In many ways Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2<\/em> is an awkward game to review. For one, it\u2019s such a hyped game that there isn\u2019t much to say about it that hasn\u2019t been said before, and it has already been such a huge sales hit that I doubt there are many gamers out there who need me to convince them of its excellence. Secondly, it is a game built so much around spectacular set pieces — each one more harrowing than the last — that I\u2019d feel extremely guilty if I described them for fear of spoiling a game that really only succeeds by surprising you with unexpected twists and breathtaking, often disturbing war time imagery.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s also kind of an easy game to review because so much of its makeup is retread from the first Modern Warfare<\/em>, only with a fresh storyline picking up a few years after its predecessor\u2019s climax. I don\u2019t say that to diminish the experience this game has to offer, but that’s just how it is. You\u2019ll fight alongside many familiar characters and encounter many powerful, memorable moments throughout Modern Warfare 2<\/em>\u2019s campaign \u2013 the missions taking place on our home soil in particular, as well as the controversial (and completely optional) airport massacre level I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard all about by now \u2013 but too many of them seem to try too hard to replicate similar moments and set pieces from past games, so in the end their impact isn\u2019t as profound.<\/p>\n

Much of the gameplay and presentation is identical as well, and any improvements that have been made are incremental at best. Infinity Ward knows how to make a great shooting model, and the FPS gunplay in Modern Warfare 2<\/em> has been honed to near perfection with controls that are tighter and smoother than ever. I\u2019m also pleased that they finally got a handle on the enemy spawning problem of past games \u2013 no longer do you have to put up with endlessly respawning bad guys until you reach some invisible trigger point!<\/p>\n

However, I am disappointed that the checkpoint system continues to be almost random in when it decides to auto-save your progress and that there is still no lean mechanic, two things that caused me a lot of frustration when playing through the campaign on the max difficulty. Call of Duty Classic<\/em> has peek-and-lean for crying out loud, so why not this?<\/p>\n

In terms of graphics and audio, enhancements have surely been made and the game looks and sounds amazing \u2013 this is no doubt one spectacular audiovisual production \u2013 but nothing jumps out as a monumental leap forward, especially when a graphical behemoth like Killzone 2<\/em> already raised the bar so high earlier in the year.<\/p>\n

Nothing has really evolved with the multiplayer either. Save for subtle feature additions like kill streak rewards, host migration and the usual assortment of new weapons, perks and maps, the experience-based ranking and unlock system is the same. That\u2019s not a bad thing since the Modern Warfare<\/em> multiplayer formula remains top of the class in the FPS genre, but, similarly to the rest of the game, it\u2019s tough to get jazzed up to start over from scratch in a multiplayer mode that has now been recycled for a third time. I\u2019m beginning to think that Infinity Ward would be better off creating a persistent online infrastructure so there\u2019s more continuity.<\/p>\n

While the campaign and multiplayer are largely familiar, the new Special Ops mode is a welcomed addition to the Modern Warfare<\/em> arsenal. Special Ops is an independent challenge mode, playable solo or in co-op with a friend locally or online, consisting of short timed missions set within locales from the campaign. Special Ops missions come in a variety of flavors, from wave defense to stealth to escort to assault to elimination to snowmobile time trials, and as you complete them you earn performance stars to unlock new, more difficult missions. A large chunk of the Trophies\/Acheivements are dedicated to performance in the Special Ops mode too (there aren\u2019t any tied to the main multiplayer mode that I\u2019ve seen), so there\u2019s even more motivation to replay missions and collect every star if you are a completionist. It\u2019s still not the full campaign co-op mode we really want, but at least it\u2019s a step in that direction.<\/p>\n

For many gamers, Special Ops will also serve as a much-needed boost in replayability. The first Modern Warfare<\/em> caught a lot of flack for being \u201ctoo short,\u201d and to the dismay of many, Modern Warfare 2<\/em>\u2019s campaign is just as brisk. Personally, though, I find that the campaign length hits the sweet spot. Its length varies depending on your choice in difficulty \u2013 it\u2019s in the 4-6 hour range on the lower difficulties, but can take upwards of 8+ hours on the highest difficulty \u2013 and that is \u201cjust right\u201d for the type of game Modern Warfare 2<\/em> is.<\/p>\n

To me, Modern Warfare 2<\/em> plays out much like a favorite movie: I can pop it in and experience the full campaign in a sitting or two and have a good time without having to invest myself for hours, days and weeks on end to achieve ultimate satisfaction, and even though the level objectives and plot structure are heavily scripted it holds up amazingly well to repeat playthroughs (I\u2019ve played it through twice already and know I\u2019ll be coming back for more soon). And frankly, the pacing is so tight as is that if the game was padded out at double the length I don\u2019t think it would deliver the same emotional rollercoaster ride effect. That\u2019s my feeling anyway, but maybe I\u2019m just weird!<\/p>\n

Modern Warfare 2<\/em> is a phenomenal game, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Does it deserve all the hype it has received? Certainly not. And does it feel very \u201cbeen there, done that?\u201d Absolutely yes. But between its focused, tightly-paced campaign, robust multiplayer and new Special Ops mode, this is one of the all-around best values in gaming and should not be missed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>
\n+ New Special Ops mode is a blast
\n+ Tight, exhilarating campaign
\n+ Deep multiplayer experience
\n+ Same great Call of Duty gameplay and immersion
\n+ Outstanding graphics and audio
\n+ Highly replayable<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>
\n– Still no peek-and-lean
\n– Inconsistent checkpoints
\n– Campaign may still be too short for some
\n– Lacks evolution from past games – doesn’t have quite the same wow factor any more<\/p>\n

Game Info:<\/strong>
\nPlatform: Reviewed on PS3, also on PC and Xbox 360
\nPublisher: Activision
\nDeveloper: Infinity Ward
\nRelease Date: 11\/10\/09
\nGenre: FPS
\nESRB Rating: Mature
\nPlayers: 1-18
\nSource: Review copy provided by publisher<\/p>\n

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In many ways Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an awkward game to review. For one, it\u2019s such a hyped game that there isn\u2019t much to say about it that hasn\u2019t been said before, and it has already been such a huge sales hit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106,1722,1525,23,49,3,21],"tags":[6116,6593,1261,6081,696,699,6079],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5396"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5396\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vgblogger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}