GamerNode: Reviews - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2...
• Xbox 360
• Infinity Ward
• Activision
• November 10th, 2009

It's been hyped to the point that most games would dream of. It's been on almost every gamer's most wanted list and they have been waiting eagerly to get their hands on it. It has already courted controversy thanks to leaked levels and questionable advertisements. After waiting for months on baited breath, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is finally here, and is promising to blow away your notions of what a game should be. The only question is, does it fulfill the hype and deliver on its promises?

The short answer? Yes. Modern Warfare 2 is one of the biggest, best, and most intense experiences I've had playing a videogame. It is an emotional and exciting game that surprised me with its amazing single-player campaign and blew me away with its refined multiplayer. Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best games this year, and takes an important step in the direction of videogames being able to present a real message and communicate an emotionally engaging story.

Modern Warfare 2 stands on three pillars of content: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Spec Ops. Each mode presents a different core experience and feel, yet each one compliments the next.

**SPOILER WARNING: I will be writing about levels and events in Modern Warfare 2. There will be minor spoilers in the following paragraphs, so if you want to stay unspoiled, skip to the italicized "END SPOILERS" note.**

Starting with Campaign, I was genuinly surprised by Modern Warfare 2's story. Call of Duty 4 had a pretty bland single-player component that felt very much like the series' World War 2 entries, but spruced up and brought into the modern era. It was a step in the right direction, but an old relic dressed up in a pretty suit. Spawn lines, invisible lines that once crossed by the player stop enemies from appearing, were rampant and the exciting moments were few and far between. Modern Warfare 2 fixes all of this and brings one explosive moment after the next. Taking place 5 years after Call of Duty 4, an international terrorist named Makarov has been causing mayhem across the globe. Enlisting the help of a promising Army Ranger, PFC. Joseph Allen, General Shepherd has Allen infiltrate Makarov's group to take them out from the inside. The plan goes wrong and Allen is blamed for a brutal terrorist attack and left for dead. Now, as Russia invades the U.S., it's up to Task Force 141 and Captain 'Soap' McTavish to find Makarov and bring him to justice.

I can't speak of the single-player without speaking of the controversial level that has everyone buzzing. Yes, you do participate in a heinous terrorist attack on a Russian airport. The level itself may be a horrible thing to some, but I found it to be emotionally moving and terrifying. The reason for this is that Infinity Ward has done such a great job with their graphics engine and animation that the scene feels very real as it plays out in front of your eyes. You are forced to move at a slow and methodical pace, witnessing people fall over, scream, and crawl away in pools of blood. Some wince in pain as they die and other hide in corners hoping for it to end. You can shoot if you want (I didn't), and you can also skip it and just get a quick recap of the situtation. However, I personally can't see how someone could skip it and deprive themselves of the resulting emotional involvement in the rest of the story. I felt like I had to continue to the campaign with a sense of ultimate urgency. After this scene, it was important for me to take down Makarov, a feeling I haven't had playing a game in a long time. The shock and awe moments don't end their either. You'll be chasing bad guys on snowmobiles, fighting Russian soldiers in the White House, and witnessing a particular wonder that I can't reveal. You have to see it for yourself.

**END SPOILERS**

Single-player is full of these moments and it never loosens its grip on you. I was thrilled from beginning to end and I'm amazed that Infinity Ward improved so much upon their single-player effort in Call of Duty 4. Your AI partners actually take down enemies now, they shout and bark orders to you, and their voice acting is so genuine you can't help but get attached. The modern weapons and toys are also upgraded. If you thought the AC-130 level was awesome in COD4, wait until you get the Predator Drone. It's a giant leap forward in content and story, like an action movie turned up to 11, that I am ready to experience all over again. That is, if it wasn't for the multiplayer.

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