Modern Warfare 2 Review
Modern Warfare 2 has all the bells and whistles of its predessor but includes a much more over the top story that seems like a mini game compared to the multiplayer portion.
The Call of Duty series has had its ups and downs so it was only right for Infinity Ward to finally branch away from the shadow of the series. With a much more action packed story with multiple twist and turns to a in-depth multiplayer to back it up Modern Warfare 2 has spit shined the FPS genre up, carefully balancing the formula making it feel new but also familiar to the fans.
When you boot up the game you will be shown the three parts to the game, the Single Player, Multiplayer and Spec Ops. Let's start with the story. For the first time in the series this is a sequel to the Call of Duty 4 story, so you will be seeing some returning characters including Soap, who now is your commanding officer and many more. The story will take you on a gigantic rollercoaster of action, action and more action. This may sound like a vague description but the game does not let up. Every turn leads you to a fire fight or an explosion, if you are not shooting a dude then their shooting you. What makes this formula work is the fact that it is backed with a very strong story.
If you have not played Call of Duty 4 then you can pick up the gist of the story so far from the short prologue you open with. You then find yourself part of the Task Force 141 which is an elite multinational unit whose purpose is to do the impossible. You will switch between multiple characters throughout the story and it will take you all over the world offering great landscapes for the action to take place on. Throughout it you will experience the trademark set piece moments that Infinity Ward does so well. You will be experiencing chase sequences down the side of mountains, a pursuit through Rio De Janeiro, to a siege on a castle, and holding up a burger house. All of these moments pay off through the multiple twists that happen through the story. Whether it is the controversial terrorist mission in the airport or the moment you see DC burning the story pays off in many ways that it will leave a different impression on people that will have you saying your favourite moment only to be reminded of another great moment. I finished the campaign after roughly five hours on the Hardened difficulty, which is defiantly not a lengthy campaign but what it offers is of high quality and will leave you wanting more. The metaphorical bar has been raised again on the story front as once again I found myself jaw dropped at moments in this game and it will keep you guessing until the very end.
If you have played a Call of Duty game in the past then this will feel very familiar. The aiming and shooting mechanics are still the best in the genre which make every weapon in the game feel like they do damage and from the huge number of weapons in the game each carry their own weight. A much improved portion of the game is the AI, especially the allies. You will see your team around you clearing the way ahead and tossing enemies over their shoulders. This brings a new feeling of reliability and that your squad has your back. I found in some areas that if it was not for my squad from shooting the fool with the shotgun I would be reloading my checkpoint and starting over. Some tweaks have been made to the HUD as there is no radar, so gadgets like the heartbeat monitor attachment on the guns can come in handy, which makes you go into each fight with particular weapons that you prefer but that also suit the situation at hand.
If you never experience the multiplayer side of Call of Duty 4/World at War then you may feel intimidated into going into such a competitive multiplayer that Modern Warfare 2 has. But on the contrary it is the most accessible in the series. This is because of the way it eases you into the basic game modes such as Team Deathmatch and the likes before putting the pressure on in Search and Destroy and the 3rd Person matches. After level 19 you will be able to play the whole array of game modes ranging from standard Free-for-All to objective based game modes like Capture the Flag. Features like the Death Streaks also help out the players who need that extra hand during matches. For instance when you die three times in a row a bonus perk like feature will be awarded to you. This can be as simple as a health boost for ten seconds or a copycat perk that allows you to steal the load out of an enemy so you receive all the perks and weapons they have until you die and are forced to respawn as your default class.
The progressional ranking system is back but has been expanded with new perks such as the Ninja perk which makes you invisible against enemies using the heartbeat monitor, but has also removed some hated perks like Juggernaut. Expanding further on the perk system is the 'pro version' of each perk. These are awarded after using a certain perk for a long period of time and will unlock a similar perk with added benefits. A new customizable option is the Kill Streak loadout. Here you can choose up to three rewards, from the 15 on offer, for obtaining a certain number of kills. For instance killing three enemies in a row unlocks the typical UAV but a four kill streak could reward you with a supply drop and a whopping 25 kill streak will praise the achiever with the ultimate power of a tactical nuke. Of course along the way you will unlock new weapons and be awarded different items for completing challenges, but also a new customizable tag has been included to identify players in matches. The solid formula that made Call of Duty 4's multiplayer so successful remains but all the small issues have been ironed out such as instead of the match just ending midgame because of the host leaving it will migrate the host to someone else in the game and continue. Whilst it's early days it looks like more sleepless nights are ahead for many people.
The third part of the package is the Spec Ops mode. This can be played solo or with another player in split screen or online. It is broken down into five different missions each with a set amount to complete. There are 23 in total which range from eliminating waves of enemies, to stealth missions where you cannot be detected or vehicle based missions. All provide a very tactical feel especially when playing with another player, but one drawback is that most scenarios are places from the single player that have been changed to make it a singular short mission. Each mission also has a star rating out of three and achieving the different levels will require different objectives that can be as simple as just playing it on Veteran difficulty or doing it in a short amount of time without killing any civilians.
The overall presentation of the game is fantastic. From the menus gold and grey colour scheme to the animation of the characters the game maintains a level of polish that many games miss. The framerate stays solid even with all the frantic madness that surround you. I would also like to mention the lighting as the night sequences look great as shadows move dynamically and flares light up street floors. On top of that the voice acting is believable and will have you immersed in the huge battles that surround you and trust me the explosions and firefights sound so believable that it will be like World War 3 in your house.
How to conclude this review has loomed over me as I broke down the different aspects of the game. On one hand the multiplayer will feel very familiar to veteran Call of Duty fans but on the other hand the small changes made has created a new feel. The single player may be short but the quality is kept throughout. My main point I came out with after playing the game for the many hours is that it seems like Infinity Ward has delivered an over the top story that will leave your jaw aching from the many shocking moments but has clearly focused on the multiplayer portion of the game which lead me to my final question. Could I recommend this game to someone who could not play the multiplayer? I would probably say no. The single player is worth a playthrough or two and the spec ops really is a surprise. However, if you cannot play the multiplayer then the game immediately looses the meat and becomes something great but not what Infinity Ward wanted, even if they do not admit it. By any means Modern Warfare 2 has polished the FPS genre up and will be hard to follow.
