GameSpy Review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

As reviewers, it's up to my peers in the gaming press and I to put on our hype-proof blinders when reviewing big "event" games, as it's just as easy for us to get whipped up into a frenzy as it is for any other gamer. After all, we're only human. When I played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in an Activision-provided hotel room for review a few weeks ago, there was no question in my mind that it was an amazing game, but I began to wonder how much my rabid, unbridled anticipation for it going into the event clouded my judgment.





Thankfully, I lucked into a retail copy of the game late last week, allowing me to spend some more quality time with it over the weekend in an effort to judge whether my initial impressions were valid or if I was letting my fanboyism color my view. Upon further inspection I confirmed my original feelings: While I won't say that Modern Warfare 2 is my surefire Game of the Decade, it's definitely one of the best games of this generation.





Picking up about five years after the end of the first game, Modern Warfare 2 throws the player into a world still in upheaval after the events caused by Russian ultranationalist Imran Zakhaev. Shockingly, Zakhaev's death during the climax of Modern Warfare didn't fix everything, so now the world's got to deal with a more dangerous threat: Zakhaev's former right-hand man, one Vladimir Makarov. I really don't want to get too deep into the story, as this truly is one of those rare games that has to be experienced first-hand. If you've managed to avoid all of the spoiler-filled videos leaking onto the web over the last few weeks, give yourself a pat on the back. Your vigilance is about to pay off in a big way.










Whether they say it or not, most developers of top-tier games want to knock players' socks off with a number of "wow!" moments as they progress through the story. Not only are there a few "wow!" moments in each and every one of the game's levels, there are also a handful of jaw-dropping "Holy shit! I can't believe they just did that!" sequences to boot. I was shocked and surprised by the level of emotional gravity during some of the more disturbing sequences, proving once again that no one's better at first-person storytelling than Infinity Ward. I guarantee that there will be some scenes in Modern Warfare 2 that will get under your skin and stay with you for days or weeks after you finish.





One of the reasons the single-player is so enthralling comes in the incredibly high production values. Each epic set-piece feels like it would've been the piece de resistance in some other game, and it's unlikely you've ever played a game that exhausts you quite like this one. Outside of a few overly melodramatic speeches, some cliched writing and the occasional confusing plot twist, Modern Warfare 2's single-player campaign is excellent from start to finish. It'll probably be knocked by some for being too short, but I was fine with the roughly eight hours I spent playing through the game on the Hardened difficulty, and I'm already looking forward to playing through again on Veteran.



















Of course, eight hours of single-player action is nothing compared to the dozens -- if not hundreds -- of hours one could conceivably sink into the game's other two modes. Everyone's been talking quite a bit about the new Special Operations (Spec Ops) mode, and for good reason. These bite-sized sequences are perfect for those times when you just want to hop into a quick game (either alone or with a friend) without dealing with the mouth-breathers and basement-dwelling sociopaths online. There's also a nice bit of variety on display here, as one mission might find you and your partner defending a platform while the next has one player raining down death from an AC-130 as their buddy attempts to make it from point A to point B.





My only issue with the Spec Ops mode is the fact that there really isn't much in the way of options. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the highly customizable multiplayer mode (more on that in a bit), but I couldn't help feeling like Infinity Ward was holding back something with the Spec Ops mode. More maps, more players, and more scenarios would be greatly appreciated, something I'm sure Infinity Ward knew people would bring up. I would be willing to bet that we'll be seeing a Spec Ops DLC pack in the near future, but here's hoping it's not just a few new maps. Come on IW, give us the ability to add more players!








Given the fact that CoD4: Modern Warfare is still one of the most-played games on Xbox Live, it wouldn't have been a shocker if the folks at Infinity Ward simply decided to throw some new maps and modes into the mix before calling it a day. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, so while the multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 feels a lot like the adversarial action in the last game, there have been a number of tweaks and improvements to make it a better multiplayer experience in every way. From customizable killstreaks (or deathstreaks, for my fellow n00bs and I) to a variety of earned emblems, there are a number of different ways to stand out from the crowd while you're online.





The level of customization is impressive, and it's unlikely that you'll see multiple players with the same loadouts or perk selections. In the time I spent online over the weekend, I saw a number of interesting and unique classes. My favorite was the "ninja," who moved faster than normal thanks to the Lightweight perk and sprinted endlessly because he had Marathon equipped. Add those to the Commando perk (which allows for melee attacks from further away) and he was darting all over the place. Even when I saw him coming, he was able to dodge two of my gunfire bursts before closing the gap and stabbing me in the face. Oh, and did I mention you can drop a tactical nuke to end the match if you get a 25-kill streak?





The fact that I didn't even get into the stunning visuals and amazing sound design speaks volumes about the sheer amount of content in the game, and I could probably write another 800 words simply about the ridiculous attention to detail on display in each level. It's ultimately up to you whether you want to listen to the marketing hype or not, but believe this: With its combination of an engaging single-player campaign, addictive adversarial multiplayer modes, and enjoyable cooperative Spec Ops action, there's no denying that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the year's finest games.





Check back soon for the consensus, which gathers the opinions of other reviewers from across the web.

©2009-11-10, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved