We're sure it will come as no great surprise to you all to learn that Modern Warfare 2 is fantastic. In fact, in all likelihood, the only reason you're here reading this review is to find out how fantastic it is. Is it 'sell your soul to the devil for an hour alone with it' fantastic? Or merely 'pawn your dog to get the money to buy it' fantastic? Well, we wouldn't recommend doing either of those things, but there's no question this is a game worth playing, and a game worth owning. First and foremost, this is a very polished product. From the moment you kick into the single player campaign, this is a world where the small touches make a big difference. The dusty U.S. army base of the opening scene, for instance, is a tour de force of believable activity and incidental detail, with a real sense of place. Two soldiers in the background shoot hoops, choppers patrol the skies overhead and hip hop plays in the background. As you move through the base you'll also see evidence of the basic necessities of life, such as water containers and a porta-loo. It makes such a big difference for the world to feel alive and lived in, and that commitment to creating a believable feeling world is evident throughout.
Well, believable to a point. You're once again moving from set piece to set piece along a linear path, and once again you're in a world where most doors can't be opened, no matter how many grenades you toss at them. That's fine though, as it's an intentional design decision to help keep the pace and flow of the game up. Plus, Infinity Ward has made even more of an effort than in previous games to regularly open up the firefights.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In other words, while the overall path may be linear, there are heaps of situations where the gameplay is anything but. Many areas are either quite open, or have multiple paths through them, with your squad dynamically adapting to your movements. The upshot is that your encounters with enemies feel more like a game of cat and mouse, and less like a shooting gallery. Infinity Ward makes good use of this, less scripted-feeling gameplay throughout, whether you're clearing out enemies in amongst the maze of shacks, markets and rundown houses that comprise the Rio De Janeiro favela levels, or you're moving through a sprawling plane graveyard with two opposing sides fighting it out around you.
These sequences do tend to feature what seems like an inexhaustible supply of enemies, which can sometimes feel a little ridiculous, and it also means there's a tendency for enemies to be coming at you from all directions – i.e. it's a lot harder to clear a path forward when there are multiple routes, and it sometimes feels a little unfair when the waypoint is pushing you forward yet you're being attacked from behind.
For the most part, Infinity Ward has the balance just right, but frustration does creep in occasionally. One level late in the game has the player protecting a computer for a set period of time, as waves of enemies try to destroy it. It's a tense scenario, as the house the computer is in has several storeys and countless entrances, but it also feels a little unstructured and messy. While you can plant claymores in advance to booby trap the house, the reality is you have to stay close to the computer, which leaves you exposed and vulnerable. And in this game, death can come very swiftly, and in a situation like this it's easy to be taken out of the game if you're dying repeatedly. Thankfully, however, the moments of true frustration are few and far between, and the checkpoints are always close together.
Complementing the more open levels, of course, are others that are more rigorously linear, or on rails. Again, this is designed to keep the pace up and deliver a different kind of thrill or challenge. Throughout the course of the game you'll get to mow down enemies from choppers and the backs of trucks, and speed down snowy hills and along winding rapids.
It's a good balance, and importantly, there's plenty of variety in the challenges on offer, and in the gameplay mix, from directing missiles from a Predator Drone and using 'lazer' targeting to indicate where a Stryker truck should concentrate its fire, to breaching rooms to rescue hostages and, erm, running for your life. You've got a killer arsenal too, including a number of hybrid weapons – why just have a machine gun, when you could strap a grenade launcher or a shotgun to it? Why indeed.
The action is very much a rollercoaster ride punctuated by explosive set pieces, and driving the whole thing is an epic, globe-spanning storyline. Simply put, this is a testosterone-soaked soap opera for men, so expect a far-fetched narrative with plenty of intrigue, betrayals and murders. We won't get into too many specifics, but the action cuts back and forth between the U.S. Rangers and the members of an elite squadron – Task Force 141. The former defends an invasion on U.S. soil, while the latter – including good ol' Soap – is on assignment in locations as diverse as Eastern Russia, Brazil and Afghanistan.
It all fits the action perfectly, with great presentation and epoch shifting events. That said, it isn't presented as clearly as it could be, with some of the logic – to us at least – left a bit obscured, while the ending seemed to leave some major loose ends unaddressed. Nonetheless, it's hard not to get caught up in the events, as the game's scale and energy is compelling. Hell, even the moments when it's deliberately trying to tug at the heartstrings of American gamers – such as re-taking the White House and shoot-outs through white picket fence suburbia – don't come across as too rah rah. They may not resonate as much for an international audience, but the gameplay is there regardless.
We've already mentioned the polish of the presentation, but it's worth re-iterating just how effectively each scenario in this game is brought to life. Modern Warfare 2 is heavy on atmosphere, whether you're creeping through the snowy Russian wilderness, picking off enemy patrols, fighting along the circular walkways inside an imposing castle turned Gulag, or you're stumbling through the chaos of a city brought to its knees, thousands of embers swirling off a tree that's burning ferociously nearby, despite the pouring rain. And any game that frames a shot from the perspective of the International Space Station gets extra brownie points from us.
The Campaign mode, of course, is just one part of the Modern Warfare 2 experience, which is good because it's rather short - you're looking at six or seven hours for your first play through. The second part of the package is Spec Ops, which is a great set of 23 challenges for players to beat. While many of these can be played on your own, this is really designed around two player co-op, with both splitscreen – which runs well - and full online support.
As you can imagine, this is a valuable addition to the game, and challenges range from fending off waves of attackers, to disabling bombs, to having one player firing from an AC-130 while the other makes his way to a checkpoint on foot. With three stars to earn on each mission, that's some serious bonus longevity right there. A set of four player missions would have been a good addition, but at least it'll be nice and straightforward to work through these with a friend.
And then there's multiplayer. Admittedly, we've only had limited time with the online multiplayer component so far, but there's little doubt that it's a shining example of how to do it right. For those of you that played the first Modern Warfare - think expanded and refined. For those that didn't, you're looking at online multiplayer with a persistent experience/ranking system that steadily unlocks all the modes the game has to offer, as well as extra functionality. You're looking at class-based gameplay - including the ability to customisable classes - as well as a very cool killstreak system in the game that rewards players with all sorts of in-game perks, from basic stuff like being able to take a last stand when you're almost dead, through to gunning from attack choppers and unleashing bombing runs. It's great stuff, and we're pleased to report that the matchmaking seems to work well for Aussie gamers, as we didn't experience any issues with lag.
Closing Comments
Modern Warfare 2 is absolutely one of the most rounded gaming packages of 2009. The single player campaign – while not long – is well-paced, with plenty of variety in settings and gameplay, and will definitely be a steep challenge on the harder difficulty levels. The multiplayer component is fully featured, with an expansive set of modes and maps, and it’s great to see persistent stats returning. Rounding it out is Spec Ops, which is very much the icing on the cake. Take all that, present it with gorgeously realised visuals and plenty of polish and you’ve got – what else – a must-play Call of Duty title from Infinity Ward. xbox360.ign.com
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