Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Modern Warfare 2 is the fourth title in the Call of Duty series from developer Infinity Ward and is a direct sequel to their previous title, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. As with the original, the story takes place in multiple locations all over the world and the player assumes the role of multiple soldiers from different factions. The game also features three separate modes to play through. There's a single player campaign which sequels the original, two player co-op that varies from level to level, and a full multiplayer mode to keep players involved for ages.

The main campaign puts the player in the roles of multiple soldiers spanning from the American Army Rangers, to CIA and the British SAS. Without ruining any crucial plot points, the story takes place all over the world as groups of soldiers try to chase down a Russian terrorist as he tries to spark a global war. The main story does feel a bit short, but it's so packed full of action that it doesn't disappoint. Each mission contains so much variety and it means that no level feels out of place or boring. Not only is there a lot of satisfying first person shooter sequences, there are also stealth segments and vehicle chases. So in essence the campaign's length feels just right. Not to mention that the story can be played through higher difficulties to make the game a little more challenging.

Beyond the story there is also a vast co-op mode which can be played either split-screen or online with a friend. This mode, also known as spec-ops, is a series of levels specially made for two players. This variation of the game is like a whole game on its own. There is a whole series of levels varying from time trial versions of the single player campaign to separate levels that give each player their own task in a mission. For example, there is a sniper sneaking mission at one point, the next level could be clearing a village without harming civilians, or there's even a really cool mission where one player fires explosive rounds from an attack plane while the other player tries to work through a farm without getting killed. The great thing is, players can probably invest more time in this mode than the actual single player campaign.

On top of the two previously mentioned modes is possibly the biggest part of Modern Warfare 2, it's online multiplayer mode. Quite a lot has been added since the last Modern Warfare, including better game balance and more perks. This time around the perks have been rearranged and offer things like using two attachments for a weapon in lieu of a perk that boosts damage or allows faster reloads. There's also a large variety of maps, with a lot being based on missions from the single player campaign, including a throwback map from Call of Duty 2 that's been re-skinned. The maps are also nicely sized for the up to 18 players that are allowed. The level cap has also been extended to give more spaced out perks and guns. The weapons are still balanced enough though that it's not really uneven when earlier guns are used against newly unlocked ones.