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Call of Duty: World at War (PS2)

Activision
Call of Duty returns, and to many people’s surprise, it’s going back to World War II. While original series creators Infinity Ward brought the series into the modern day, developer Treyarch are setting out to make the definitive historical first-person shooter.

The Soviet attack on Berlin features intense street battles

Take on the Japanese navy as you board a U.S. flying boat

World at War features the most realistic fire effects ever

The new ability to swim adds to both the story and multiplayer modes

The game is primarily set in the Pacific theatre and has a much more realistic, violent tone requiring less-linear game play than previous Call of Duty installments. You'll struggle to survive Japanese attacks without mastering new gaming skills, like swimming or how to use a flamethrower--a weapon that packs some punch in the fully destructable game world.

Also featured is a campaign on the Eastern front, where you take control of a soldier in the Soviet Red Army during the attack on Berlin in the closing stages of the war. The game also includes the series’ first co-op mode, while the competitive multiplayer mode aims to build upon the achievements of Call of Duty 4 and add to the game’s longevity.
Key Features
- Dual campaigns: Fight in two very different World War II battles. Take on the Japanese Imperial army in the Pacific, and liberate Berlin as part of the Soviet Red Army.
- Grim realities: Experience the most bloody and realistic combat ever seen in the series, as you witness enemy atrocities and wield horrific new weapons such as the flamethrower.
- Job with benefits: Revamped competitive multiplayer mode features useable vehicles and an expanded perks system from Call of Duty 4.
- Brothers in arms: For the first time, a Call of Duty game features a four-player co-operative mode that’s playable online or via a split screen option on the same console.
- Modern graphics: The game uses an enhanced version of the Call of Duty 4 graphics engine, with wood that splinters realistically when shot and fires that spread organically.
About the Developer: Treyarch
One of publisher Activision’s biggest internal studios, Treyarch have worked on many of the company’s best known titles, from the Spider-Man movie tie-ins and spin-offs to several of the Call of Duty sequels and the new James Bond game, Quantum of Solace.
God of War (PS2)

Sony
Age of Empires 2 (PS2)

Konami

Age Of Empires II has been a big hit for Microsoft on the PC for some time and now it's made it to the PS2. The biggest question to be answered with any strategy game of this kind is whether or not the developers have managed to get the user interface right; while it's been pretty well executed it's still not perfect and does make life difficult at times. However, one excellent feature of the PS2 removes all the potential interface problems: just buy yourself a USB mouse and you have the perfect tool for playing.
Gameplay basically revolves around you building up and defending your settlement, but don't expect to be left to your own devices for long. As with all strategy games, you'll need to gather resources, build more advanced structures and gain access to more powerful troops with which to raid and pillage enemy settlements. The range of units is good and varies between the many cultures you can choose to be, giving each culture their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.
The graphics and sound in Age of Empires 2 are both perfectly serviceable, but you won't be astounded by either. So what does it have in its favour? Well, heaps and heaps of playability. This is no five-minute wonder, and you'll be back again and again for just one more shot at that mission you haven't quite finished yet. If you're looking for a top-notch strategy game for the PS2, you couldn't go far wrong by getting yourself a copy of AOE2--and don't forget your mouse. --Andi Flower
Mercenaries Playground of Destruction (PS2)

Activision
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (PS2)

Electronic Arts
Conflict: Desert Storm II (PS2)

Eidos

Though Conflict: Desert Storm II runs the risk of seeming too insensitive even for video game players, this sequel is still set in the original 1991 Gulf War. It's a squad-based shooter that follows the testosterone-enriched adventures of soldiers Bradley, Foley, Connors and Jones as they travel 300 km further behind enemy lines beginning with--and couldn't you just guess it--a rescue mission at a downed Black Hawk helicopter within a heavily fortified city.
Of course, replicating dangerously jingoistic American movies is exactly what Conflict: Desert Storm II is all about and there's a ton of new hardware in this sequel to get even the most steadfast pacifist reaching for the Arnie one-liners. You've got new phosphor grenades, a laser designator to call in helicopters and jet planes and, best of all, the chance to jump in a jeep and spray bad guys with heavy machine gun fire.
As well as adding new features Conflict: Desert Storm II also fixes problems with the original game, in particular the often highly erratic frame rate, which is a lot smoother than before. The co-op mode is also back and better than ever, especially as you can now pick any level from the single-player mode to play through at any time. --David Jenkins
Star Trek: Conquest (PS2)

Bethesda
Ace Combat Squadron Leader (PS2)

Sony
WWII: Battle Over Europe (PS2)

Midas Interactive
Conflict: Desert Storm (PS2)

