and out and the results are great. This game on all platforms looks amazing and is like you are taking part in a war movie. It may be lacking that bit of polish the 360 and PC Call of Duty 2 games offered, but I still think this is a great-looking game. Actually, it is a shame when people talk about the best-looking games on these consoles that this never gets brought up.

Use The Force Luke

The voice acting in the game is also amazing and matches the visual spectacle very well. The campaign is narrated by Mark Hamill and it features the vocal talents of many cast members from the Band of Brothers TV show. The vocal performances are great, but this was a game that I played through surround sound back in the day and it was truly epic stuff indeed.

Pros:

• The story is great
• I liked the way it was as if you were playing through a documentary
• Mark Hamill is the narrator and that is awesome
• It has some fun multiplayer modes too

Cons:

• It does look a bit rougher compared to the modern games
• I have to admit the Game Cube controller is not the best for an FPS

War may be hell, but World War II period shooters seem to be just as popular as ever. Gamers are a masochistic lot it seems, willing to throw themselves headlong into a hail of bullets of explosions all for kicks. There's none that seems to do it finer than the Call of Duty franchise, which makes its second splash on the Xbox in Call of Duty: Big Red One.

Call of Duty: Big Red One has all the trademark bells and whistles of the other Call of Duty titles: a World War II FPS with tightly scripted events and intense action. The tightly scripted events, though confining, does make for some exhilarating and memorable moments throughout the game. This is all played up by the interaction between your team members, which can make the action all the more engrossing.

There are a few downers, however, like the sometimes brain dead AI for both enemies and allies. Never have I seen teammates so fondly stand in doorways in the midst of a firefight, nor have I seen enemies so willing to take a bullet for the cause of a staggering body count. It can take you out of the experience a bit, but it can also be completely unnoticeable thanks to the hectic pace of the game.

The visuals are solid, if not astounding. For such an immersive title, Big Red One hits all the right strides, with a solid framerate, varied character animation, and believable textures. The audio, likewise, does its part to help sink you into the war torn world; the epic score, in particular, really helps make it seem like you're part of something much bigger.

Call of Duty: Big Red One hits the right notes all around, providing a fun, action-packed experience. If it were only a bit longer, it'd earn the highest marks, but as is, it's worth a rental, if not more.