Ballistics Report

Pros

Singleplayer
Though I didn’t feel any particular desire to burn through the campaign in one sitting, I never managed to leave once a mission was started. You might as well have stapled my balls to my chair, that’s how engrossing this game can get.

Multiplayer refinement
Call of Duty 2 has a very, very refined version of Call of Duty multiplayer which was already smooth as a baby’s bottom. Some will gripe about the reduced recoil and sniper rifle changes (especially the sniper rifle!), but Call of Duty is still the best Counter-Strike ever played. We recommend sticking to smaller servers for SD/CTF modes.

Graphics
We’re a little skeptical if this is a completely new engine – it feels so similar to Call of Duty – but there’s no denying that shaders, bump maps, lighting, smoke and the bloom effect have at the least kept up with the Half-Life 2 standard.

Sound
Call of Duty had the best sound we heard until Half-Life 2. Call of Duty 2 is at least a contender for the title.

Cons

Unchanged multiplayer
Obviously multiplayer was refined, but there’s so little difference between CoD2 and CoD that we think some more effort could have been expended. At the least, a vehicle mode could be added to appease United Offensive fans.

Hit the wall?
After the quantum leap from Medal of Honor to Call of Duty, those expecting similar improvement in Call of Duty 2 are going to be let down. As with multiplayer, refinement seems to be the name of the game, rather than outright improvement. Have World War II shooters hit the wall in what they can do?