It's a solid sequel with some good additions and co-op, but the lack of some features may not sit well with PC gamers.
The single-player campaign continues where the original Modern Warfare left off. After some quick tutorial missions, the campaign starts off with a terrorist attack that prompts Russia to attack the U.S. on their own soil. Unfortunately, the storyline gets a little confusing and silly in the latter half of the game with unnecessary plot twists and the odd conversations in the mission briefing cutscenes don't seem to help. The story ends up being similar to a Michael Bay film with all action and little plot or character development. It's also too bad that the game ends in yet another cliffhanger ending that leaves some loose ends untied. This is all in contrast to the more grounded and realistic storyline the last Modern Warfare game had.
If you can get past the storyline issues, playing the campaign is still pretty fun. Just like in previous installments, you view everything from a first-person perspective and the game switches between the perspectives of a couple of British and American soldiers. There are plenty of intense action sequences that feel like they belong in a summer blockbuster. There are also a couple of disturbing scenes that show the harsh realities of terrorism (the game gives you an option to skip one of these scenes ahead of time). The game is also less frustrating than previous installments since respawning enemies are no longer an issue. The fun only lasts the first time you play through, though, since the gameplay is pretty much the same as previous installments, but it feels more scripted than before (there's usually only one way to complete most missions). It's also short (about 5 and 1/2 hours for me), and there's not too much replay value. The hidden laptops don't give any special options this time around, just some useless achievements. There is also no more Arcade or Zombie modes like there was in the last two games. Once you play the campaign, your only options are the Spec-Ops and multiplayer modes.
Spec-Ops mode is the most noteworthy addition to the series. It is a series of challenges made for one or two players. The challenges themselves are well made, ranging from stealth missions, timed escorts, wave defenses, and even snowmobile races. You can play any of the missions solo, but the second half of the challenges can be very difficult without another player. Two of the missions require two players in order to play. In these missions, one player is in a helicopter with a machine gun who has to protect the other player who is a lone soldier on the ground trying to make it to safety. Because of the difficulty of these missions, a good amount of communication and cooperation is needed. This make for some pretty neat moments such as coordinating a sniper attack or breaching enemy defenses just like in the single player campaign.
Then there's the Multiplayer, which is always the most popular portion of any Call of Duty game. The ranking and unlock system is back with a few new twists. There are more perks and weapons to customize your soldier with, including "Deathstreaks." These new perks kick in after a player dies too many times in a row without scoring anything and they can sometimes help beginner players out. You can also customize your own emblem and tag that other players see when you kill them. The maps are well designed and varied for the most part and there is a new "Capture the Flag" mode in addition to the usual "Team Deathmatch" and "Search and Destroy" modes.
Multiplayer is still as fast-paced as ever. The experience is largely the same as the last game, so if you loved the first Modern Warfare, then you will certainly have fun with this one. If you didn't, then nothing here is going to change your mind. If you play with the right people, it can be very fun, but it sometimes can be a little too chaotic thanks to the new perks and killstreaks. If a team can gain killstreaks at the right time, they can pretty much dominate a match. There were times when my team could not do anything except hide in a building because the other team was constantly bombarding us with air strikes. Some of the new perks seem a little overpowered as well, such as a perk that allows a player to stab an enemy player from an unrealistic distance and another perk that lets players dual-wield weapons. There is no more "votekicking" anymore, so if you encounter cheaters or annoying 12-year-olds, your only options are to mute them, quit the game, or deal with it.
The mouse/keyboard controls still work very well, but one thing that's missing is the "lean" function. There are a couple sequences where not being able to peek around corners makes it a little unfair, especially when you don't have the slight auto-aim that the console versions have. The graphics aren't as flashy as other recent FPS games out there, but it does look and feel realistic. The system requirements are pretty modest, too. I could run this on a mid-range laptop with few frame rate problems. The sound quality is as high as ever thanks to some great voice acting and and a soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer (who did the music for Black Hawk Down and the last two Batman films).
One thing to keep in mind for the PC version is that it is $60, which is ten dollars more than other new PC games. Even though that's the same price as the console versions, it's still pricey for a PC game especially considering some of the features it lacks. There are no dedicated servers or LAN play for multiplayer, which means you will have to use IWNet for matches (which can be prone to connection problems). This also means no more mods or custom maps and any new content that is released by Infinity Ward will have to be paid for (if you want it). It is jarring for these features to be omitted, especially since stuff like this is included in most other PC games on the market (including past Call of Duty games). Despite these issues, any Call of Duty fan should get at least some enjoyment out of this title and newcomers might enjoy it as well. The additions are mostly minor and do not drastically change the game, though, and if your not planning on playing any multiplayer matches, this game may not be worth it to you.