Call of Duty is a game that wowed players, nigh it down right immersed
players in an era that has brought us countless other titles but none as vivid
as what Call of Duty brought to the gamer in us all. Fast on the heels of
Battlefield 1942 Call of Duty swept through the ranks of WWII first person
shooters by providing incredible sound and graphics that added to an atmosphere
of danger around every corner. If you got online with some of your buds/gal pals
with voice over IP software you really felt like your life was on the line and
every one of your friends that fell while you were watching and listening seemed
to be gone forever. That is until the next match started and revenge was in the
winds and trees.
One thing that many gamers can agree on is that Call of Duty was really
lacking in the vehicles department. Some single player missions had you riding
through the countryside pulling 1940's style drive byes as you attempted to flee
from German troops who pursued you relentlessly. In fact, those missions were
some of the best, yet there was no way to get online and throw some hot lead at
your enemies from the safety of a moving vehicle. United Offensive has repaired
this problem by allowing you access to a myriad of vehicles to aid the effort in
ridding the battlefield of your foes in Team Deathmatch.
United Offensive builds off of Call of Duties patented realism by not making
the vehicles too strong vs. normal foot troops. Tanks can be used to level
infantry but a couple well placed Panzerfausts can turn a 40 ton Panzer into a
40 ton bon fire. Jeeps are a fast and agile vehicle that can be used as a quick
get away in capture the flag mode, but as I found out they can also be used in a
more devious way. An enemy soldier was hiding in a one floor building taking pot
shots at my compatriots so I took it upon myself to take him out. Knowing he
would tear me down before I reached the building I hopped in a jeep and ran it
full speed towards the building hopping out far enough away to not feel the
blast when the jeep exploded against the building. It killed the enemy soldier
and only gave me a small amount of damage that I recovered from the health boxes
that are dropped when someone dies.
The new light weapons are a treat to say the least, because of these now all
playable armies are on the same foot. New machine guns lay heavy fire while semi
automatic rifles provide power, accuracy, and fire rate to some of the lacking
armies, like the Russians. The added bazookas and anti-armor weapons that can
only be picked up in certain places put stress on the player when tanks are
rolling up your street, will you get to a Bazooka quick enough?
United Offensive uses the same ugly lobby as Call of Duty did but
never-the-less it's effective and seldom used. Once you're in game it is almost
never ending, it will switch maps depending on the presets of the host and only
become unplayable if the server goes down or everyone quits. As for selecting
your weapons, and pretty much every other option, all you need to do is press
escape and all options are there, nicely fit and organized. Your map, which will
help you avoid team killing, is small and to the side but big enough to see that
it isn't a yank in your German sites but your own teammate. To change weapons
you can use your wheel mouse or number keys, either way is effective, but I
prefer the wheel mouse as it keeps my fingers on the move keys where they
belong.
The Call of Duty community remains one of the best WWII FPS communities on
the Web; they will help you out when needed and have more clans than any other
WWII shooter. Team play is very important in Call of Duty and stays this way in
United Offensive. Because small amounts of gunfire can kill you quickly, trying
to get away with a lone wolf "Rambo" commando action to capture the
flag isn't the wisest of choices, but can work if you're lucky. Usually you will
need a group effort to lay down some serious cover fire, or at least a
distraction so you can breach enemy lines and secure the flag.
After staying awake for hours on end stuck on United Offensive there is no
way I can say that it isn't worth buying if you have Call of Duty. If you don't
have Call of Duty but you are a fan of WWII than my friend you are missing out
on one of the best titles to ever hit store shelves. I am very happy to have
this masterpiece reside on my harddrive and with the expansion; I have no other
wants in the near future for anything else but Call of Duty: United Offensive!
