Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I toss a frag grenade through the hallway QUICK TURN, now I'm running left down the stairs. RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT - capped the guy trying to slip by OH! FAST TURN NECK STAB killed the guy sneaking up behind BANG grenade goes off above - winning kill, bitches.

Reviewer
Ben
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Ben Cordes

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)

Far from suffering a case of smelly sequel syndrome (I'd be surprised if it wasn't the best-selling game before it hit shelves), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is as explosively adventurous and immediately engaging as its predecessor. The cinematic splendor of a major motion picture is still present throughout the campaign as you assume the positions of Task Force 141 commando Gary "Roach" Sanderson, Army Rangers Joseph Allen and James Ramirez, British SAS captain MacTavish, and an unnamed fifth man during a surprise perspective shift.

The campaign story kicks off five years after the failed attempts of the British SAS and U.S. Marines to prevent Ultranationalists from overtaking Russia. From there, Army Rangers and Task Force 141 operatives pursue separate missions which culminate in the rescue of an old friend. First timers may have a hard time grasping the full meaning of the story, as Modern Warfare 2's campaign expects you to be familiar with old names (i.e. Soap and Zakhaev), and throws dialogue at you from all angles at an alarming rate. The story is bunched together so tightly it doesn't give its characters ample time to make believable progress. The shorter campaign can be lengthened considerably by switching to Veteran difficulty, but that's only because you'll be moving slower in leu of quicker deaths. Even so, what Modern Warfare 2 lacks in plot depth and realism, it makes up for with heart racing moments of utterly intense action and unique control elements. Modern Warfare 2 offers an adrenaline pumping campaign with constant edge of your seat gameplay; all it needed was a more cohesive story to round itself out perfectly. It's up to you, Modern Warfare 3!

Modern Warfare 2's epic story is only the beginning; after completing the first-person adventure, you're thrown to the wolves of Spec Ops - an expansion of the concept behind Modern Warfare's "Mile High Club". This series of tactical operations require cunning and a quick trigger finger, and several repeat attempts if you plan to hit Star 69. Spec Ops more than bridges the gap between campaign and multiplayer; it provides players with over 20 different scenarios to conquer and endure repeatedly alone or with a friend. The amount of replay value present in Spec Ops is almost as unlimited as online multiplayer. You'll be a repeat offender of several different operations if only to experience the thrill of racing snow mobiles down snow-covered mountains or piloting an AC-130 above suburban streets while your parter clears the houses below. Give these ops a shot and you'll be back for more in no time flat.

Whether or not you've cleared Campaign, or mastered Ops Alpha through Echo, the majority of Modern Warfare 2 players will end up where the real action is - online multiplayer. Arguably the most popular feature of Modern Warfare 2, the online multiplayer is the complete visceral experience of campaign brought to life for you and the newbies of the world to gather and compete in incredibly well balanced matches. The best-loved perks are still available, and so are the least favorites, although in different capacities. No longer do you have to worry about a nearby fallen comrade result in your exploding doom; you'll have to be biting bullets left, right and center before Martyrdom kicks in.

Multiplayer gameplay is moderately tactical, so run-and-gun won't serve you as well as it would in other first-person shooters - nothing different from Modern Warfare in that aspect. What has changed is the overall experience; it's much more solid. The massive, highly detailed maps are as fun to look at as they are to coat with your friends' corpses. You can sink hours into multiplayer, watch yourself level up, earning new perks and unlocking new weapons, and you'll still have an unlimited amount of play time to look forward to. It doesn't matter if you're already at level 70; prestige and keep the games going. Pilot that AC-130 and watch as your foes scatter into cover below; go for an ultimate kill streak and earn yourself the right to the game-ending tactical nuke; tear through waves of enemies with a huge variety of modable weapons, create custom character sets, and battle through 10 plus maps in a vast mix of tactical situations. Welcome to your new addiction!

Infinity Ward smartly decided to split Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 into three focal points - Campaign, Spec Ops, and Multiplayer. The three modes flow seamlessly into one another, consistently providing new and unexpected challenges. To appreciate the game in its entirely, all of these gameplay types should be experienced first hand. Those who prefer to go solo and enjoy a story-driven campaign will enjoy Modern Warfare 2's offerings, perhaps more than once, and can even continue on to most Spec Ops missions. On the flip side, multiplayer fanatics have a lot more to look forward to in their polished and refined field, an insurmountable number of hours waiting to be spent climbing the leader board ranks. The whole package rounds out to a very satisfying purchase, and a game that quickly turned its predecessor into a dinosaur.

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