Modern Warfare 2

 
With Modern Warfare 3 coming out in November, I thought I'd do a review on its predecessor, since I know most people are going to be playing either Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops while waiting for November to roll around. So without further ado...

Rating: M
Release date: November 10, 2009
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Multiplayer: Yes, 2-person co-op with 2-18 players online.
Downloadable content: Yes, the Stimulus Package and the Resurgence Package.

This is a great game. I say "is" because when Modern Warfare 3 comes out and people play that, there will still be that small group of people who power up their Xboxes, open up the disk tray, and slide this in. The game is usually played simply for the multiplayer or Achievements/Trophies, but people are still playing it.

Even if Modern Warfare 2 didn't have a multiplayer mode, two things make it stand out: the gameplay and the addition of the Spec Ops missions. Enemy AI will try to flank you or come around behind you, but each playthrough never feels stale. The action is frenetic and fast-paced, and the player's allies pick up any slack.

If the player gets bored with that, there are always the Spec Ops missions: five sets of timed missions, each harder than the last.  At the completion of each mission, the player is awarded 1-3 stars, depending on performance. After earning a number of stars, the player unlocks the next set of missions.


If you finish both, jump into multiplayer. Modern Warfare 2 ships with sixteen maps, and each DLC comes with five more. While there can be frustration due to the use of Perks more than actual skill, new players still should have no problem getting decent kill/death ratios. However, the use of underhanded strategies like camping (wherein the player sits in one spot and waits for enemies to come to them) cheapens the multiplayer by giving players a way to win that requires almost no skill. In addition, the tendency of players to use the underslung M203 grenade launcher for one-hit kills also makes multiplayer much too easy, especially coupled with the Scavenger perk.

Many people still play, though, so you should have no problem finding a game. Finding a game on a map you like depends wholly on the people you're playing with and the playlist you're in.

If you'd like to join the thousands of people still playing, a new copy can be purchased from my Amazon aStore.