ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, SOLDIER!!
Call of Duty has been a part of our lives for 19 years starting with the first CoD back in 2003, now in 2022, we get CoD: Modern Warfare 2 and in my opinion one of the good ones we all need. Cod has had its ups and downs over the years, but the reboot of Modern Warfare in 2019 gave the fans a feel inhalation as it looked like the series was going through a metamorphosis from the original back in 2007. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward has given back to us a familiar and comfortable combat style with a variety to the gameplay that makes it feel like more than a simple reskin.
As you probably guessed MW2 is the sequel to the 2019 hit and through the multiplayer, spec ops, co-op mode and campaign, Activision has shown that they are not afraid to try new things. With some working and others not as much. With that said MW2 gives a person the feeling of “live service” and as someone that has served in the military, that’s saying a lot but I still feel like they have held some content back in the initial release, maybe for future expansion?
Initial release date: 10 November 2009
Developer: Infinity Ward
Series: Call of Duty
Mode: Multiplayer video game
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, macOS, Classic Mac OS
Cost: R1200-R1700
And with Christmas around the corner… maybe I might be correct! The multiplayer, a six-hour campaign and three co-op missions (my favourite part of the whole game) could be an exciting direction for Modern Warfare 2, if Activision decides to expand on them.
ARE WE AT WAR
MW2 in the campaign mode makes you feel like a fly on the wall of the inner workings of the military complex. The campaigns in MW2 are at its core six hours of “wham bam thank you, MAM!” action, with several short missions ranging from infiltrating a dock in Amsterdam, shooting your way through a Mexican prison and raining down hellfire from an AC-130 gunship, I found myself engrossed in the story, characters and plot development – this coming from a guy that spent almost a decade as an officer in the military.
Some of the missions are amazing and get your heart racing as you complete them as best you can, the ‘Alone’ mission is a prime example of the amazing storytelling by Activision, basically your alone and hurt…Trying to find your way through a town while being hunted by Private operators, luckily you have Ghost in your ear guiding you while you “guerrilla Warfare” your way to safety. While another keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to save Kate Laswell from Al Qatala in the streets, shooting, driving and jumping from vehicle to vehicle…. (stress level over 9000!!!) while my favourite is the sniping mission leading up to Kate being kidnapped.
Activision has been busy trying to make the campaign more player orientated, by allowing the player to make decision-based on intel and intelligence where previously you were just told what to do by NPCs.
With the campaign being (in my opinion a lot of fun), it does feel like it’s one long training session… teaching you the ins and outs of basic combat and how to use weapons and armour, in preparation for Warzone 2 releasing November 16. Heavily armoured enemies are the bane of your life as they take entire magazines of ammo to down and kill, while later you learn to insert armour plates and scavenge for supplies, all of which are core parts of Warzone.
One downside to the campaign is a boss fight where the enemy is in a tank…. A TANK, really!!! Constantly “hot mic’ing you” driving in a circle while you try to blow it up with C4. All the while you are being bombarded with waves of troops (not very well-trained troops). During the campaign, I found myself relating to the performances of the cast and the soldiers who genuinely care for each other, delivering dialogue as they mow down enemies in the pursuit of the truth.
These relationships between the characters make the campaign exciting. In the three years since we saw them last and the formation of Task Force 141, the characters have bonded and the relationships matured into a brotherhood with each having a different relationship with each different member: CIA agent Laswell seems to have a genuine friendship with Price…(maybe even feelings… or is that just me?). Ghost seems to be the only one that does not fit, as he still would rather ‘Leroy Jenkins’ every mission.
During the campaign and missions, you switch between characters. This keeps the game interesting and fun and on top of all that the cinematics are amazing, one interrogation scene with the El Sin Nombre feels like something out of a movie. The whole mission basically has a cinematic feel.
The campaign is amazing and fun. The storyline, for me, was amazing. That being said I don’t see many people playing the campaign over as the excitement wears off once you know what is coming and anticipate the NPCs.
Lock and load Boys and Girls
This is what most of you have been waiting for, MW2’s multiplayer and it’s very good, in my humble opinion. It shines with a few new tricks, keeping it fresh. Now despite its enjoyability, it does have a few drawbacks like the progression and respawn systems.
MW2 does impress, don’t get me wrong, from the explosions and sustained fighting which tends to leave a sort of haze in the air, the immersive feeling of lining a shot and then having a cruise missile dropping causing the whole area to fill with dust and dirt which makes engaging the enemy difficult, this goes for everyone in the map, slowing the game down just a little bit.
