Slap's Take: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the biggest launch in the history of video games.  I've covered this already so we should probably get that out of the way from the start.  If sales were the ultimate indication of quality we wouldn't need reviews, opinions or any of that jazz.  Thankfully they aren't and we have positive-proof in that regard taking in consideration things like the Transformers movies and the Sims games.  Therefore today you get to read my impressions of Modern Warfare 2 and flame or praise accordingly.

Modern Warfare 2 is built on three gameplay modes:  Spec Ops, Campaign and Multiplayer.  The latter two are fairly obvious but Spec Ops is a new take for COD on a older concept which I will delve in to later.  The whole package is impressive.  There is quite a bit of gameplay here with all three modes bundled together though there is little doubt that mulitiplayer is the meat and potatoes of this game. 

I remember when games used to have epic single-player story lines that sprawled multiple days with hours and hours of gameplay - this is not that game.  Not to take anything away from the story as it is quite good, it's just short, really short.  Consider it a quick way to toss away 3-5 hours depending on what difficulty you play it on.  If you are buying this for single player you will surely be disappointed.  I really enjoyed the story though I won't spoil anything for you.  You have seen the videos, the locations and maybe this super spoilerific video (you have been warned, this link is a huge spoiler). 

The single-player features an awesome musical score and graphics that will have you trying consume it all in the middle of a massive firefight.  That obviously isn't the best of decisions, especially in the harder difficulties, but audibly and visual it really is fantastic.  The snow-capped mountains of Kazakhstan, the scaling and destructible urban environments and the arid brown-tainted locations all provide unique battlegrounds and eye candy. 

There are improvements over its predecessor that should be noted even if you barely see them within the 5 hours.  First up is the "infinite spawn points" that were a corner stone of the last game are seemingly nowhere to be found.  Infinity Ward noted in the past that this was something they wanted to fix and it seems they came through.  A.I. has also been improved from audible cues to just being generally overall more functional.  This is a welcome addition from the last game though they still aren't quite perfect.

Spec Ops is the last of the modes I managed to get to as I just got around to it last night.  In a nutshell think of Spec Ops as a challenge mode so to speak.  You have seen challenge maps in Batman Arkham Asylum, or historical challenges in Madden games; this is a similar concept.  The mode tosses a bunch of objectives with increasing difficulty and complexity at you in stand-alone missions so to speak.  There really isn't a story and it's just you, some guns, a partner if you choose and some objectives.  It is MOW2 stripped down to its basic gameplay elements and I am really enjoying it so far. 

Last night we got stuck on the bridge map trying to push across it on Veteran with an attack chopper trying to turn us in to Swiss cheese all while fending off the opposition that was also storming the bridge against us.  It is intense, frantic and a blast to play with friends which I highly suggest.  Spec Ops is a welcome addition though I would have traded it in for a much longer single-player story.

And of course we can't forget about multiplayer.  This is what almost everyone buys Call of Duty and Modern Warfare for.  I am not going to address features excluded from the game so if you are looking for more ranting about the PC changes then you are in the wrong place.  Regardless of my thoughts on changes vs. past incarnations of the game it is still a blast to play.  Is lean gone?  Yes it is.  Does it hurt the game?  No, but it does change it and promotes faster, less-camping gameplay if you ask me. 

I am horrible at multiplayer, make no doubt about it.  I think I am up to Level 24 with a K/D ratio sub 1:1.  Mikevercetti is amazing however, and he is great at stealing my kills as well.  I still haven't adapted to using ****ty analog sticks in a FPS game and I probably never will.  I caved this time around thanks to my IRL friends wanting to play this with me.  With all that going against me I am still having fun getting my ass kicked and pulling off some solid kills.  Much like titles including TF2, L4D2, Counter Strike, etc. it is the fun community aspect of playing with friends and some of those "oh ****" moments that keep me coming back.  Rarely have I gone 4-14 in a round of any FPS game and still had a good time but MOW2 pulls it off which is a testament to how fun the multiplayer is. 

MP is deep.  There are a crap-load of guns to work your way through, various challenges within the mode that help you level up, give you more perks and make you a bigger badass as you progress.  I am eyeballing a M16 right now but I have another 16 levels before I get there. 

The MP game is not without its flaws however.  Why the hell can't we choose what maps we want to play on?  There should be no reason to be stuck playing maps that haven't really taken off with players.  The lobby system is shoddy as hell at this point often taking too damn long to match you up, closing rooms, kicking people out for now reason, etc.   The limit on players also bothers me.  Some of these maps could easily support more than 6v6.  The 9v9 domination maps could also handle some more players as well.  I guess I really miss that aspect coming from someone who thrives on 16v16 TF2.  I am not totally sold on the kill streak system as I feel there are some balance issues there though maybe people just haven't adapted to them yet.  The helicopter gunship attacks are brutal and seem way too powerful.  Care packages seem almost useless more often than not.  And by the way, I fricken hate those gunship attacks just in case I didn't make that clear.

Even with these issues I see this becoming a staple of my multiplayer online action for the foreseeable future.  There are flaws but the overwhelming amount of content in MP from maps, guns, additions, challenges is icing on an already sharp and entertaining package. 

This is not a perfect game.  Single player is too short; multiplayer has its own share of bugs and issues.  Regardless of issues it does all come in a very entertaining package with a lot of value if you get in to all of the modes.  Don't buy this for single-player alone. 

Much like my next big review (L4D2) if you aren't playing this with friends I think the overall experience takes a hit.  Sure there is a touch of single-player here and you can run around capping fools online all by yourself but just how much fun is that? 

The game really isn't all that different from Call of Duty 4 either.  Some new maps, locations, a quick storyline, and then you pretty much get multiplayer with a few changes.  That isn't a bad thing because the last game's multiplayer was excellent and the game as a whole was well regarded.

I definitely recommend this as a "buy" if you are looking to really get in to some multiplayer action and am not hung up on a lack of lean or dedicated servers.  The consolization of the series is here to stay and we can either embrace the game for what it is now or hold on to the glory days and play older titles.  I am not denying Activison and Infinity Ward seemingly took numerous steps to piss people and change the status quo.  But if you can get past gripes and play the game I think most of you will find it enjoyable if you judge it on its own merits and not the past or other games.  Personally I am always looking for new quality games and this fits the bill of providing hours and hours of future entertainment. 

You are welcome to "stick it to the man" if you like but based on its merits Modern Warfare 2 is a solid, yet slightly different, game in the COD series that deserves a spot in your collection.