Modern Warfare 2 is finally with us. We take a look at this new release from Infinity Ward, and see how good it really is.
Game Reviewed: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Developer: Infinity Ward
RRP: £39.99
Call of Duty is a franchise that needs little introduction. Each episode in this exciting saga seems to scoop up multiple awards every year it features, and if there were awards handed out for the most anticipated game of this year Modern Warfare 2 would win – hands down.
The hype surrounding MW2 can be easily seen in the first day of UK sales for example. An estimated 1.23 million copies were sold fetching a rather cool £47m.
The single player story picks up five years after the original Modern Warfare game. In similar fashion to COD4 you are embodied in various characters throughout the missions finding yourself in destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Afghanistan and Washington D.C.
The reason for being in such a variety of places is because a global conflict scales all these places with the Task Force 141 having to combat the ultranationalist terror groups. You do find yourself in one part of the world one minute and another the next minute and this is really where things get confusing. Rather than engaging in a plot and allowing the story to develop and the player to become fully involved, the enactments in MW2 make you feel like you are in a dramatic rush as you are whisked from place to place. It’s unfortunate that this is so. There seems to be very little flow to the storyline, for example the particular mission that springs to mind is the notorious airport incident to which players are initially prompted whether or not they wish to take part in because of the extreme scenes of violence and rightly so. Not only is this mission completely out of synch with the storyline its also unnecessary. Walking into an airport and massacring an airport full of innocents is in my own mind distasteful, it makes no sense whatsoever. This scene is also placed amongst the first set of missions, and could well put some off.
Both Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty 5: World at War’s storylines follow similar suit by jumping into the role of another soldier, and it works very well in these games but in Modern Warfare 2 the frequency of this change leaves you feeling lost and almost disconnected from the emotion that should be felt.
With these negative comments put forward, the missions can be enjoyed and when you aren’t being carted off onto the next missions you can enjoy some intensive action with your teammates.
Inside each of the missions you will find a nice variation of gameplay including a vast array of complimentary weapons. There are roof-top assaults and stealthy operations in the snow, fast-paced pursuits on skidoos and helicopter undertakings in the dead of night. It’s great to see that Infinity Ward did not shy away with the great variation in gameplay and were happy to adventure and explore the limits of all that the FPS world can offer. Rarely does a game feature so much difference in action.
The one thing that will amaze with MW2 is just how fantastic it looks. The engine that Infinity Ward have used makes the characters and gaming world seem really photo-realistic. The textures are truly amazing, to date this is one of the most visually pleasing games to come to the PC. Not only does the graphics amaze but the audio is also something to speak highly of, the voice casting features actors such as Lance Henriksen and Barry Pepper. To the senses, this game is presented very well and this will appeal to FPS gamers out there.
A word of warning though, installing the game can take a seriously long time. On the system that I installed MW2 on, it took around 50 minutes. Some systems may take longer.
Spec Ops
With MW2 we have a new addition called Spec Ops. Spec ops is a brand new mode that can be played either by yourself or with a friend through Steam. Inside Spec Ops you are presented with 20 short missions each with an entirely different set of objectives to complete. I’ve played this with friends and it’s an absolute treat. Communication is key if you want to complete the missions in style, and its great playing side by side with a friend on two separate computers.
It’s essential that these missions are carried out using good teamwork and planning, otherwise you will find that time after time the mission needs to be reset. Each stage is categorized into 5 phases. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo inside each are 4 missions. You obviously start on alpha and the rest are locked until you complete enough missions then Delta is playable. If you are daring and fancy your chances you can increase the skill level which effectively inserts more invading forces thus making the job at hand tougher.
There are some fantastic missions to complete within these categories and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone but just as a teaser, one such level inserts you and your partner into a neighborhood infested with invading forces, player 1 takes the chopper clearing the pathway for player 2 who is on foot, cutting through houses and battling with the elite footmen. This type of action enriches the whole experience and gives MW2 lots of appeal. I would highly recommend that gamers play this mode, the single player campaign may be fairly short in regard to other FPS but Spec Ops makes up for this by providing a thrilling new addition to an already action packed game. Each mission can take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete so the Spec Ops mode will keep you busy for a while.
