Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

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For the PC and Xbox 360 game, see Call of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Developer(s) Gray Matter Interactive
Treyarch
Pi Studios
Publisher(s) Activision
Series Call Of Duty
Engine Treyarch NGL
Release date(s) November 1, 2005 (NA)
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s) GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Media DVD

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a World War II video game for home consoles, released on November 1, 2005 in Canada and the United States. While developed by Treyarch, personnel from Gray Matter Interactive (who created the award-winning [1] Call of Duty: United Offensive expansion pack for the PC) also worked with them on the game. Pi Studios contributed work as well.

Big Red One differs from other games in the Call of Duty franchise in that it focuses on a single Allied formation in the War: the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, which also went by the nickname Big Red One due to their unique patch. The game covers the division's part in the invasion and liberation of North Africa, the invasion into Sicily, the landing on Omaha Beach in Europe and moving east, eventually crossing the Siegfried Line into Germany. At the end of each chapter and the beginning of the first, period footage with voiceover (courtesy of Mark Hamill) is seen from the "Military Channel", imitating a WW2 documentary.

The game features several actors from the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, including Michael Cudlitz (Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman) and Frank John Hughes (Sgt. Bill Guarnere); Cudlitz voices Sgt. Glenn "Hawk" Hawkins and Hughes voices Pvt. Alvin "Brooklyn" Bloomfield.

The box cover features actor Stephen Saux. The story and characters were written by Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntyre.

Contents

[edit] Single Player Campaign

In CoD:BRO, you play as the same soldier throughout the entire campaign (except on one instance where you are a gunner in the bomber mission.) Under the leadership of Sgt. Hawkins, you go where the Big Red One went in Operations Torch (Africa), Husky (Sicily), and Overlord (Europe), on land, sea, and air.

The game starts out with a brief tutorial level that takes place somewhere in Maubeuge, France. After that the next level is a flashback that takes place shortly after the amphibious invasion of Algeria at the Battle of Oran (Later in the game, in the level "An Easy Detail" there is a reference to the France tutorial level, signifying the end of the flashback -though there is a mistake: the tutorial takes place on September, 7th, while An Easy Detail takes place 5 days earlier.). The game then moves on to Kasserine Pass, and Kasserine, and the final battle in the North Africa campaign is where the player fights as the main character's brother in a B-24 Liberator over the Mediterranean.

Then Operation Husky begins with the Battle of Gela, where you have to rescue paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne. At Piano Lupo, you defend the paratroopers against the Panzer Division Hermann Goering, and at Troina, you consolidate the city and capture Sicily.

After your unit is moved to England, you participate in the D-Day invasion, destroying bunkers and warehouses, and finally taking control of a Flak 88 gun to win the level. The game moves on to Mons and Eilendorf, where you move closer and closer to Germany.

The last two levels are at Buchholz and the Siegfried Line, where you lead your soldiers over the final crossing into Germany in the snowy winter of 1945. The game ends after the V2 Rockets at the Siegfried Line are destroyed, and you have won.

BRO tends to focus much more heavily on the character aspect of your squadmates. You learn their names and watch them as they age and gain rank over the course of the war (and are killed in combat). [2]

[edit] Multiplayer

CoD:BRO features online play in both the PS2 and Xbox versions, with drivable tanks, character classes, and experience gain much like United Offensive. Mutliplayer functionality is handled by highly modified netcode originally licensed from DemonWare.

[edit] Collector's Edition

The game also has a Collector's Edition that contains a bonus DVD with [3]:

  • 4 Exclusive character skins for multiplayer gameplay – using Elite soldier models
  • Interviews, MoCap/VO session footage of the in-game voice actors from the cast of Band of Brothers
  • Interviews with WWII Veterans of the Big Red One, including memories of in-game events
  • Multiplayer map fly-thrus with DVD-style developer commentary (tips, interesting facts, etc.)
  • Behind the scenes with Treyarch, discussing the development of CoD2: Big Red One
  • Concept and production art gallery (Art, sketches, storyboards, renders, etc.)

