The sounds are as thunderous as they come for a game like this. That's never really been an issue with the series, mind you, as Infinity Ward really knows their stuff. The sound effects are absolutely blazing, with different gunfire sounds and explosions rocking through your speakers with utmost authority. The music is moody and fits the war theme incredibly well, even if it only comes up in spurts during your battles. And the banter between you and your squadmates is purely authentic, never really lapsing in terms of credibility and offering some personality on the side, without becoming something overwhelming. This is a game you'll most definitely want to play in Dolby if you have such the opportunity.

Gameplay follows the traditional pattern of the Call of Duty games, but it remains at the absolute top of its form. The intensity is bumped up a little bit but it still comes down to working alongside your squadmates and keeping yourself alive as you gun down enemies with a variety of weapons at your disposal, either with the weapons given to you at the start of a mission or ones you pick up along the way. Precision controls are in full check here, as you'll be able to maneuver very well and even use the likes of real and smoke grenades to further push the enemy back as you try to reclaim the territory torn apart by war. The ability to "snipe" or get a more precise view by holding down the left trigger allows for some superb shots (especially head shots), and the action never grows stale.

That's mostly because of the aggressive AI. If you're expecting to just walk out in the open and mow down a dozen Nazis without even breaking a sweat, it's time to wake up to the cold, harsh reality here. The enemies are smart. If you kill off a couple of soldiers in a particular spot, their reinforcements will arrive, much aware of your location, and either try to flank you with gunfire or let you have it with a precise grenade lob. If you're in the open, they'll know it, and aim right at you in an attempt to take you out. And if you're firing on a soldier in a close position, he'll run from you in an attempt to dodge your gunfire and try to get himself in a better spot. This is the most focused I've seen the AI get in this series, and I hope it continues to stay on this level as new entries arrive. This is AI that really makes you work, and I'm all the happier to be against it.

The game isn't just about you versus the computer, however. One of Call of Duty 2's bright spots is its multiplayer campaigns. In split-screen, four players can engage in a number of modes offline, ranging from a team deathmatch mode where it's fragged-or-be-fragged to a new headquarters mode, where you try and build yourself a defensive post and then guard it with your lives from the enemy. This adds a bit of strategy to the game and will keep you on your toes. It's also worthy of mentioning that the split-screen remains beautifully detailed throughout and even maintains a steady, buttery-smooth frame rate. This is as good as split-screen's going to get, people.

The game also supports Xbox Live, so players can hop online and engage in a number of these campaigns and really feel the war-torn efforts that Activision was trying to accomplish, but therein lies the only rub keeping this from five-star territory- the support. There is multiplayer support but it's limited to a meager 8 players, instead of the standard 16 or 32 player matches that many PC efforts have. This still offers some great battles here and there, but it feels a bit limited, especially if you have clans made up of 5 people or more. This leaves some waiting their turn when all they want to do is jump in and fight. There is a system link offering where 16 players can play through split-screen mayhem, but it would've done wonders on Xbox Live. Sigh.

Despite this shortcoming, Call of Duty 2 stands as a primary example of an Xbox 360 game done absolutely right. It glitters with all the gloss that a next-gen effort is supposed to have, but doesn't forget its war-burdened roots and delivers a hell of a game underneath. Lucky owners of the system should invest in this immediately. This isn't your average "port" at all. Far from it.