GameGuide » Blog Archive » Modern Warfare 2

After putting nearly 7 days of my life into Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer, as well as countless hours into replaying it’s campaign, there’s no way I can start this review with some sort of cool, calm and collected comment about the sequel. My expectations were astronomical: Modern Warfare 2 would have to be one of the best games I’d ever played, or it would be a huge disappointment.

So, rest easy. It is.

In almost every way, Modern Warfare 2 takes what made the first game great, and pumps it full of steroids. The multiplayer is bigger, the graphics are an improvement, there are more weapons… more, more, more. Modern Warfare 2 is a masterpiece, and it’s well worth your money.

Phew. Now that that’s out of the way, let me take a deep breath and say this… it’s not perfect.

The “amp everything up” mentality doesn’t always work to the games advantage, and this is evident in one area: the campaign. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great campaign. It’s an absolute thrill ride, and my jaw hit the floor on multiple occasions. But, make no mistake, developer Infinity Ward has chosen to throw all their eggs in the Michael Bay style blockbuster basket. Call of Duty 4 – while not being exactly believable – had a little bit more subtlety. Missions like Ghillies in the Mist, where you played as a sniper, stuck in the brain long afterwards, more for their chilling intensity, and sense of loneliness. There is nothing like that in this game.

It’s balls to the wall action, and it reminded me of a James Bond film. It’s almost as if Infinity Ward decided on all the cool set pieces and locations they wanted to include, then worried about the story later. The finale is the greatest example of this, seeing you fight it out in a Dr Evil style underground base, against – I kid you not – henchmen. I was only left to wonder when I’d encounter the sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads.

Also, the campaign is at least two hours too short, and certain missions are over in the blink of an eye.

If my criticism sounds strong, it’s just because I love this series so much. And, I loved the campaign too. I was hooked throughout, and there are multiple moments of bottled awesomeness. I’m just saying that Call of Duty 4’s campaign will probably be the one that stays with you long-term.

I suspect that the second mode on offer – Special Operations – is where you’ll find a lot of replayability. You can play this mode in co-op, one mission at a time. The challenges vary from simply taking down a set amount of enemies in a set time, to racing snow mobiles down a mountainside. They are a lot of fun and a great addition.

More than anything else though, multiplayer is where it’s at. This was the case with the last game and it’s the case with this one. And here, you’ll be pleased to know, the “amping everything up” mentality pays dividends.

The RPG-lite levelling system is what makes it so addictive, and there are more ways than ever to create unique classes. The list of weapons, unlockables and perks can seem overwhelming at first.

In Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer I’d burn my way to 150 kills with every weapon I could as a quick way of levelling up. I soon realised that to unlock everything for a single weapon in Modern Warfare 2 would take hours and hours. This encourages you to pick a favourite and go from there. After a brief love-affair with the Vector machine gun, I’ve now settled on the sexy Intervention sniper rifle (with an ACOG scope and heart-beat sensor) and the FAL single-shot rifle.

The great thing about multiplayer this time round is that you will be rewarded for playing in the style you love. So, if you’re like me and like to hang back, you’ll get extra points for one-shot kills and pulling off lone-range shots.

Probably the biggest game-changer this time around are the killstreaks. There are a ton of them, and you can unlock and choose the ones that suit you. This encourages you to be slightly more defensive, but with Predator missiles raining down and AC-130’s in the air, that is easier said than done. One of the earlier killstreaks is the Care Package, which can contain anything from ammo to a Chopper Gunner killstreak. It reminds me of nothing so much as that old computer game Worms, believe it or not.

Like the campaign, all of this makes multiplayer more cartoon-like. However, in this case, I’m really enjoying the change.

While I have one or two gripes, they hardly seem fair. Modern Warfare 2 is so far and away from anything else in this genre. If I could only purchase one game in the next few years it would be this one.

It’s the best game of this console generation and you need to play it.

Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Available on: XBox 360, PS3, PC

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