[edit] Main Characters

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Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
  • Sgt. Glenn "Hawk" Hawkins

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Hawk supported his mother and two sisters through high school after their father left for work and never returned. He has a stoic demeanour and is a man of few words. He does have a dry wit that helps him bond with his men. He commands the main character, Pvt. Denley, Pvt. Kelly and Pvt. Bloomfield. He was wounded in the chapters "Counterattack", "Piano Lupo", and the last time he was wounded was in "An Easy Detail", by enemy machine gunners while trying to break down a fence. After being wounded for the third time, he possibly went home or died of his wounds and you (the main character) ended up being promoted to sergeant.

  • Pvt. Alvin "Brooklyn" Bloomfield

Despite his nickname, Bloomfield is actually from the Bronx. He is the youngest of a Jewish family where his mother kept the house while his father ran a deli. He is a huge baseball fan and would skip school whenever possible to watch Joe DiMaggio play ball. He admits he "don't got the smarts"(Activision) and enlisted so he wouldn't have to go to college. At first he wanted to join the air force but he was too short. He was promoted to corporal in "An Easy Detail", he got killed by artillery in the last level of the game.

  • Pvt. Stephen Kelly

Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Kelly led an affluent life as the only child of a rich and respected surgeon. Graduating at the top of the class, he went to study English and French Literature at Yale University before being drafted after his second year at school. He always loved to read and kept a journal of his thoughts. A thin 20-year old kid with red hair and glasses. He gets promoted to corporal after "Farewell To Friends" and later to sergeant after "An Easy Detail".

  • Pvt. Victor "Vic" Denley

Denley spent his formative years in small town Jean, Texas where his father was a mechanic who ran the local filling station. He attended school at Wichita Falls, and while he never made much of a mark with his grades, he was one hell of a line-backer for the state-ranked Bulldogs. He enlisted with the intention of "tearin' off Hitler's moustache and shoving it up his..." He is a notoriously bad shot. It took him an entire clip to hit a practice target only 45 feet away.[citation needed] He was killed in action in Troina in the "Farewell to Friends" chapter, while breaking down a door with an enemy machine gunner behind it.

  • Lt. Norman Delaney

Originally from Chicago, Delaney was a born leader. His father, a decorated WWI Lieutenant, encouraged his son to take the challenge at the West Point's demanding curriculum. He quickly excelled there, and became obsessed with the tactics of war. One thing that sets Lt. Delaney apart is his ability to remember the names and stories of every soldier under his command. You don't face him lots of times: he briefs you in the tutorial level, he's mentioned in "Counterattack" and you meet him in the first level in Sicily. During the last two levels, he (finally) fights together with your squad.

  • Pvt. John Jackson "Schmitty" Smith

Born and raised outside of Cleveland, Schmitty was always good with his hands. His father worked in a bank and his mother was an elementary school teacher, but he was never happy unless he was fixing a piece of machinery. Long before the war in Europe, Schmitty was a mechanic in the Artillery Division where he fixed guns and vehicles for several years. However the 1st Infantry Division needed replacements and he was suddenly heading into battle without a day of training to replace Pvt. Denley. His time fixing wrecked machinery has left a bit doughy. He is promoted to corporal after "An Easy Detail".

  • Pvt. Roland Roger

Pvt. Roland Roger is the first-person character in the Single Campaign of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, you play as him in all the missions, though his name is not known unless the owner has the special addtion boxset. In the normal version, Sgt Hawkins commonly calls you just 'Private' or 'Corporal'. You get promoted to a Corporal after 'Piano Lupo' and promoted to a Seregant after 'An Easy Detail'.

Spoilers end here.


[edit] External links


Call of Duty • United Offensive • Finest Hour • Call of Duty 2 • Big Red One • Call of Duty 3 • Roads to Victory
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