Multiplayer
There has been much speculation over MW2 prior to its release, with rumors that dedicated servers would be replaced. The rumors were indeed true and MW2 uses IWNET, and whilst this was initially met with grumbling by most gamers, it has to be said that there are some nice advantages of using such a tool in multiplayer. For the most part it means that finding a game is almost instantaneous and you needn’t worry about hosting a server yourself or purchasing one. The idea behind IWNET is to allow online play to be hassle free but maintaining maximum protection against cheats. Sure there are advantages and benefits to using the system. But like with anything there are also disadvantages and weaknesses.The IWNET interface inside multiplayer mode limits you quite severely. There are no filtering options. No choice in the best ping server, specific favorite map to play, lower populated server. IWNET pretty much controls all of this. The only option that you currently have is to choose the gametype. Player limits are also capped to 9v9 or typically 6v6. Whether the intention with IWNET is to make life easier or just to control its users remains a mystery but as I said, it does make finding a game quick and easy. What I find especially useful is that because Steam is mandatory with MW2 you can easily get your friends to follow you into a server and have live chat with them. If you are in the lobby area waiting for the next map to load, you have to use Steam to chat anyway. For some strange reason, there is no function or discussion – only in game. You will also notice there is no console to tweak/access hidden options.
Ignoring the above, multiplayer is a very fun mode to play. Maps are extremely well balanced and there is a large amount of terrain to explore – enough sneaky spots to find and take advantage of and perfect for the lower player count. Of the maps currently available, each takes the best of the many locations found in the single player side of the game and transports you into some interesting territory.
As with previous Call of Duty games, the perks and attribute unlocks are still with us. But this time, an even bigger selection of weapons and equipment is available allowing for a thorough gaming experience. This gives you plenty of encouragement to progress and will continue to push you every time you begin a multiplayer session. Whilst IWNET may restrict control, the options available as you level up will push these limitations out of the window. The Killstreaks in particular give you great flexibility and control, so that, as you progress through the ranks you can actually customize what killstreak special is hidden behind key 3,4,5,6 etc.
Killstreaks rewards are special bonuses that can be obtained by killing a certain amount of players in a row without dying. Killstreaks now stack up rather than disappearing. So for example if you have a killstreak of UAV under 4 and then get 5 kills to get a Predator missile but use the Predator Missile (5) before UAV (4) you can still use UAV afterwards. The greatest, highest killstreaks take priority until the lowest is then used.
3 Kills
UAV
Gives you the upper hand in being able to search out enemies. They appear on your radar.
4 Kills
Care Package
A package is dropped for you. This can be intercepted by anyone and includes: UAV, counter-UAV ammo, random killstreaks basically.
5 Kills
Sentry Gun
A sentry gun is dropped and you can place this anywhere on the map, when activated it will automatically fire at enemies, spinning 360 degrees. But it can also be destroyed.
Predator Missile
With this option you can remotely control a Predator Missile. When activating this killstreak an aerial view of the map is presented with targets around players. By moving the mouse you can direct the missile as it comes down from the aircraft and pressing the left mouse button will speed up the missile giving it a boost. The only drawback with this killstreak is that you are left vulnerable to attack and can get fragged, Fortunately though, you can still control the missile until it touches ground.
6 Kills
Precision Airstrike
As this suggests, a directional airstrike is deployed where you request. Giving you some accurate kills.
7 Kills
Harrier Strike
A harrier is deployed, dropping some bombs in a specific area that you pinpoint.
Helicopter Attack
Instead of a harrier a helicopter is deployed, the advantage with this killstreak is that the chopper will circle the map attack any enemies it sees, leaving you with a nice kill count at the end.
