Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Review

November 4th, 2009

 

It should come as no surprise… Modern Warfare 2 is the best of the Call of Duty series to date.  The last time “Modern Warfare” was the title of a game, it was a great time for Infinity Ward.  Call of Duty 4 was a landmark game for the team and completely solidified the series as a whole.   How do you top that? Well, here’s a good start… Modern Warfare 2 broke an Infinity Ward record with the highest number of pre-orders in the company’s history.   The word “hype” comes to mind but when I think about it, “hysteria” is probably closer.

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 you will find an improvement over a game that was as close to perfect as any First Person Shooter.  Modern Warfare 2 is better than Modern Warfare in basically every facet of video game development, and that’s saying a lot. 

Graphically, the game hasn’t seen vast improvements but playing through the game is a more enjoyable visual experience than the predecessor.  The cinematic feel of this title is off the charts.  It feels like a movie from start to finish with it’s perfect pacing, outstanding art direction, and unbelievable attention to detail.  The snow and smoke effects are aspects that really jumped out at me.  And if it was a movie, there is no doubt that it would be a war drama, because this game has a truckload of moments that hit a nerve with any normal human being.  With the use of some incredible music and solid writing, anger, frustration, joy, sadness, and disbelief are only a handful of the emotions you feel throughout this experience. 

As was expected, Online Multiplayer is where it’s really at. Without going into too much detail, there’s new ranking, gameplay tweaks, visuals, no lag, the best online statistics period, sweet new perks, and overall massive addiction ahead. Free-For-All, Search & Destroy, Demolition, Sabotage, Ground Pro, Headquarters Pro, Domination, Team Deathmatch, Cagematch, and Capture The Flag round out the modes.  Oh, and say hello to a third-person for the first time in the Call of Duty series.  Team Deathmatch, Tea, Deathmatch Hardcore, and Cagematch Hardcore all feature the third person POV option. 

The Campaign is 5-6 hours long with replay value heavily relying on Multiplayer, however the campaign will give everybody the Modern Warfare fix they’ve been itching for.  The storytelling throughout the game is very well executed, making the single-player mode just as immersing as the much anticipated multi-player mode. 

Spec Ops is mode that takes certain portions of the game (where co-op will make sense) and allows you to play through those acts with a friend, whether it’s online or offline.  These modes have no direct connection to the campaign mode other than the fact that they are pieces from it.  For example, the Snowmobile race is one of the more enjoyable Spec Ops maps.  However, playing through some of these maps, you'll be quick to realize that changes have been made from the campaign mode, not to mention a surprise map or two that I refuse to talk about. The AI is sharper and more realistic than ever.  This time around the enemies have brand new strategies and paths each time a level is being attempted.  What this does is give it a sense of mystery and gives gamers a true challenge instead of having them figure out the way the enemy is going to attack repeatedly. 

The sixth installment in the Call of Duty series is thus far it’s best.  Infinity Ward and Modern Warfare 2 have taken the successful elements of the series and embellished them rather than try to change them.  They changed the game enough for players to be satisfied, but they have ultimately stayed true to what made them the success they are today.  That may have been the best decision they made.



 

Submitted by: VoreekMAN