Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Reviewed
Monday, November 30, 2009 by James Dumas
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2009
List Price: $59.99
When they announced ‘Modern Warfare 2’ would hit store shelves in November 2009, I was thrilled. The first ‘Modern Warfare’ game was a flat out awesome and all-around great game. The single player campaign was great and had a solid and entertaining story and the online multiplayer took gaming to another level and set some incredible standards that a lot of new titles now utilize. I could not wait to see what Infinity Ward had waiting to unleash upon us and I hoped that it would be as good, if not better than the first Modern Warfare.
The game continues the story of the original Modern Warfare five years after the previous installment. A new counter-terrorist group, Task Force 141, must fight a Russian ultra-nationalist terrorist organization and counter a Russian invasion of the US with the help of US armed forces.
Sound like the latest action movie in theaters now? It might as well be, this game is awesome and at times feels like you are playing a big-time action movie. Did the developers answer the latest Call of Duty? Would they yet again define what online game play is all about? Does ‘Modern Warfare 2’ stand up as a solid title that is worth picking up immediately? (I will give you a hint…It sold approximately 4.7 million copies in 24 hours on its release date.)
The Good:
Graphic/Animations: WOW…. This game looks incredible, even better than the first installment. Infinity Ward polished up this game, and the amazing level of detail and little touches really adds to the effect of being immersed in the game. As I said, this game has the look of a big-time summer-blockbuster action movie. The cut scenes flow so well, and the level of character detail is photo-realistic. The smoke and fog, lighting and background effects give such a realistic and at times eerie feeling to the game, you get the feeling as if the war is really in your backyard. Infinity Ward wanted to make this game look as real and intense as possible, and man did they succeed. This game looks awesome!
Dialogue/ Story: Again WOW... Not only does the dialogue in this game make the story feel so realistic and flow oh so well, but it is also believable. Being an ex-military man myself, I can tell you the wording and way things were said are very authentic. The developers must have brought on a military consultant because they nailed it perfectly – to the point where it brought back memories of my sergeants barking out orders.
I am also quite impressed with the story itself. Working as a continuation, the developers built this game as a great way to show that things went from bad to worse real quick. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t worry: There is a quick recap, and the story does such a great job keeping you pinned to your seat that it can work as a standalone title.
From start to finish, you feel like you’re part of the war and have something at stake. You don’t want to stop playing so you can find out what is going to happen next. I won’t spoil anything, but the story is definitely one of the best I’ve seen for a game in a long time, and it has some great twists thrown in. Great job!
Game play/Modes: ‘Modern Warfare’ had two modes: a single player campaign and online multiplayer. Not too many options, but man was it awesome and worth every penny. For ‘Modern Warfare 2,’ Infinity Ward decided to do one better. Not only would we get our single player mode and online multiplayer, but the new game also comes with ‘Special Ops,’ which I will get to in a minute.
First let’s talk about the single player campaign. The main game will take you roughly 7 hours to complete. Now, I know your saying, ‘Man that’s short….’ Trust me – it will most definitely not feel like it’s a short walk through the park. This game is nuts. Not only is the story solid and written perfectly, but the game play is fierce and unforgiving. At times it will make your hands and brow sweat, and make you feel like you are really part of a war. Your nerves will be on edge, with your trigger finger twitching to fire off another round. That is what the game is meant to do and it delivers 110%.
One thing I do want to mention is that there is a level fairly early in the game that is flat out brutal, a bit much and might not be appropriate for everyone. While it does help you understand the story of the game, this particular scene is not necessary to play and, due to its graphic nature, Infinity Ward has warnings that pop up as well as the ability to skip the level all together, for which I applaud them.
After you beat the game, a special level is unlocked. While not part of the story and a bit strange, this level is fun. I can say is don’t hit the red button.
Now on to the online multiplayer game. Taking everything that was good about the first game, building it up and adding even more is what ‘Modern Warfare 2’ is all about. Infinity Ward must have sat down in a room and said how can we make the online game play even more intense? How can we make it so awesome that once you pick up the controller you’ll never want to put it down? Well they figured it out, that’s for sure.
I am absolutely addicted to this mode and have lost sleep because of it. The developers once again give you multiple different game modes like death match, capture the flag, etc., as well as a few new ones. You score points by making kills and getting objectives to level up your rankings to unlock new weapons, attachments, perks, etc…, plus in this go-round there are call signs, icons and the ability to customize your perks to your playing style.
Another great set of features are the multiple kill streak perks. In the first game when you reach a certain number of kills in a row you could unlock up to 3 set bonus perks – like the ability to call in an airstrike or helicopter. Now there are around 20 or so other perks you can unlock as you level up, and you get the ability to assign when you use them. This added customization really makes the game have unlimited options. There are new weapon sets to use during the game, and additional health/survival perks.
I could go on for a long time about all the new features and functions in multiplayer but won’t so not to spoil it for you. All I can say is that this game mode alone makes this game worth picking up.