Eidos

Set around the events of 1991's head-to-head with the Iraqis, Conflict: Desert Storm presents a stylised view of the confrontation, allowing players to see the war unfold through the eyes of either Delta Force or the good old SAS. Combining first and third-person perspectives with a thoroughly well-designed team-based model, the game manages to pull off the almost unthinkable double for a console by being both engaging and easy to manage--not something that comes easily when you have a limited number of controller buttons.
The plotline is standard military sim fare--strategic targets must be blown up, prisoners rescued and bullets expended by the thousand--but the extra edge provided by the ability to drive vehicles and to creep around undetected by the excitable Iraqi guards makes this a must-have rather than a nice-to-have. The maximum squad size for any given mission is four team members, each soldier having a special ability ranging from marksmanship to explosives use. In theory, handling four troops simultaneously sounds like a tall order but developer Pivotal has done a great job of creating a control system that works well, even in the heat of battle.
Desert Storm is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination and the learning curve can be quite steep; stick with it, though, and there's much to recommend it. For the cautious player there's an excellent training mode that gives thorough instruction on how to perform all of the basic functions and is guaranteed to turn you into a killing machine. --Chris Russell
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (PS2)

Midway Games Ltd
Freedom Fighters (PS2)

Electronic Arts
History Channel: Great Battles of Rome (PS2)

Black Bean

Brand New & Sealed Posted 1st Class
SOCOM II: US Navy SEALs

Sony

The highest-profile online game on the PS2 is back in SOCOM II: US Navy SEALs. Although Sony have so far taken a more laid-back approach to their promotion of online games, compared to Microsoft and the Xbox, the original SOCOM nevertheless managed to become the most popular online console game ever. Bucking the trend of most video game sequels, this follow-up actually manages to improve on the original, fixing many of the niggling flaws that permeated it.
Not that SOCOM II is radically different from its prequel: far from it; it's still a squad-based combat simulator very much in the style of Rainbow Six and the legion of other Tom Clancy-inspired tactical shooters. Here though the emphasis is on user-friendly controls and teamwork with real human players. The game features proper support for clans (groups of players that regularly play together) and is much better at keeping out cheaters. There are also 12 new maps to play on, in addition to the 10 from the original game, and two new multiplayer modes that have clearly been influenced by Counter-Strike.
Sensibly, though, the developers have paid just as much attention to the single-player mode, with a complete overhaul of the graphics and increased voice support that allows you to bark commands at your computer-controlled team mates (as long as you've got a USB headset) instead of mucking about with the ( still very good) menu system. All of this makes SCOCOM II the perfect way to get into online gaming. --David Jenkins
America's 10 Most Wanted (PS2)

System 3
Kessen III (PS2)

Koei
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs (includes headset)

Sony

SOCOM: US Navy Seals is Sony's first ever online console game, and one that gives you and your friends the chance to join the army and kill terrorists without ever leaving the comfort of your home.
Even though every British schoolboy knows the SAS are the hardest Special Forces group in the world, market economics dictate that SOCOM allows you to fill only the designer camouflage suits of their US counterparts. The game is a squad-based solider simulator in the vein of Rainbow Six, although because it's been designed specifically for the PS2 it works a lot better than any other similar game with a simple-to-use control interface and excellent graphics.
Unfortunately, where the game doesn't break tradition with other similar titles is in the AI, which is fairly naff and means friendly fire is far more likely to kill you and your team-mates than anything the enemy might do. Of course playing the game online with up to 15 of your friends makes this far less of a problem and is where the game really shines.
The SOCOM package comes complete with a free headset that plugs into your PS2 and lets you hear and talk to anyone you're playing with or against online. However, to actually get online you'll need a Network Adaptor, which is sold separately, and a broadband Internet connection. Getting everything working online is nice and easy though, thanks to the various deals Sony has made with the UK's biggest broadband providers, and you'll be online zapping terrorists, friends and family in no time at all. --David Jenkins
Metal Slug Anthology - Ignition (PS2)

Atari
WWII: Tank Battles (PS2)

Midas Interactive
Conflict Desert Storm - Platinum

Eidos

Set around the events of 1991's head-to-head with the Iraqis, Conflict: Desert Storm presents a stylised view of the confrontation, allowing players to see the war unfold through the eyes of either Delta Force or the good old SAS. Combining first and third-person perspectives with a thoroughly well-designed team-based model, the game manages to pull off the almost unthinkable double for a console by being both engaging and easy to manage--not something that comes easily when you have a limited number of controller buttons.
The plotline is standard military sim fare--strategic targets must be blown up, prisoners rescued and bullets expended by the thousand--but the extra edge provided by the ability to drive vehicles and to creep around undetected by the excitable Iraqi guards makes this a must-have rather than a nice-to-have. The maximum squad size for any given mission is four team members, each soldier having a special ability ranging from marksmanship to explosives use. In theory, handling four troops simultaneously sounds like a tall order but developer Pivotal has done a great job of creating a control system that works well, even in the heat of battle.
Desert Storm is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination and the learning curve can be quite steep; stick with it, though, and there's much to recommend it. For the cautious player there's an excellent training mode that gives thorough instruction on how to perform all of the basic functions and is guaranteed to turn you into a killing machine. --Chris Russell