Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Arguably the most anticipated game of the year, Modern Warfare 2 finally lands today. Following a week of content controversy and broken street dates, Modern Warfare 2 promises to elevate the action and intensity beyond even the classic original game.
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Among a sea of November releases, Modern Warfare 2 manages to stay afloat with its thrilling storyline and addictive online multiplayer.
First-person-shooter games are one of the most common genres in the industry, so with a seemingly infinite amount of competition how does the Modern Warfare franchise continue to dominate? It’s able to do so by providing a highly engaging and streamlined online multiplayer experience.
The XP (experience points), perks, challenges and killstreak bonus elements that made Call of Duty 4 so memorable are back and more rewarding than ever. In fact, there is so much going on screen at once, you’re sure to unlock multiple rewards each round you play at least for the first few hours or so. The smooth 60 frames per second gameplay returns, and believe it or not, we think it feels even faster than before.
Like a big blockbuster action movie (of the Schwarzenegger or Michael Bay variety), Modern Warfare 2 is loud, incoherent, and incredibly violent, packing more action into five minutes than your average service member sees in an entire tour of duty. As a sequel, it doesn’t bring a lot new to the table — but as fan service, it’s an instant classic, giving us more of the tasty pop culture junk food offered by the original game (itself a spinoff of the WWII-set Call of Duty series).
In the end, it doesn’t much matter which path one chooses — the chapter seems to wrap up the same way regardless — but it’s a thought provoking sidebar for a game mostly concerned with hoorah flag waving and a fetishistic obsession with military hardware.
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Of course, it’s just as easy to ignore the subtext of putting yourself in the shoes of a terrorist (or at least an undercover protagonist masquerading as one) and just enjoy the ride. Thanks to Hollywood-level production values, breakneck pacing, and great controls that just “feel” right, even in the very crowded first-person shooter genre, Modern Warfare 2 stands out as a best-of-breed.
