The most highly anticipated game of 2009 has finally been released to a rabid gaming public salivating at the bit for more modern warfare. Developer Infinity Ward has crafted a memorable and addicting experience in less than two years from the previous installments release. This in and of itself is an incredible feat and one that should be highly commended. Despite Infinity Ward's best efforts, the short comings of a short development cycle are still evident.
Modern Warfare 2 is split into three distinct experiences featuring Campaign, Spec Ops and Multiplayer. The Campaign mode is a non stop adrenaline ride that is as exciting as it is hard to follow. There is seemingly an endless array of breath taking gameplay moments from the moment you begin your journey to the instant the credits roll. Modern Warfare 2 is by far the most cinematic of the Call of Duty series to date. This provides a strong emotional connection, but ultimately fails to deliver the same experience crafted in Call of Duty 4. The sense of authenticity and realism that made the former so unique has been replaced with a narrative that is pure Hollywood. The plot of the game is largely unbelievable and filled with confusing twists and plot holes. This is mainly due to the fact that much of the story driven dialogue is presented while you are desperately fighting for survival. It's difficult to grasp the situation when your main concern is the barrage of RPG laden OpFor hell bent on introducing you to your maker. Nevertheless, the action is intense and exciting and there is never a feeling of "I can't wait until this is over." Coincidentally, the experience will be over before you know it and you will indeed be pining for more. In what appears to be a seemingly cheap tactic, the difficulty has been increased in an effort to lengthen the disappointingly short campaign. If you are an avid FPS player, expect a five hour run through on even the Hardcore setting.
Modern Warfare 2 features visuals with a noticeable improvement over Call of Duty 4. The graphical jump is most noticeable on the PC as long as you have a powerful rig to max out the settings. However, the current generation of consoles is starting to show their age with inferior textures and anti-aliasing. Draw distance is not particularly impressive in either the campaign or multiplayer. It is most obvious in multiplayer given the increased map sizes. Diverse character models are another casualty of a tight deadline. One need only play the now controversial airport mission where you attempt to infiltrate Vladamir Makarov's terrorist organization. The opening scene features civilians crowded together in an airport terminal. I counted only a handful of models with matching clothing in a scene that features easily a few dozen non-playable characters. Immersion was instantly broken and the gruesome scenario that unfolds loses some of its shock value.
Spec Ops easily steals the show with two player Co-op missions that feature exciting and unique scenarios that are a blast to play through with a friend. The Spec Ops mode is roughly the same length of the Campaign, but it doesn't feature a story element. These are purely combat missions, many of which are inspired by memorable scenes from both Modern Warfare games. Should you fail to achieve your objective, be prepared to restart from the beginning. This creates a tension and sense of urgency that actually adds to the experience. Missions are usually brief and restarting a level due to mission failure doesn't become an issue until the later missions.
The multiplayer is by far the largest portion of what Modern Warfare 2 has to offer. In many ways it improves upon the near perfect formula created in the last chapter of the franchise. Unfortunately the added features may prove to be overkill. The additional kill streaks are great fun for the possessor, but have the ability to quickly disrupt balance. Gameplay is faster and deaths are nearly instantaneous in Modern Warfare 2. Controlling the more powerful kill streak rewards can create a devastating onslaught that can cripple a team without much hope of retribution. Spawn points are another area that needs attention. You will often be spawned in the same exact place you were gunned down giving your opponent an opportunity for easy seconds. Furthermore, hit detection feels a bit off which is most noticeable when sniping. Many times a shot will be fired directly into an opponent’s chest without the shot even registering a hit. The game is heavily populated at the moment and very few matches don't exhibit game hindering lag even with a high speed internet connection. Lastly and probably most unfortunately, many of the bugs from the original Modern Warfare make their way into the sequel. In true Call of Duty fashion, it is all too easy to get stuck in a street sign or barrel with the only option being a cooked frag grenade to queue a respawn. If your out of grenades, be prepared to wait until an opponent puts you out of your misery. Glitch spots are even more rampant then before and are seemingly encouraged by Infinity Ward based on the level design. There isn't anything more frustrating then being sniped from the top of some building you can only get to if you jump off your team mates head, spin 3 times and click your heels. Despite several set backs, the multiplayer is incredibly addicting and one that could become unequaled given a few much needed updates.
