Wow! The closest to real combat I would ever want to be!
Simply put, Call of Duty 2 is a phenomenal WWII sim and a great first-person shooter. As with any Xbox360 game, let's start with the visuals: This game is so crisp, so clean, and so well done visually, it's nearly real. The level of detail is astounding. From the random debris from explosions, to the furnishings inside abandoned buildings on that battlefield, to the shadow and lighting, it's all fantastic. The look of the game, alone, will make you feel like you're really there.
In terms of sound, well, I just haven't heard too many games better than this one. The surround sound is excellent. Every detail can be heard, from Nazi footsteps on the floor above you, to the ground shaking Panzer tracks rumbling nearby, to the buzz of P51s sweeping in for air support. You really feel part of the action because it's literally all around you. One of my favorite things is the "shell shock effect". I'm not sure what the official term is that they use, but there are times when an explosion goes off nearby that you get completely rattled: the sounds get muffled making you feel temporarily deaf, and the visuals are blurred and wobbly. This is a wonderful affect that I hope to never experience in real life.
Lastly, there's the gameplay. Now, I've always been a casual player of first person shooter games, so, take my comments for what it's worth. I think the gameplay is very well done. Movements are fluid and react as I would expect. The vision is clear and it's easy to see what's going on around you. The controls are simple to learn, and take a little to master, but extremely playable even for someone with little experience. Aiming is a little trickier than I thought it would be, but, it is combat, so it can't be too easy.
Top to bottom, this has been the most engrossed I've been in any game I've played. I love the game modes, I love the sounds, the sights, the challenges and the emotion of the game. My only complaint is that I don't want to finish it because it's too much fun to play.