Call of Duty 2 Summary
Despite not being the first game in the franchise, Activision’s Call of Duty 2 is arguably the title that shot the entire Call of Duty franchise on the trajectory to being one of the biggest franchises in gaming. Releasing on PC and as a launch title for the Xbox 360 in 2005, the game was many players’ first introduction to the Call of Duty series. The Xbox 360 version sold more than 250,000 copies in its first week as a marquis title for Microsoft’s new console. Current sales data place the game at over 6 million copies sold.
In addition to positive reception from fans in terms of player counts and sales, Call of Duty 2 is one of the best first-person shooters of all-time. Critical reception for the title places it among the highest-rated titles in the franchise. Additionally, many of the mechanics introduced in Call of Duty 2 would go on to become staples of nearly all modern first-person shooters. While most games prior to Halo and Call of Duty 2 featured health pickups, Call of Duty 2 popularized the regenerating health mechanic that is now commonplace in FPS games.
In addition to the highly-regarded single-player campaign that lets players assume the role of 3 different Allied soldiers, the multiplayer in Call of Duty 2 represents a turning point for competitive shooters. While the PC version supports up to 64 players (unheard of at the time of its release), the console version supports 8. Despite the lower player counts in the Xbox 360 version, the multiplayer component would go on to propel Call of Duty 2 to being the definitive launch title for the console.
Call of Duty 2 Premise
Just like its predecessor and every one of its successors, Call of Duty 2 is a military-themed first-person shooter. The franchise originally placed gritty realism as its primary focus, but Call of Duty 2 saw developer Infinity Ward dial back the realism in favor of creating an engaging and entertaining experience for the player. In what would become another trademark of the series, Call of Duty 2 also features incredible setpiece moments reminiscent of a blockbuster motion picture.
Call of Duty 2 is one of the series games that takes place during World War II. Players begin the game in the shoes of Private Vasili Koslov of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, tasked with defending Moscow from invading German forces. The single-player campaign eventually allows players to be British and American soldiers, featuring real-world locations and events from each country’s military operations. The multiplayer maps are modified versions of locations from the single-player campaign. Locations in the multiplayer mode include Normandy, Africa, and Moscow.
Gameplay involves many of the trademarks of first-person shooters, including firing at enemies and taking cover from enemy fire. In a unique trademark for the series, players must advance and push through enemy lines to prevent respawning foes during certain segments. Players have access to firearms and other ordinances such as grenades, and there are no. health pickups. Instead, players must take cover and wait on a cooldown timer in order to regenerate health before venturing back out into combat.
Call of Duty 2 Main Characters
Featuring a diverse cast of engaging characters, Call of Duty 2 shares similarities with not only other games in the franchise but also notable films like Saving Private Ryan or Patton. In what has become a trademark for the series, the single-player campaign’s climactic moments are anchored by well-written and three-dimensional characters. Main characters in Call of Duty 2 include:
- Pvt. Vasili Koslov: A rifleman in the Russian army defending Moscow against the German military. Players assume the role of Pvt. Vasili Koslov for the first several missions of the single-player campaign. The final mission of the Soviet campaign takes place in Stalingrad in 1943, with Koslov instrumental in recapturing the city.
- Sgt. John Davis: Sgt. Davis is a member of the British 7th Armoured Division and is under the command of Cpt. Price. Stationed in North Africa, Davis is part of the British operation to remove the Germans from Egypt.
- Comdr. David Welsh: Players assume the role of British tank commander David Welsh in the last part of the British campaign. Welsh’s missions bring the player to Libya, Tunisia, and finally the Battle of Caen as part of Operation Overlord.
- Cpl. Bill Taylor: Corporal Bill Taylor is the last Allied soldier controlled by players in the campaign. A member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, Taylor is one of the soldiers landing at Normandy Beach as part of the D-Day operation.
- Cpt. Price: Price is the commander of the British 7th Armoured Division. A recurring character in Call of Duty, his grandson will eventually command the player in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Games in the Call of Duty Series
The Call of Duty franchise counts over 400 million units in sales, making it one of the best-selling gaming franchises of all-time. After originally focusing on a World War II setting, the series’ transition into the modern era helped catapult it into being an annual sales juggernaut. Still going strong after 20 years, the main games in the Call of Duty franchise include:
- Call of Duty (2003)
- Call of Duty 2 (2005)
- Call of Duty 3 (2006)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
- Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops IV (2018)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
Call of Duty 2 Cheats
Cheats for Call of Duty 2 will differ depending on which version of the game you’re playing. While the PC version features a large variety of cheats using the command console, the Xbox 360 version only features two verified cheat codes.
Call of Duty 2 Cheats for PC
In order to enter any of the following cheats, players will need to first enable the command console. Go to the “Options” menu in-game and select “Game Options”. Click through the prompts until the command console is activated. Once activated, players can press the tilde (~) key in-game to open the command console. Enter developer 1 to enable any of the following codes to work.
| Code | Effect |
| god | Turn invulnerability on/off |
| give all | Get all weapons |
| give ammo | Full ammo for all currently held weapons |
| ufo | Player can swim/fly through the game world |
| noclip | Player can walk through walls/environment |
| notarget | Player is invisible to enemies |
| moscow | Start on the “Red Army Training” map |
| demolition | Start on the “Demolition” map |
| decoytrenches | Start on “The Diversionary Raid” map |
| decoytown | Start on the “Holding The Line” map |
| elalamein | Start on the “El Alamein” map |
| eldaba | Start on “The End Of The Beginning” map |
| tankhunt | Start on the “Repairing The Wire” map |
| trainyard | Start on the “Railroad Station No. 1” map |
| downtown_assault | Start on the “Downtown Assault” map |
| cityhall | Start on the “Stalingrad City Hall” map |
| downtown_sniper | Start on the “Comrade Sniper” map |
| libya | Start on the “Crusader Charge” map |
| 88ridge | Start on the “88 Ridge” map |
| toujane_ride | Start on the “Armoured Car Escape” map |
| toujane | Start on the “Retaking Toujane” map |
| matmata | Start on the “Assault On Matmata” map |
| duhoc_assault | Start on “The Battle Of Pointe Du Hoc” map |
| duhoc_defend | Start on the “Defending The Pointe” map |
| silotown | Start on “The Silo” map |
| beltot | Start on the “Prisoners Of War” map |
| crossroads | Start on “The Crossroads” map |
| hill400_assault | Start on the “Rangers Lead The Way” map |
| hill400_defend | Start on “The Battle For Hill 400” map |
| bergstein | Start on the “Bergstein” map |
| breakout | Start on “The Brigade Box” map |
| newvillers | Start on “The Tiger” map |
| rhine | Start on “The Crossing Point” map |
Call of Duty 2 Cheats for Xbox 360
| Code | Effect |
| In Mission Select menu, hold LB + RB, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, Y, Y | Stage Select |
| On Main Menu, LEFT, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, Y, Y | Infinite Ammo |
Call of Duty 2 Cheat FAQs
How do you enable cheats in Call of Duty 2?
In the Options menu, select “Game Options” and click to enable the command console. Once enabled, press the tilde (~) key to open the console.
Does Call of Duty 2 have a cheat trainer?
Yes, a cheat trainer for Call of Duty 2 can be found here. It features many of the same cheats possible from using the command console.