You will find that in some areas it’s harder to see enemies as the colour palette seems to be “muted” leading to camping and with the mount mechanic added back to the game which makes for better cover and less recoil. This teaches you to be cautious and to check corners as you move through buildings and areas, which in all honesty feels more authentic compared to the fast pace the game seems to take, and helps you survive to get those kill streaks.
The movements are smooth and give players the motivation to be creative, this includes the water mechanic which allows the player to dive and swim in the waters around an area, pulling off some underwater firing. The map designers have done an excellent job of placing routes all around the map, over and under the buildings…. Happy exploring and hunting!!!
The maps are probably going to lead to some contention as some you will love and others you will hate. The border crossing map that divides the United States and Mexico is a fun one with basically three routes, the middle is filled with cars leading to a lot of close-quarters combat and two flanks which offer you the option to snipe or outflank the enemy. Now let us talk about the Taraq map…this map causes a lot of stress and frustration as it has clear streets which is a sniper’s dream, especially as the spawn can become predictable resulting in you being spawn killed A LOT… BY THE SAME PLAYER!!!
MW2 does work and when it works – which is most of the time – get ready for “record-worthy” firefights. The guns are a masterpiece with shotguns being powerful, sniper rifles still bringing the wrath of the gods upon you and even the starter pistol has a bit of a bite… its no Noisy Cricket but still worth a few shots at an enemy. A word of warning…. If you think you going to be able to have a “quick few rounds” think again!!! A few rounds will turn into 8 hours of gameplay and maybe “KLUP” on the back of the head from the significant other!!!
WHEN TO GAME AND WHEN TO GAME MORE!!!
Groundwar has five different capture points on huge maps for the 32-player teams to battle over. Everything you kill has a points value and killstreaks count with human players being the highest earners compared to AI. Then you just go wild. The chaos of previous years has been refined and the maps feel just the right size to give that sense of scale while also encouraging people to commit to the objectives.
Invasion aka Team Death Match with 20v20 teams racking up kills. The big twist is the AI-controlled waves of soldiers on both teams who drop in, run and die…. like idiots. Seriously, is almost hilariously bad, which explains why they are only worth one point per kill, whereas a human player is worth five. Even though shooting the AI feels like taking candy from a baby, that just lulls you into a false sense of security then some punk pops out of nowhere, swoops in and popes you…. All the stupid bullet catcher’s fault aka AI!!!
All in all, I’m really happy with most of the maps as they accommodate almost every playstyle in every map, whether you’re a run-and-gun close-quarters killer or you prefer to hang back and snipe.
3rd-Person Moshpit. This game mode is basically Fortnite but with MW2 playstyle and graphics. It is kind of fun, but it’s not a mode I see myself spending too much time in.
My absolute favourite game mode is Spec Ops Cooperative. There are three different scenarios for you and a friend (or rando) to hit sites Alpha, Beta, and Charlie, then exfil out.
The first mission, “Low Profile,” leans toward stealth under the cover of darkness.
“Denied Area” is the second scenario, also a lot of fun, it requires you to steal vehicles to reach the surface-to-air missile batteries you need to take out.
The final scenario, Defend Mt. Zaya, is probably my favourite as it requires you to survive several waves of the same extremely stupid AI as you battle Invasion mode but still loads of fun.
I hope and wish Infinity Ward continues to release Spec Ops scenarios because it was an unexpected delight and I can see myself going back over and over to get those three-star ratings. Also, if the Spec Ops would allow more than just two people in a team, max a squad of 4.
MW2 for me is an awesome game to play and a good addition to the CoD family, there are some issues I picked up while playing on the Xbox these were mainly audio losses in the campaign mode and some during other modes of the game. These would usually just play out and eventually come back. I played with two different kinds of headphones and had the same problem, but I’m sure a patch at some point will fix the issue, but it is seriously not that big an issue for me but might be for a streamer or professional player.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the biggest games this year and the support from the communities has shown a huge interest in the game, I enjoy my social gaming with the boys and I don’t see myself putting the game away any time soon.
Bronze Star – Bravo Zulu
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an amazing shooter with a fun campaign, solid multiplayer and a multitude of other game modes to reach any type of player and gamer. The gunplay, explosions and general feel of this game is intoxicating and tends to make you feel a part of the action. If I was buying a gift this Christmas for a gamer friend this is the game I would buy.
The perks system and changes to the gunsmith mode show that Infinity Ward and the other devs are working hard on Modern Warfare 2 and still understand what makes Call of Duty tick, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege to be at an age to appreciate the work they have done.
PROS
Gunplay is smooth
Fun campaign
Beautiful graphics
CONS
Respawn system
Progression complicated
Gunsmithing
Entertainment – 5/5
Action – 4.5/5
Extra – 4/5
EAX score 4.5/5