Call of Duty-
United Offensive
review by Head Cheeze

2003's Call of Duty was Game of the Year material for many a video game critic and magazine, as it was easily the most immersive first person shooter released up to that point. Just the awe-inspiring Stalingrad level was worth the price of the game, let alone Call of Duty's 23 other missions, and the game's stellar multiplay. Now, after much anticipation, the first official expansion pack, United Offensive, arrives, bringing with it 13 new single player levels that promise to redefine the genre once again.

Like it's predecessor, United Offensive presents us with the stories of three individual soldiers; a U.S. Paratrooper, an English R.A.F. gunner, and a Russian Private. While the same intense troop-based combat that made Call of Duty such a blast is still here, vehicles now play a larger role in the expansion pack, as our heroes now man everything from the guns on a bomber, to tanks in the battle for Kursk. While the game is still on "rails" (ie; one cannot venture off the game's chosen path, lest one wants to trigger a landmine or fall to his death), United Offensive does offer more variety in terms of out-flanking enemy soldiers, as well as more ways of completing certain missions (although, the end results are always the same). This new "freedom" lends a bit more realism to the game, however, some will argue that the Call of Duty franchise, with it's frantic gameplay and truly epic battles, is realistic enough.

Once again, the Russian campaign stands out as the most effective, especially the trench battles outside Kursk. These scenes are jaw-rattlingly good stuff, and, with a nice set of speakers, will have your neighbours thinking you've a private little war in your bedroom. The sound effects in this game are superlative, as are the weapon's physics, which are amongst the most realistic I've seen in any first person shooter. Firing a bolt action rifle into a horde of rapidly approaching Germans is both heart-pounding and super frustrating, and makes you appreciate what those poorly trained, and inadequately supplied Russian soliders had to contend with. There's also a sick sense of satisfaction when sniping buildings full of Nazi's. One can almost sense their brains splashing against the walls behind them, even though the gore is mostly left to the imagination.

On the negative side, United Offensive is a very short game, and I beat it's 13 levels on the most difficult setting over a weekend. While the experience was great fun, and the conclusion just as satisfying as the final chapter of Call of Duty, I still found myself wanting to play more...and more....and more!!

Of course, the single player element is only part of the package, in that the 11 new multiplayer maps are sure to add countless hours of online mayhem for the Call of Duty online contingent. Especially since these maps now introduce the ability to man vehicles, including tanks, jeeps, trucks and bikes. While one can't pilot any of the planes (yet!) there is now an option to call in airstrikes, adding an even greater level of teamplay and strategy. Simply flank your opponent, hold him in one place, and call in some good ol' fashioned
"Death from Above", and victory is yours!!

Call of Duty-United Offensive is a short-but-sweet single player experience that really shines when you log on and take the war to the masses online. All in all, it's a low priced expansion pack that Call of Duty fans simply can't afford to be without.