‘Modern Warfare 2’ Goes Beyond the ‘Call of Duty’
November 12, 2009 • By Jeff Wade,
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If the point of a review is to determine the quality of a release, this review could end right here. Yes, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is good. It is very good. If a review’s purpose is to help determine if a new release is worth the purchase price, this review could end here. It is without a doubt worth $60.
Over the course of the short but sweet six-hour single-player campaign, players fight an emerging Russian army, at home and abroad. This fight takes place in various locales— snowy arctic regions, sunny Rio, a devastated cityscape. The core gameplay is as familiar as it is fantastic, the controls are quick and responsive, forming the basis of one of the tightest most enjoyable shooters available.
The “Call of Duty” franchise has always had high production values, but “MW2” goes above and beyond the, well, call of duty. The variety of impressive locales help demonstrate an improvement in graphics as well as art design. The use of sound in particular is exemplary, both in the sounds of gun and mortar fire and in the rousing musical score courtesy of Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer.
However, the campaign has slight missteps. The plot is a notch down from the nuanced story of its predecessor, while a sure-to-be controversial mission falls on the wrong side of the divide between being provocative and exploitative.
Instead of attempting to shoehorn cooperative play into the main storyline, co-op is instead given its own mode. Special-Ops mode consists of self-contained mini missions, similar to the “Mile High Club” epilogue from the original game. And much like “Mile High Club,” some missions have a nail-biting, controller-throwing, hair-pulling levels of difficulty.
The best of these missions range from stealth infiltrations, sniping missions and high intensity breaches. It is not an entire success, as some missions boil down to a more standard defend this point or kill X number of enemies. These small bite-sized snippets of gameplay especially when played with a partner, give longevity to the title.
Traditional multiplayer still exists, with changes that grizzled online veterans are sure to cheer about (goodbye Martyrdom!). The same addictive customizable class system returns from the original “Modern Warfare,” largely untouched, with only subtle changes that change how online battles play out.
The new kill and death streak system adds variation beyond the scope of the previous games, increasing the anything can happen organized chaos the series is know for while achieving better balance. Multiplayer consists of more perks, weapons and levels before reaching that coveted Prestige rank.
Not like it is necessary to say any of this, considering the sprawling lines the “Modern Warfare 2” drew upon its midnight release Monday night. Combine that with the sure-to-be record-breaking sales, and it is safe to say “Modern Warfare 2” is the biggest title of 2009.
Contact Jeff Wade at wadeja@jmu.edu
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