I bought two Call of Duty games, one is Call of Duty 2 and the other is Call of Duty 2: Big Red One.

I was expecting 3rd-person shooters and was hoping for a Star Wars Battlefront 1 type game - only set in World War 2, but what I got were two first person shooters.

I was also hoping for a more open style play, like Battlefront's "Instant Action," but instead, the levels in Call of Duty at times send you on missions (such as 'place sticky bomb on tank,' or 'defend ammo pile from enemy planes.')

Not that the Call of Duty games are bad. I've yet to finish either one; perhaps when I do, "instant action" type scenarios will be unlocked (I hope).

Some of my criticisms:

In both games, it is sometimes unclear where I am to go next.

I realize the game designers attempted to fix this by having my buddies run out ahead of me or yell, "Over here, Sarge," but none-the-less, I still at times lose track of my pals and cannot easily discern where I am to go next.

In Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (which I have for the X-box), the controller layout is horrible. You are not given optional controller schemes, either.

On the particular controller I am using, the black and white buttons are on the lower right.

The small black button serves to do something vital in the game (reload or pick up health or something, I forget which) but it's highly awkward, as I have to stop, look down at my controller to find and hit the black button.

In one of the games, I was placed into a bomber and either told to bomb targets on the ground, or fire at enemy planes in the sky. It was thoroughly confusing.

For some reason I cannot fathom, I was at times directed from one part of the plane to another: in all, there must be about 4 - 5 different positions in the plane.

One is a chin guide from mid to lower level in the plane, that drops bombs; another is the front, upper level from which you can shoot at enemies from the front; there's a turret somewhere else in the plane; and another shooting spot at the rear.

I think having the player shooting from the front and back would've been sufficient.

I've had to take breaks while playing both games, as the constant shoot- at - nazis can become monotonous after awhile (don't ask me why, but I hardly ever get tired of shooting at stormtroopers in Star Wars Battlefront 1).