8 Kills
Emergency Airdrop
Similar to the Care Package killstreak, but multipled by 4.
9 Kills
Pave Low
Similar to the attack helicopter, but this time a heavily armored chopper is deployed around the map, destroying anything in its sight and attributing all those kills to you.
Stealth Bomber
Similar to the precision airstrike but quicker and does not show up on the radar. Again, you choose the spot.
11 Kills
Chopper Gun
This gives you exclusive access to a machine gun on a chopper remotely. As the helicopter roams around the map, you take out other players.
AC-130
An AC-130 gunship is deployed at your command, and you have exclusive access to any of the guns on board. The only downside to using this is that you are vulnerable to attack similar to the Predator Missile.
15 Kills
EMP
This cleverly knocks out all electronics, disabling radars, and other attachments on weapons like thermal scopes. It also prevents other players using killstreaks for the duration.
25 Kills
Tactical Nuke
Basically, game over. As this suggests a nuke is dropped killing everyone.
All of the above can of course be customized as mentioned. So killstreaks appear under different amount of kills etc
Also included are deathstreaks. In an effort to prevent frustration, you will now be rewarded for dying so many times in a row. This is to help encourage you back into the game if you are having a particularly rough time of it. Perks inside here contain such things as a health boost at the next respawn and martyrdom to name just a few. It’s good to see that martyrdom has been swapped out as a deathstreak rather than just a plain perk, as in the previous COD games many gamers would have this and increase their frag score significantly from just dying.
Not only do you receive weapon, equipment, killstreak and other perks as you progress through the ranks but you can also attain callsigns. Basically, as you move forward through the ranking system and build up points for achieving certain challenges you will now be able to unlock a massive catalogue of titles and emblems to customize your player character. As already discussed above, you will notice there is a wealth of features within the multiplayer aspect of MW2. I don’t believe that anyone really conceived the multiplayer mode of this exciting new FPS would receive such an intense reinvention, but rather a few subtle tweaks and improvements. It’s great to see that not only is MW2 multiplayer very engaging with a ton of action to be had, but its also feature packed and will keep you entertained for hours as you compete with friends and other gamers around the world.
Conclusion
Whilst I was fairly critical of the single-player campaign earlier, with the toing and froing between locations. My complaints were simply that it can confuse and loose you in some areas. This is not to say that the single-player side of MW2 isn’t engrossing. It truly is, and you will thoroughly enjoy the experience. It just feels quite brief, and could leave you wanting more. But this is where the other areas of the game come in.Special Ops being a new addition to the COD series is a fantastic arrival. If you can pair up with a buddy the Spec Ops campaign will submerge you in some thrilling jaw dropping action. You won’t get tired of it quickly, and perhaps where the single player lacks, Special Ops makes up for it. It places you directly into the game, working with a partner as I did – physically side by side allows you to help each other out when one of you gets taken down by an enemy assault. It really does transport you into the action and leaves you with a satisfying gaming experience.
The Multiplayer aspect of MW2 is where things really lift off. Due to the massive amount of weapon, equipment, killstreak, perks and other unlocks you will feel the challenge to pursue the challenge of getting more power behind your character. If you have friends who play, the competition will have you pushing forward to get those unlocks and higher ranks sooner than later. The contests will keep you hungry, thus ensuring that multiplayer keeps you entertained for a long, long time.
IWNET may have some gamers quite frustrated at the lack of control accessible but as time goes on I’m sure things will change as updates become available for MW2. Hopefully the non-stop action inside the game and the richness of play will push those discrepancies into the shadows. It certainly did for me, and I would highly recommend that you go get yourself a copy now!
Pros
[+] Beautiful graphics
[+] Breath taking action
[+] Massive selection of unlocks for weapons and other items
[+] Brilliant new gametype – Spec Ops
[+] Will keep you entertained for a long time
Cons
[-] High RRP
[-] Single player isn’t as fluid as it should be
[-] IWNET restrictions
