Infinity Ward has done it again, creating a nearly flawless and highly addictive sequel.
THE GOOD
-Highly addictive multiplayer
-Action packed story mode
-Superb controls
-Great team builder
-Role playing aspects in multiplayer keep you coming back for more
-Incredible audio
-Awesome selection of weapons, equipment and abilities (perks)
-Outstanding visuals
THE BAD
-Story mode is still short
-Matchmaking has some hiccups
OVERVIEW
Modern Warfare 1 blew everyone away two years ago with an absolutely stellar first person shooting experience. When Infinity Ward announced that a sequel for one of the greatest shooters of all time, the fans went crazy. Modern Warfare 2 is an outstanding sequel giving the fans even more action-packed, realistic shooting fun.
The story continues five years after the events in Modern Warfare 1. Once again you play as a few different characters in the United States Army and British SAS. "Soap" MacTavish, now Captain MacTavish, makes a return as Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson's (the SAS officer you play as) commanding officer. At the end of the first game Soap and Captain Price brought Imran Zakhaev's rule to an end, however, the terrorist threat only increases when one of Zakhaev's lieutenants, Vladimir Makarov, and the rest of the Ultranationalists seize control of Russia and make Zakhaev out to be a martyr. Lieutenant General Shepard (an American) takes command of Task Force 141. Task Force 141 is the premier counter-terrorist force assigned to bringing down Makarov and the Ultranationalists; Soap and Roach are a part of this elite group of soldiers.
The story is just as action-packed as its predecessor. There are definitely more plot twists, this time around, that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. There is an extremely controversial level, which you can skip, that'll really have your moral compass spinning in circles. Unfortunately, the story mode, on the regular difficulty, will only take you about five hours to complete. There are other modes that'll take you well into the 100 hour mark but it would have been nice to have a lengthier story because it is so immersive.
GAMEPLAY
Modern Warfare 2 offers three excellent game modes: Story (1 player), Special Ops (1-2 players), and Online (2-18 players). The story mode is a continuation from the previous game like I mentioned before. You'll take control of various people and navigate through different environments from city streets to an oil platform. The story is enthralling and fun to play through multiple times. As you progress through each level, orders will be given to you in real time. The game will surprise you by throwing a snag into the objective (i.e. an ambush); making sure you're on your toes at all times. The current objective is posted and an indicator on your compass will point you in the right direction. This is a nice feature that'll keep you from wondering around aimlessly and disrupting the pace of the action. One of the cool new aspects to the story mode is the fact that there are some levels that let you drive a vehicle (i.e. a snowmobile). Once you get a hang of the controls, it's an exciting experience.
After you've completed the Story mode, I highly recommend playing Special Ops and encourage playing with a friend either online or offline. Special Ops lets you relive some of the more intense moments of the Story mode with different objectives. Some may have you defend an area where as others might require a more stealthy approach. You can play this mode by yourself but it is a lot tougher because once you receive a fatal wound the game ends, whereas playing with a friend will grant you the chance for your partner to revive you. Teamwork is essential whether it's watching each other's backs or concentrating your fire power to take down some larger targets. One mission that stands out involves one player trying to maneuver to a certain target on foot while the other rides gunner inside of an AC-130 (bombing airplane) providing some serious air support.
The last mode and probably the one you've been waiting to read about is the online multiplayer mode. Like the predecessor, this is pretty much the "meat and potatoes" of the game. Infinity Ward listened to their fans and modestly re-vamped the formula to give the game so much more. The same incredibly additive leveling system makes a return and this time the level cap has been extended to 70. One thing you'll notice right from the beginning is that this game really likes to dish out experience points for achieving even the mundane things; which is actually quite encouraging. As you progress up in rank, new weapons, equipment and perks will be available to you. Another new feature is the ability to customize your emblem and title on your profile. People can see your cool profile while you wait for a match to begin or when you kill an opponent because your profile will appear on their kill-cam. A few are unlocked at the beginning but you can unlock more as you achieve certain things like killing an entire team without dying or planting a bomb in Demolition.
There is a wider selection of game types which include: Deathmatch, Domination, Headquarters, etc. Some of the game types have remained unchanged like Deathmatch and Domination whereas others like Headquarters have been re-vamped to make it more enjoyable. Now throw in a few new types like Demolition, and you've got quite a list to keep things from getting boring. All of the team based games, like the Special Ops mode, heavily promote teamwork which is an awesome experience when your teammates cooperate.
Modern Warfare 2 is jammed packed with plenty of weapons, equipment and perks. Each weapon has differing attributes like accuracy, damage, and fire rate. There are five main classes of primary weapons: assault rifles, sniper rifles, light machine guns, sub machine guns and riot shields. As for secondary weapons, you can choose between shotguns, pistols, machine pistols and rocket launchers. Claymores, frag grenades, throwing knives and C4 round out the equipment list and even though you start off with five preset class types, you'll be able to customize five more. Each of your weapons level up based on the number of kills you get which can unlock specialized attachments for your gun like silencers, scopes and even a heartbeat sensor. Your perks, this time around, will also level up giving you an extra added ability. For example, the Steady Aim perk increases your firing accuracy when shooting from the hip. The Steady Aim Pro perk adds the ability to hold your breath longer when zoomed in with a sniper rifle.
Basically the main theme for the online multiplayer mode is that you can customize just about anything; even the kill streak rewards. If you remember from the previous game, three kills in a row (without dying) will give you a UAV, five kills gave you an airstrike and seven kills gave you an attack helicopter. Modern Warfare 2 spices things up by letting you pick and choose your kill streaks. The UAV, Air Strike and Attack Helicopter make a return along with some new ones like care packages, predator missiles and even a tactic nuke!
There is only one notable thing about the multiplayer that can be quite frustrating and that's the matchmaking system. Joining games and playing with friends is fun but it can be painstaking just trying to find a match during peak hours. Sometimes friends will get dropped and other times you'll sit there in the chat room for a few minutes just trying to find a suitable game. It's a minor annoyance that wasn't as prevalent in the predecessor.
Not too much has been tweaked with the control scheme. Veteran players can pick and play instantly and rookies to the series will find that everything is very intuitive. Again, since everything is customizable, you can pick the control setup that works for you.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Not too much has changed with the visuals. Modern Warfare 2 still offers sharp detail and realistic looking graphics. It's almost like you are watching (or I guess playing) a movie. The level design is stellar in both the single player and multiplayer modes that instantly create some memorable moments.
All of the Call of Duty games do an excellent job in the sound department. Explosions here, gun-fire there, people yelling; it's all here and greatly enhances the experience of the game play. A notable for Modern Warfare 2 is the sound of a shotgun blasting an opponent off their feet and to an early grave. The soundtrack for the game is very compelling, especially in the single player mode. The full orchestral sound does a great job in bringing out those suspenseful situations.
CONCLUSION
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is everything you would expect in a sequel to one of the greatest first person shooters of all time. Infinity Ward for really stepped up and gave the gaming community not only an excellent game, but offering loads of extra content. Anybody who is a fan of shooters needs to play this game, especially Call of Duty buffs. Modern Warfare 2 combines an immersive story with a highly addictive online system giving you easily over a hundred hours of pure exhilaration.