Now let’s talk about Special Ops. Special Ops is a single player/co-op game mode where you have to play various missions with different objectives. Like running an obstacle course, saving hostages, infiltrating a safe house, etc. The faster and better you do in beating the missions, the higher score and star rating you get. To unlock new levels, collect a set number of stars.
Man, this mode is awesome whether alone or with a friend. After playing through the campaign, I recommend you jump straight into this mode. Careful though: You will definitely spend way too many hours trying to beat your score and unlock new things. And, it will challenge you. I tend to die more playing this mode than the main game, but it is so worth it.
Sound: Holy crap! This is a loud, loud game! ‘Modern Warfare 2’ is meant to be played with a surround sound system cranked to full volume. The level of sound depth is great, and the level of clarity really packs a punch. Infinity Ward really makes the sound field so intense that your speakers will get a work out. From all the extra ambient and background noise to the loud bass-driven explosions, you really get a feeling of being on the battle field. Most games have decent depth and surround experience, but not like this. I caught myself looking over my shoulder to see what was going on. I say crank it up to 11, this is how a game should sound!! AWESOME!!!
The Bad:
Not much really.
I am very disappointed on the non-ability to have two or more players on the same system go onto the online multiplayer modes. You cannot have a ‘guest’ play alongside with you (which you can do in ‘Halo 3’ so it is possible), and you can’t have another account with Xbox Live log in and play on your system. That was a big oops on Infinity Wards’ part, and I hope they patch it soon.
During game play, if you get shot and need to take cover to regain health, the screen gets splattered with a blood effect that makes it very difficult – if not at times almost impossible – to see where you’re going. I’d much rather have the old style, where the screen would just shade red as you were hurt; at least then I could actually see the cover I need to get to.
Other than these small setbacks, I really can’t find much to complain about. This game is absolutely great and the best ‘Call of Duty’ yet.
The Bottom Line:
‘Modern Warfare 2’ has great graphics and a solid, fantastic story. It is well composed and has believable dialogue and voice acting giving it the real feel of military life. And, overall, the game play absolutely can’t be beat. This game is easily one of my favorites, and with the multiple options and game modes, it has a replay value that will keep you busy for till the late hours of the night well past the core game.
‘Modern Warfare 2’ puts you in the action and doesn’t let up. It might as well be made into a full-length action blockbuster because it is that awesome. I could go on for hours about it with no problem.
I highly recommend this game to everyone. Easily my pick for Game of the Year. Go get this game you won’t be disappointed – I know I wasn’t. In fact go now and pick it up.I can’t wait to see you on the battlefield.
Till next time, keep on gaming!!
List Price: $59.99
When they announced ‘Modern Warfare 2’ would hit store shelves in November 2009, I was thrilled. The first ‘Modern Warfare’ game was a flat out awesome and all-around great game. The single player campaign was great and had a solid and entertaining story and the online multiplayer took gaming to another level and set some incredible standards that a lot of new titles now utilize. I could not wait to see what Infinity Ward had waiting to unleash upon us and I hoped that it would be as good, if not better than the first Modern Warfare.
The game continues the story of the original Modern Warfare five years after the previous installment. A new counter-terrorist group, Task Force 141, must fight a Russian ultra-nationalist terrorist organization and counter a Russian invasion of the US with the help of US armed forces.
Sound like the latest action movie in theaters now? It might as well be, this game is awesome and at times feels like you are playing a big-time action movie. Did the developers answer the latest Call of Duty? Would they yet again define what online game play is all about? Does ‘Modern Warfare 2’ stand up as a solid title that is worth picking up immediately? (I will give you a hint…It sold approximately 4.7 million copies in 24 hours on its release date.)
The Good:
Graphic/Animations: WOW…. This game looks incredible, even better than the first installment. Infinity Ward polished up this game, and the amazing level of detail and little touches really adds to the effect of being immersed in the game. As I said, this game has the look of a big-time summer-blockbuster action movie. The cut scenes flow so well, and the level of character detail is photo-realistic. The smoke and fog, lighting and background effects give such a realistic and at times eerie feeling to the game, you get the feeling as if the war is really in your backyard. Infinity Ward wanted to make this game look as real and intense as possible, and man did they succeed. This game looks awesome!
Dialogue/ Story: Again WOW... Not only does the dialogue in this game make the story feel so realistic and flow oh so well, but it is also believable. Being an ex-military man myself, I can tell you the wording and way things were said are very authentic. The developers must have brought on a military consultant because they nailed it perfectly – to the point where it brought back memories of my sergeants barking out orders.
I am also quite impressed with the story itself. Working as a continuation, the developers built this game as a great way to show that things went from bad to worse real quick. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t worry: There is a quick recap, and the story does such a great job keeping you pinned to your seat that it can work as a standalone title.
From start to finish, you feel like you’re part of the war and have something at stake. You don’t want to stop playing so you can find out what is going to happen next. I won’t spoil anything, but the story is definitely one of the best I’ve seen for a game in a long time, and it has some great twists thrown in. Great job!
Game play/Modes: ‘Modern Warfare’ had two modes: a single player campaign and online multiplayer. Not too many options, but man was it awesome and worth every penny. For ‘Modern Warfare 2,’ Infinity Ward decided to do one better. Not only would we get our single player mode and online multiplayer, but the new game also comes with ‘Special Ops,’ which I will get to in a minute.
