Ghost's Modern Warfare 2 Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2​

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the newest installment to the long-running Call of Duty series, published by Activision, and is the direct sequel to its predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, developed by Infinity Ward.

Different than the other games in the series in the fact that it actually follows a linear storyline based off another game in the series, Modern Warfare 2 stands out in more ways than just it actually carrying over its plotline.

Receiving every sort of criticism from terrible to mind-blowingly amazing, Modern Warfare 2 has made itself known, be it for the better or worse, across the gaming industry.

It has received awards such as Best Shooter, Best Multiplayer, and six Game of the Year Awards, including Overall Game of the Year.

​

Following up only a few short years from the previous game, Modern Warfare 2's campaign is short yet sweet.

For some, they regard it as a "drunkenly written Tom Clancy novel," whereas others see it as a masterpiece.

I find the middle ground in saying that Infinity Ward's writers took a daring chance at portraying this story, and they took the ball and ran with it. Sure, there were a few fumbles on the way, but what story doesn't have its flaws?

The campaign can be confusing for those who don't follow it to the letter and don't use their head to try to piece together some of the elements that Infinity Ward doesn't exactly lock in on.

The main antagonist remains to be the Russian Ultranationalists, bent on controlling the government. With the death of Imran Zakhaev from the previous game, his replacement, Vladimir Makarov, has taken his seat and seizes the government with the support of the Ultranationalists. The christen Zakhaev as a war hero, helping to stir Russian patriotism amongst the people.

To my memory, Zakhaev didn't try to nuke the world on a white stallion.
​

At the same time, we're thrown into Afghanistan to follow U.S Army Ranger Joseph Allen, who helps in running out terrorists from a Middle Eastern city.

Meanwhile, Captain Soap MacTavish, the character you play as from the first Modern Warfare, and Sergeant Gary Roach are tasked with infiltrating an airbase poised precariously atop a mountain in the shivering peaks of Kazakhstan to recover a lost ACS module from a downed satellite, now under possession of the Ultranationalist forces.

​

Soap MacTavish is a pretty cool guy. Eh, climbs mountains and doesn't afraid of anything.
​

This module is crucial to United States security, as it contains a ludicrous amount of data that helps control the overarching system of the US government's satellites, which could give the Russians a great advantage over the Americans, and thus it is imperative that Soap and Roach retrieve this module.

General Sheperd, noticing Allen's performance in the city, puts him on a deception mission, putting him alongside Makarov himself, aiding in the massacre of citizens at a Russian airport.

After slaughtering an innumerable amount of innocents and fighting through a police force attempting to stop them, Makarov and his men board an ambulance (their escape vehicle). As Makarov is helping Joseph Allen into the vehicle, he withdraws a handgun and shoots him, revealing that he was aware of his identity from the beginning.

Leaving this corpse allowed for the Russians to believe that the terrorist attack was American-supported, causing the Russians to create an uproar and ultimately declare war on the United States.

​

"Oh, those guys with the heavy machines guns coming off the elevator? I'm sure nothing's going on." - The police officer to the right, shortly before being removed from the gene pool. Natural selection.
​

The Russians then bypass the United States' satellite system, causing a disruption in their detection and allowing for a massive invasion of the United States, revealing that Soap and Roach had been too late to retrieve the ACS module as they had originally thought.

You kind of dropped the ball on that whole "protection" thing, Homeland Security.
​

As the United States military scrambles to defend their turf, Task Force 141 (a united military force, comprising of American and British operatives) searches for the presumed weapons dealer for Makarov, Alejandro Rojas, in Rio de Janeiro in South America.

They capture the dealer, and intelligence reveals that an important man and enemy of Makarov, who may contain vital information on Makarov and the Ultranationalists, is being held prisoner in a Russian gulag on the north-eastern coast of Russia.

Immediately launching a counter attack, Task Force 141 retakes a captured oil rig, and then attacks the gulag in an effort to rescue the prisoner. The prisoner turns out be a familiar face: Captain Price.

Upon rescue, Captain Price agrees to assist in finding Makarov. Their endeavors lead Task Force 141 to a nuclear submarine hidden away in a Russian village. Price goes rogue and launches the missile at Washington, D.C. However, he directs the warhead so that it impacts and destroys the International Space Station, rather than the US capital.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is caused by this explosion, disabling electronics in and around Washington, causing a temporary ceasefire that gives the Americans an advantage to take back the city.