Modern Warfare 2 is a must own for any gaming fan, though this time the bar has not been set quite as high. It is an exceptional game that is a victim of circumstance. It brings to mind what truly could have been possible if Infinity Ward was given time to fully realize their vision. Given the record shattering first day sales, I don’t expect Activision to have a change of heart anytime soon.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.0
Modern Warfare 2 is split into three distinct experiences featuring Campaign, Spec Ops and Multiplayer. The Campaign mode is a non stop adrenaline ride that is as exciting as it is hard to follow. There is seemingly an endless array of breath taking gameplay moments from the moment you begin your journey to the instant the credits roll. Modern Warfare 2 is by far the most cinematic of the Call of Duty series to date. This provides a strong emotional connection, but ultimately fails to deliver the same experience crafted in Call of Duty 4. The sense of authenticity and realism that made the former so unique has been replaced with a narrative that is pure Hollywood. The plot of the game is largely unbelievable and filled with confusing twists and plot holes. This is mainly due to the fact that much of the story driven dialogue is presented while you are desperately fighting for survival. It's difficult to grasp the situation when your main concern is the barrage of RPG laden OpFor hell bent on introducing you to your maker. Nevertheless, the action is intense and exciting and there is never a feeling of "I can't wait until this is over." Coincidentally, the experience will be over before you know it and you will indeed be pining for more. In what appears to be a seemingly cheap tactic, the difficulty has been increased in an effort to lengthen the disappointingly short campaign. If you are an avid FPS player, expect a five hour run through on even the Hardcore setting.
Modern Warfare 2 features visuals with a noticeable improvement over Call of Duty 4. The graphical jump is most noticeable on the PC as long as you have a powerful rig to max out the settings. However, the current generation of consoles is starting to show their age with inferior textures and anti-aliasing. Draw distance is not particularly impressive in either the campaign or multiplayer. It is most obvious in multiplayer given the increased map sizes. Diverse character models are another casualty of a tight deadline. One need only play the now controversial airport mission where you attempt to infiltrate Vladamir Makarov's terrorist organization. The opening scene features civilians crowded together in an airport terminal. I counted only a handful of models with matching clothing in a scene that features easily a few dozen non-playable characters. Immersion was instantly broken and the gruesome scenario that unfolds loses some of its shock value.
Spec Ops easily steals the show with two player Co-op missions that feature exciting and unique scenarios that are a blast to play through with a friend. The Spec Ops mode is roughly the same length of the Campaign, but it doesn't feature a story element. These are purely combat missions, many of which are inspired by memorable scenes from both Modern Warfare games. Should you fail to achieve your objective, be prepared to restart from the beginning. This creates a tension and sense of urgency that actually adds to the experience. Missions are usually brief and restarting a level due to mission failure doesn't become an issue until the later missions.
The multiplayer is by far the largest portion of what Modern Warfare 2 has to offer. In many ways it improves upon the near perfect formula created in the last chapter of the franchise. Unfortunately the added features may prove to be overkill. The additional kill streaks are great fun for the possessor, but have the ability to quickly disrupt balance. Gameplay is faster and deaths are nearly instantaneous in Modern Warfare 2. Controlling the more powerful kill streak rewards can create a devastating onslaught that can cripple a team without much hope of retribution. Spawn points are another area that needs attention. You will often be spawned in the same exact place you were gunned down giving your opponent an opportunity for easy seconds. Furthermore, hit detection feels a bit off which is most noticeable when sniping. Many times a shot will be fired directly into an opponent’s chest without the shot even registering a hit. The game is heavily populated at the moment and very few matches don't exhibit game hindering lag even with a high speed internet connection. Lastly and probably most unfortunately, many of the bugs from the original Modern Warfare make their way into the sequel. In true Call of Duty fashion, it is all too easy to get stuck in a street sign or barrel with the only option being a cooked frag grenade to queue a respawn. If your out of grenades, be prepared to wait until an opponent puts you out of your misery. Glitch spots are even more rampant then before and are seemingly encouraged by Infinity Ward based on the level design. There isn't anything more frustrating then being sniped from the top of some building you can only get to if you jump off your team mates head, spin 3 times and click your heels. Despite several set backs, the multiplayer is incredibly addicting and one that could become unequaled given a few much needed updates.
Modern Warfare 2 is a must own for any gaming fan, though this time the bar has not been set quite as high. It is an exceptional game that is a victim of circumstance. It brings to mind what truly could have been possible if Infinity Ward was given time to fully realize their vision. Given the record shattering first day sales, I don’t expect Activision to have a change of heart anytime soon.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.0
A very fair review. Hopefully IW will try to remedy the balance issues a bit (super accurate double wielded antique shotguns?). Spawn points too.
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