Arriving under the weight of the world's expectations, Activision marketing department has really done it's homework creating a thunderstorm of hype behind this title. The original created one of the best FPS titles of this generation; can Infinity Ward improve upon this prestige with Modern Warfare 2?
The single player campaign is unapologetically short but oh so sweet. Clocking in at about 4-5 hours, there is never a dull moment throughout it all. The classic COD difficulty returns, as the enemies are spawned from identical locations based on you crossing a certain line in the map. It’s something that turns the game in the higher difficulties into a ‘fail-memorise-repeat’ ordeal, which will be frowned upon by those who enjoy the much more fluid AI of a game such as Halo.
The storyline of a framed terrorist attack causing a war between Russians and Americans is an interesting one; but the devices and scenarios used to tell it sometimes lack too much logic to even be called hyper real. I won’t divulge, in case people have yet to experience the game themselves. But for those who already have played a simple question: wouldn’t you think an airport has cameras?
Besides these holes in logical thinking the single player aspect is a hell of an experience to savour with much more varied locales and some of the best set pieces seen in a video game. My hat goes off to the transformation of the modern American suburbia into a warzone. Riding in a jeep past a house with the American flag tied up a pole, set on fire. If big Hollywood storylines are you’re thing; then this not-too-smart, silly version of Tom Clancy, excuse to shoot up the ruskies is right up your street.
But as is expected with any Call of Duty, the single player is only the start of it all. The genre-defining multiplayer is back, with a lot more packed in for good measure. The maps are a lot more diverse in terms of tactical strategy, with some focussing on claustrophobic, vertical structure rather than wide-open plains. The modes remain the same, although they have added a 3rd person Deathmatch mode…that is and should never be done again. Not to say it doesn’t work; just that the FPS specific control scheme isn’t that good in a 3rd person perspective, and this is reflected in the way that the playlist for this mode is empty of people.
Moving on from that slight niggle the perks and killstreaks return, along with new death streaks to help new players into the game; that’s what the press statement said at least. The customisation is massive this time round: the amount of perks has been considerably increased; you can now change your killstreak roll-out and there are a heap of new challenges to sink your teeth into. In one way, these could all be seen as Infinity Ward just expanding on what is an amazing multiplayer experience.
However, these additions can bring some anomalies into account. For a start, the death streaks just aren’t that much help. If you steal a class, that’s a new set of tactics that the players got to get used to; or if the option is taken to have extra health for a limited time, you find out that it’s not there for long at all and poses no direct assistance. The new killstreaks rewards, on the other hand, could be seen as too much help for the winning team.
Being able to ride in a chopper gunner (remember the AC 130 level from the first modern warfare?) is exhilirating if you can reach the 11 kills to gain the reward; it feels genuinely earned and rewarded and the player is drawn in through the rewards to practice and perfect their technique. However, if you’re on the opposing team you're going to be put in some real insurmountable odds at times. If the winning team gains some killstreak rewards, it then becomes severely difficult to move off the backfoot and gain back any points.
Not only this; but now more than one killstreak can be called in at the same time. 2-3 AI controlled harriers owning your team every time you spawn isn't a pleasant experience. But then again, I (along with a good percentage of the XBL community) have been known to be a bit of a sore loser at times; which does make these issues stick out like a sore thumb at the worst of times.
I understand if I sound too harsh upon these smallest of details; but they aren't so much clear cut issues as they are variables built into a game. They are part and parcel of the game, along with the pounding heart of the best multiplayer experience of this generation; if only an expanded version of the original though.
All fine and dandy then, except for the sheer lunacy of removing dedicated server support from the PC version. This simply confirms that Modern Warfare 2 is now, unofficially, a 'console first' game. I understand it is where all the money's at nowadays; but to deny any kind of opportunity for this game to thrive among the PC community is just stupid when you see many other FPS titles (such as Team Fortress 2 and the original Modern Warfare) surviving on the wealth of community creations. 
On top of all this added content, Infinity Ward has also packed a new mode called Spec Ops. This represents their first attempt at online co-op level and they’ve hit the sweet spot with it. The levels on offer are basically a ‘best of’ package from both Modern Warfare games. Objectives range from fighting off waves of enemies to racing snowmobiles down the Alps to beat a certain time.
My particular favourite has to be the return of the ghillie suit missions from MW1: it was an amazing mission in single player, now you can savour the experience with a mate. This idea of taking all the crescendo moments from both MW games and turning them into co-op missions has worked so well, that you wander why the entire campaign isn’t implemented into a multiplayer context? I look forward to seeing where this mode is taken in the future.
Credit to G4TV for capturing this footage.
All of this added together makes one hell of a package to dive into, plus some of the best visuals on the market. Significantly improved from the first MW, even the level of detail in the multiplayer maps puts a significant amount of shooters to shame. From the massive vistas to the smallest details (such as a guards eyes darting around as you silently take him out), MW2 really is that stunning. Mix that with the excellent sound design expected of an Infinity Ward game: satisfyingly meaty gun sounds, epic orchestral soundtracks. You’ve got yourself one very appetising game.
So how do you sum up a game such as this? Yes: it will sell millions deservedly and the servers will thrive until the inevitable sequel comes out. This game is like owning a Great Dane. It’s big and it’s dumb; but you can’t help go back and give it another fuss and more of your attention. Playing this after the long period of time without the original MW made me feel like I'd come off my holiday's and picked up my stupid dog. Felt just like coming home.
It’s that ‘X-factor’ of unbeatable gameplay, breakthrough presentation and streamlined game modes that MW2 has in spades. It betters the original; but I doubt they can do this kind of sequel again without receiving more criticism of unoriginality. Lets see what the future holds for the series.
Bigger and better. Fortunately it’s true, for now.
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