​

"Houston, we've got a big ****ing problem."
​

Immediate danger aside, Task Force 141 then narrows down Makarov's hiding place to two different locations: One of his many safehouses hidden away in the Caucasus Mountains and an aircraft "boneyard," and thus the team splits up. Roach and Ghost, along with a few others, make their way to Makarov's estate while Soap and Price investigate the boneyard.

​

To roll with Makarov gets you all the classy ladies.
​

Discovering that Makarov isn't home, Ghost and Roach steal intelligence from the computer files concerning the ACS module, and the make their escape.

General Shepherd meets them at the base of the hill, providing their means of evacuation. He, however, betrays and kills Ghost and Roach, setting the bodies ablaze and taking the evidence to make it seem like he gained the information on his own.

​

Yeah, this prick.
​

Soap and Price, with the help of an old friend (Nikolai), are able to discover Shepherd's motives in time, and escape his ambush.

Soap and Price come in contact with Makarov, who discloses Shepherd's location in the Afghanistan mountains. The two then embark on a suicide mission to kill Shepherd.

Following the infiltration of his hidden mountain base, the pair chase Shepherd and his men down a river and ultimately stop his escape before tumbling over the edge of a waterfall.

MacTavish and Price then pursue Shepherd, and after an extended battle, succeed in killing the general by thrusting a throwing a knife into his forehead, Rambo style.

****ing finally.
​

Nikolai then arrives with a helicopter, and Price insists on getting medical attention for Soap. They then escape in the helicopter, going off to an unknown place to hide as fugitives from the international government.

​

Yeah, I bet you do know a place, Nikolai.
​

Rating: 8.5/10 - Though not as emotionally involving or realistic as the first game, it's still worth the playthrough and still has its memorable moments.

​

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has a similar gameplay to the original, but still changed greatly to improve the overall play.

The same formula remains, but it is refurbished to give it that fresh "new game" smell.

The gameplay is nothing special (as far as first person shooters), even though the features are a lot more aesthetically pleasing than its predecessor, and seems to flow more smoothly than Call of Duty 4.

The AI seems to remain almost the same, but maybe with a few tweaks in the brain that made them a bit more formidable. However, they still didn't provide even a challenge unless you played the game on its highest difficulty. But even on Veteran, an average player could complete the campaign in roughly twelve hours of game time, given how the AI stands up to you.

The explosions are bigger and there are plenty of Kodak moments, and just like in Call of Duty 4, each one is special in its own little way.

Rating: 7.5/10 - Nothing new, but the little extras are what makes it stand out.

​

Probably the most sought after aspect of the game, it is also the game's weakest point.

The multiplayer at first seemed great: Plenty of customization, new weapons, perks, and maps along with some other features than made it a step above the previous multiplayer.

However, problems quickly began arising in the online community as many modders, hackers, and glitchers exploited the weak infrastructure of the game's online capabilities.

The multiplayer's formula is wonderful, but how it was executed and how it was treated when the general public got a hold of it simply ruined it.

It could be fun for LAN if you're wanting to avoid the hackers. Well, it would have been fun if it weren't for the fact that only one player can use a console at once when playing multiplayer with other consoles. Only on splitscreen can more than one person join in on the action at a time.

Rating: 6/10 - A rose is a rose, and is beautiful in itself. It's how the rose is given that determines whether or not it is truly wonderful. Much like Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer.

​

Above: The rose, being presented poorly.
​

​

Using a new engine based off the Call of Duty 4 engine, Modern Warfare 2 is complete with newer and better graphics. Even if the story isn't realistic, how you see it on the screen sure is.

The graphics are grittier and more down to earth, like how they were presented in Call of Duty: World at War.

The environments are more unique and memorable, making the overall atmosphere of the game all the more intriguing.

How the engine reacts to the player's presence is also greatly improved, as the grass will now sway as you crawl through it. Weather effects have been incorporated more professionally on some levels.

The effects are great, explosions and lighting of epic grandeur being the novelty of the Call of Duty series that they are. The special effects definitely add in their own awe-inspiring moments at some key points in the game.

Rating: 9/10 - As far as explosions go, this game wins. Just as you'd expect in an Infinity Ward game.

​

Modern Warfare 2, for all its flaws, is still a good game. By no means is it bad, but, like all games, there are points that can't be appreciated or that could have been improved.

Final Rating: 8/10

 

I'm confused as to what you mean.

I added a new clause to the opening of the review:

 

I reviewed it back in January or February, and just recently became active here and decided I'd post it just to see what people think. It's also to set a precedent for all the other reviews I'm starting (I'm working on a Metro 2033 one at the moment), as I'd like to make this regular.