Modern Warfare 2 Review

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, released on November 10, 2009 and became the most successful video game launch date in history.  The game was already topping pre-order records days before the official launch day.

Modern Warfare 2 is an obvious buy for anyone who knows Infinity Ward’s previous works with the Call of Duty franchise.  This time you play as a British SAS member named Roach and just like every other Call of Duty game you play through the perspective of multiple people.  Each person tells their own version of the story so you should expect some old favorites to show up.

For some people the intensity of the game might be too much to handle.  This is most evident because the game looks so real, feels so real, and deals with real issues.  Terrorism, international intrigue, political maneuvering, and betrayal are just a few of the 21^st century “real issues“ you’ll experience that contribute to the intense feelings that most video games just aren’t equipped with.

Just in case you don’t feel right about jumping into foreign countries and shooting up the place there is an option at the beginning of the game to skip the more graphic parts of the game.

Modern Warfare 2 now has a driving mechanic which is something most first person shooter games haven’t done very well in the past.  I had more fun driving in this game than I have in every race car simulation game I’ve ever tried.  Infinity Ward also made sure to get rid of the infinite enemy spawns during the campaign that made sure you never had that lonely feeling you got making a game world feel empty and artificial.  Infinity Ward’s decision to get rid of the infinite AI spawns also made infamous Veteran difficulty a lot easier.  Don’t worry if you survive the campaign still thirsty for a challenge, you can try out the new special ops mode where you and a friend can play through short challenging missions that become very difficult.  Fans of the series should be use to recycled maps from the single player campaign and the Call of Duty Modern Warfare but, to be fair, special ops was only included because Infinity Ward felt that making the campaign cooperative would break the flow of the story.

Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer is loaded with new features that can be fun but also keep the game balanced.  Features like Death Streak gives the player special bonuses if they have gone three lives without scoring any points.  That way even when you are playing your worst you can get a leg up.  Along with custom weapon classes, you can now customize your kill streak rewards with anything from the classics like UAV’s, airstrikes, and attack helicopters to tactical nukes that can completely change the outcome of a match.  When it was announced that the game would include a 3^rd person mode, most people questioned what direction the game was going for, but surprisingly Modern Warfare 2 does 3^rd person better than some games designed specifically to be played in 3^rd person.  And you never have to worry about finding other players to play with because Call of Duty has one of the largest online communities out there, but it is definitely a case of quantity over quality because the game attracts some of most foul-mouthed gamers you’ll ever meet.

This game has plenty of content and is well worth buying, whether you’re connected to the Internet or not there is definitely fun to be had.  And who knows, maybe this is the game that will finally get you playing online.