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Publisher:  Genre: Action Expansion For:
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Mac OS X: 10.2.8 Mac OS Classic: Not Supported
CPU: G4 @ 867 MHz RAM: 256 MB Hard Disk: 1400 MB DVD-ROM Graphics: 32 MB VRAM |
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Graphics
United Offensive displays impressive cinematics of the very battles you completed once you’ve completed a chapter of the game. For example, once you’ve battled through the route to Noville in Belgium as Corporal Riley, you’re treated to scenes from the battles you’ve won, right down to seeing the bridge you dodged bullets across, and the Sergeant kicking down the door of a church into which you and your brothers-in-arms storm, guns ablaze. It’s a highly rewarding feature to see the battles movie-style, having spent so much time being shell-shocked and hiding behind stone walls, trying to catch your breath.
As mentioned above, maps are huge. Many of them are similar to those from the single-player missions, but not entirely. There are plenty of coves in which to camp, but the sheer size of the maps might make it boring for all but the most lead of foot.
United Offensive’s graphics seem to have been tuned up a bit, but the game otherwise resembles Call of Duty. The thick clouds generated by the smoke grenades in multiplayer, the smoke from explosions and their residual fires, and the pulverized earth arching stories into the sky is not only visually impressive, it’s overwhelming. There aren’t any flowers to smell, but you should stop and take a look…just don’t stand still for long.
I played United Offensive on a dual 2 GHz Power Mac G5 with a gigabyte of RAM. The stock Radeon 9600 displayed smooth graphics, so the game should scale well to lesser systems.
Sound
Some sound issues dogged my Gold Master review copy. The lengthy cinematic sequences that bookend each chapter had no sound, which provided a jarring contrast to the aural overload that is the (virtual) battlefield. Some audio skipping occurred during the intro to the game, although the game itself was sonically without error.
Bullets whiz by your head while you duck. Characters speak, cry out, and bark orders. British troopers have proper accents, and your teammates have Russian accents during the Soviet campaign, although they seem a bit affected. As with Call of Duty, United Offensive offers a barrage of sound that serves to spike your adrenalin and overwhelm you. It takes a moment to get your bearings sometimes, especially if you’re wearing headphones.
Parting Notes
United Offensive bears an ESRB Teen rating. It needn’t be said that it’s violent; it’s a war game, after all. Your commander may not be afraid to let fly with some choice words, but it adds to the realism of the game.
United Offensive requires a copy of Call of Duty to play.
Call of Duty: United Offensive is a remarkable expansion pack. If you liked Call of Duty, you won’t be disappointed with this update. More maps and mission would have been enough for many fans; Gray Matter eschewed the easy road and added in a slew of new features that make United Offensive a battle worth waging. The single-player campaign is worth the price of admission, but the multiplayer enhancements extend the game’s life tenfold.
Pros
• More great FPS action in the style of Call of Duty
• New weapons, including stationary weapons
• Vehicles in multiplayer mode
• New modes of battle
• Challenging single-player mode
Cons
• Some sound issues, although not in-game
• No sprint mode tutorial or training
• Long load time for levels, especially single-player maps
• Challenging single-player mode
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