Call of Duty: United Offensive

If you��ve already been drafted for the award-winning Call of Duty, then you may as well sign up for a second tour. The United Offensive expansion is almost here, and we have an in-depth hands-on of the game��s late beta. Based on what we��ve seen (roughly a third of the game), United Offensive still feels like the one and only Call of Duty: It��s a high-action cornucopia of sensory overload. There��s still that thrill as you rush into battle, as well as that intangible sense of camaraderie with your NPC compatriots. This is, like its predecessor, a game of moments.

United we stand

United Offensive includes 13 single-player missions spread across three different campaigns: The Battle of the Bulge, the Russian invasion of Kursk, and the invasion of Sicily by the British.

Speeding through the streets of Sicily, you man the guns of a motorcycle sidecar. A nearby explosion tosses you from the bike, ending the first rail-shooter segment. As you and the driver hobble away, dizzy and confused, the onslaught of enemy soldiers affords you no chance to catch your breath.

Mortar strikes continue to rock the earth, shaking the cobblestone streets that line your getaway. You ��cook�� a grenade, delaying your toss until the very last moment. The enemy can��t kick the sucker back if it blows up in his face.

Finally, your escape on foot takes you to the loading docks, where you speed away on a motorboat. But it doesn��t end there��enemy boats careen toward you in relentless pursuit.

And all of this is in just one stage.

Ich bin ein multiplayer

Several new modes should ignite more interest in multiplayer. For example, in domination mode, a number of points must be taken over in order to gain control of the map. Speaking of the map, strangely, an overhead view is not included.

A blatantly unbalanced jeep is among the new vehicles, complete with a chirpy honk to get your teammates�� attention and taunt enemies. This jeep may be great for reaching map points, but it��s easily mowed down by one of the many playable tanks. If you are the lone rider in a vehicle, you can switch smoothly from driver to gunner posts as the need arises.

With so many military-themed FPS titles heading to shelves this year, the competition will be fierce. Can an expansion pack stand up to the opposition? Whether United Offensive can fully duplicate or outdo the original experience can be determined only with the final product, but already it seems safe to say that the game will, at the very least, do no worse.

The Word: CALL WAITING

WPUBLISHER: Activision DEVELOPER: Gray Matter GENRE: FPS RELEASE DATE: Fall 2004

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.