What we have been holding our breath for, however, was seeing how the game would perform on the new Xbox 360. If one game was ever going to unlock the power of the beast then this was to be the one. We have to say we were not disappointed; in fact we were truly wowed by what we saw.

The game itself follows a similar formula to those in the earlier series. You progress through a well-scripted campaign playing the roles of a Russian soldier, a British Desert Rat and finally team up with the Rangers through the harrowing initial stages of the battle for Normandy.

The initial Russian campaign starts off with a slick training mission, where the basics of the game are laid out for you. The control layout is based on the current standard for FPS games, with the new shoulder buttons of the Xbox 360 assigned to fragmentation and smoke grenades.

What immediately strikes you in this initial sequence are the graphics. Sharp, crisp and highly detailed are just some of the words that spring to mind. You'll be mightily impressed at the way the snow swirls about, fires burn and breath freezes as it meets the air. The Infinity Engine has truly found a home on the Xbox 360 - a home where it can really shine.

As you progress through these early missions other aspects begin to impress. There are the missions themselves, beginning with some broad objectives and quickly changing and expanding as you progress further into the game. Desperate defence against armoured vehicles turns into an all-out assault on the enemies' defences and simple communication cable repair devolves into a rollercoaster ride of small, vicious battles.

There is a good selection of weapons in Call of Duty 2, faithfully reproducing what was available at the time. You'll find pistols, rifles and sub-machine guns along with fixed heavier weapons. This includes the ability to man artillery and anti-aircraft weapons. There are also some areas of the campaign where you can command a tank and take on the famed Afrika Korps. All have a very realistic feel to them and, as in past COD titles, all have satisfying sound effects.

One of the major changes between the original game and its sequel has also made its way onto the Xbox 360. No longer do you have a health bar or health packs to pick up; instead the screen gives you visual indications when you are perilously close to dying and need to take cover. A short period of no activity restores you back to full health. Despite this being less than realistic, once you are used to this system it does work very well and is better than the usual, also unrealistic, hunt for health packs.

The animations for both your allies and the enemy are extremely realistic. Movements are smooth and detailed: often when you shoot an enemy he will stagger or fall to the ground. Those who hit the deck are not necessarily dead, and some will crawl to cover or pull out a secondary weapon and continue to fire.

The enemy AI is superb and one of the best we have seen. The enemies will duck in and out of cover, but not necessarily where they were before. Falter in your attack and they will attempt to flank you. Cover the doors and they will try to come through the windows. The AI is particularly evident when using grenades. Throw a fragmentation grenade into a weapons pit and they will quickly vacate the area. Lay down a smoke screen to cover your advance and they will sometimes advance into the smoke themselves. The result of this is a confused hand-to-hand fight in the smoke. Some aspects are scripted, however you really believe at times that the enemy is trying to out-think your next move.

On top of the weather effects there are some of the sweetest explosions we have ever seen. One in particular, where you demolish an entire building, is fantastic to watch. Little details have not been forgotten, either. Enter a house, and the furniture has all the hallmarks of being recently vacated. At one juncture we came to a room containing a piano that we were sorely tempted to play, were it not for the German shooting from the opposite doorway.

The attention to detail and the environmental effects are supported by a masterful set of sound effects. The guns sound like they should and the force feedback to the controller reminds you that you are using a submachine gun or that a tank that is coming. One stunning sequence in the campaign has you crawling in a trench line as German tanks rumble overhead at speed.

Like the previous Call of Duty titles, the game's multiplayer aspects really round off the whole package. Tight maps to play on that are excellently balanced, and with an abundance of elevations and hideaways; it all makes for an exhilarating multiplayer experience. This is a game you absolutely must play on Xbox Live.

The only thing preventing us from scoring the game any higher than we have is the lack of innovation between this instalment and the last when it comes to setting and storyline. We would have liked to have seen the game make a move from European battles into the Pacific, where there is a wealth of opportunity to add more dimension to the series.