Call of Duty 2
I bought this used and cheap. It is how I operate. But my god I would have paid full price for this. This game was amazing.
Things that I loved:
- The fluid combat reminiscent of Halo. You could play in a large area in various was and not be locked into the trial and error type experience al la GRAW or Half-Life.
- Being part of an infantry unit was fun. It made it more interesting to play along with AI that stuck with you. You weren't just the lone gun or with NPC's that you know will get wasted quickly.
- Playing the three different soldiers was fun. I especially loved being the Russian.
- On normal, it was a fun game that took a little skill but was not frustrating or overwhelming.
- The health regeneration kept you from having to start again all the time but still kept you from being reckless and stupid.
- The save points were properly spaced and not too far apart like GRAW. The game is not tedious.
Things I didn't love:
- There is a portion in the armor car escape and a portion as a sniper in France where there is a lot of platformer memorization of targets and sequence. It destroys the open ended feel of the game temporarily.
- Very little story.
- Not much else, really. The game rules.
This game rivals Halo for ease, playability and sheer fun in a shooter. I believe that for people like me of normal or even lower skill, these games sell so well because of the accessibility of them and the amazing fun.