It’s probably been a while since most Call of Duty players have dusted off their copy of Infinity Ward’s second installment in this renowned franchise. Since CoD4: Modern Warfare arrived, it’s been the main remedy for alleviating my withdrawal symptoms that occur when I haven’t had a Call of Duty fix for a while. Additionally, I’ve spent a decent amount of time with World at War, which in my opinion, was a fairly solid World War Two shooter and a good addition to the franchise.

Anyway, the point I’m getting to here is that I haven’t touched Call of Duty 2 much since the aforementioned games arrived, but recently took it for another spin to see how it would hold up in comparison to the fresher titles. I think it’s fairly safe to say that Call of Duty 2’s online battle grounds have basically been retired, but I must say that the single player campaign is still quite a bit of fun.

Graphically, Call of Duty 2 blew many people away when it first arrived. Aside from the intense, addictive gameplay, Call of Duty 2’s crisp, realistic graphics helped fuel the game’s success and it becoming one of the Xbox 360’s most sought titles during the console’s early days. Obviously, CoD2’s visuals have been surpassed by what’s offered in Modern Warfare and World at War. It doesn’t look terrible by any means, but the series has certainly progressed from an artistic standpoint.

As far as the controls are concerned, CoD2 set the standard for future console releases by its smooth movement & aiming mechanisms, and the game still feels as tight as ever. You may, however, miss having the ability to sprint. Clicking the left stick brings up your binoculars instead. Also, you’ll recall that your melee maneuver in CoD2 is a swift bashing of your foe’s noggin with your gun, rather than the knife slash offered in Modern Warfare and World at War. I prefer using the knife. These differences don’t serve as major hindrances though, and the game still plays fluidly.

Playing through Call of Duty 2’s campaign remains a satisfying and fun experience. It chronicles three different stories that will have you battling in the frigid winters of Russia, participating in D-Day, fighting through North African towns and crossing the Rhine into Germany. Due to the geographical variances, the game’s levels offer significant visual variety between the different missions, though the core gameplay does remain the same throughout.

The campaign has a fairly decent length and offers more playtime than the newer CoD titles. It’s not going to seem quite as intense as you remember, though. Depending on the difficulty you select, it will still offer a challenge in spots, but Modern Warfare and World at War especially have surpassed its level of intensity – at least in my opinion. Perhaps I just know the levels too well at this point.

While Modern Warfare and World at War have overtaken CoD2 in many ways, it should still be considered one of the preeminent World War Two shooters. I would highly recommend giving it another spin if your copy has been sitting idly for some time on one of those days when you can’t decide what to play.

For those who enjoyed the recent CoD games, but may have missed out on this title when it first arrived, I would still suggest picking it up, despite its age. It’s fairly inexpensive now and you’ll enjoy it more than you might think. For PS3 players that are curious about this one, picking up CoD: Warchest on PC may be a decent option, as it features CoD1, 2, and United Offensive.