First let’s talk about the single player campaign. The main game will take you roughly 7 hours to complete. Now, I know your saying, ‘Man that’s short….’ Trust me – it will most definitely not feel like it’s a short walk through the park. This game is nuts. Not only is the story solid and written perfectly, but the game play is fierce and unforgiving. At times it will make your hands and brow sweat, and make you feel like you are really part of a war. Your nerves will be on edge, with your trigger finger twitching to fire off another round. That is what the game is meant to do and it delivers 110%.
One thing I do want to mention is that there is a level fairly early in the game that is flat out brutal, a bit much and might not be appropriate for everyone. While it does help you understand the story of the game, this particular scene is not necessary to play and, due to its graphic nature, Infinity Ward has warnings that pop up as well as the ability to skip the level all together, for which I applaud them.
After you beat the game, a special level is unlocked. While not part of the story and a bit strange, this level is fun. I can say is don’t hit the red button.
Now on to the online multiplayer game. Taking everything that was good about the first game, building it up and adding even more is what ‘Modern Warfare 2’ is all about. Infinity Ward must have sat down in a room and said how can we make the online game play even more intense? How can we make it so awesome that once you pick up the controller you’ll never want to put it down? Well they figured it out, that’s for sure.
I am absolutely addicted to this mode and have lost sleep because of it. The developers once again give you multiple different game modes like death match, capture the flag, etc., as well as a few new ones. You score points by making kills and getting objectives to level up your rankings to unlock new weapons, attachments, perks, etc…, plus in this go-round there are call signs, icons and the ability to customize your perks to your playing style.
Another great set of features are the multiple kill streak perks. In the first game when you reach a certain number of kills in a row you could unlock up to 3 set bonus perks – like the ability to call in an airstrike or helicopter. Now there are around 20 or so other perks you can unlock as you level up, and you get the ability to assign when you use them. This added customization really makes the game have unlimited options. There are new weapon sets to use during the game, and additional health/survival perks.
I could go on for a long time about all the new features and functions in multiplayer but won’t so not to spoil it for you. All I can say is that this game mode alone makes this game worth picking up.
Now let’s talk about Special Ops. Special Ops is a single player/co-op game mode where you have to play various missions with different objectives. Like running an obstacle course, saving hostages, infiltrating a safe house, etc. The faster and better you do in beating the missions, the higher score and star rating you get. To unlock new levels, collect a set number of stars.
Man, this mode is awesome whether alone or with a friend. After playing through the campaign, I recommend you jump straight into this mode. Careful though: You will definitely spend way too many hours trying to beat your score and unlock new things. And, it will challenge you. I tend to die more playing this mode than the main game, but it is so worth it.
Sound: Holy crap! This is a loud, loud game! ‘Modern Warfare 2’ is meant to be played with a surround sound system cranked to full volume. The level of sound depth is great, and the level of clarity really packs a punch. Infinity Ward really makes the sound field so intense that your speakers will get a work out. From all the extra ambient and background noise to the loud bass-driven explosions, you really get a feeling of being on the battle field. Most games have decent depth and surround experience, but not like this. I caught myself looking over my shoulder to see what was going on. I say crank it up to 11, this is how a game should sound!! AWESOME!!!
The Bad:
Not much really.
I am very disappointed on the non-ability to have two or more players on the same system go onto the online multiplayer modes. You cannot have a ‘guest’ play alongside with you (which you can do in ‘Halo 3’ so it is possible), and you can’t have another account with Xbox Live log in and play on your system. That was a big oops on Infinity Wards’ part, and I hope they patch it soon.
During game play, if you get shot and need to take cover to regain health, the screen gets splattered with a blood effect that makes it very difficult – if not at times almost impossible – to see where you’re going. I’d much rather have the old style, where the screen would just shade red as you were hurt; at least then I could actually see the cover I need to get to.
Other than these small setbacks, I really can’t find much to complain about. This game is absolutely great and the best ‘Call of Duty’ yet.
The Bottom Line:
‘Modern Warfare 2’ has great graphics and a solid, fantastic story. It is well composed and has believable dialogue and voice acting giving it the real feel of military life. And, overall, the game play absolutely can’t be beat. This game is easily one of my favorites, and with the multiple options and game modes, it has a replay value that will keep you busy for till the late hours of the night well past the core game.
‘Modern Warfare 2’ puts you in the action and doesn’t let up. It might as well be made into a full-length action blockbuster because it is that awesome. I could go on for hours about it with no problem.
I highly recommend this game to everyone. Easily my pick for Game of the Year. Go get this game you won’t be disappointed – I know I wasn’t. In fact go now and pick it up.I can’t wait to see you on the battlefield.
Till next time, keep on gaming!!
Labels: Call of Duty, Gaming, Modern Warfare 2, Review
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Not only is James Dumas the Senior Network Operations Tech at Captivate, but once he gets home he’s in a constant battle of button mashing, extra lives, and power ups to reach that next level.
