The Call of Duty franchise has been a major success amongst gamers for quite some time. Mostly known for the classic World War background and successful multiplayer, it was without a question shooting up in the ranks for the best franchise. No one really suspected it to change or take a different pace in the near future, but Infinity Ward had other plans.

 

Enter Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This was the game that gave the franchise a whole new look and also gave it a new direction. Instead of the tiresome World War era, it decided to take a step in the war that occurs today. With the crazy campaign and the amazing step up in multiplayer, it was claimed the best game in the series by far. However, with the release of Call of Duty: World at War, many of its fans became disappointed thinking that the Modern Warfare theme was gone for good, which caused them to continue to play COD: 4 once again. The games popularity continued to rise and left us with the question: What if?

 

That question was answered in February of 2009 when Infinity Ward dropped a huge announcement; Modern Warfare 2: a sequel to Call of Duty 4. It was immediately hyped to a ridiculous level as gamers could not wait to put this game into their systems. We have seen all of the trailers, all of the game play footage and even the leaked details. Now that it’s time to step into the final game, I can easily say that Modern Warfare 2 is here to blow you away.

 

 

First things first, this game is gorgeous. The graphics take a monumental leap over Call of Duty 4’s graphics and even the multiplayer levels got more detail and design. There were multiple times when I was playing where I became amazed that this was a just a video game. It looked and felt so realistic that I was speechless. This by far is one of the best, if not the best, first person shooter games that have been released. Experiencing this game in high definition is truly worthwhile.

 

While Call of Duty is mostly known for its multiplayer, the single player experience should not be skipped or looked over in the slightest. If you played through Call of Duty 4’s single player, then you know what I’m talking about. The story takes place five years after the first modern warfare and unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you without spoiling the story for you. This is a game you really have to play though to get it. There are some familiar faces in the story, though some moments do feel overly cliché at times.

 

The campaign is just as explosive and intense as the first one, and it still brings its “holy crap!” moments, making it memorable and enjoyable. The only problem with the story is its length, as it’s rather short. My first play through on Hardened took six hours, while Recruit and Normal took 5 hours. Veteran is longer, but not by much. It’s disappointing to have such a great adventure end so abruptly.

Last but certainly not least, the reason why most of you got Modern Warfare 2 in the first place, the multiplayer.

 

In the last Modern Warfare, the setting was taken to another level. It introduced new weapons, game modes and something new called “perks.” They gave the player certain advantages just as faster reloading, more bullet damage or dropping a live grenade when they were killed. Well, almost all of those features return this year and if it isn’t broke, why fix it? The only real changes are a few new perks are introduced, as well as the increase in map size. The maps have become noticeably bigger which definitely is a good thing. This reduces some of the chaotic gameplay so the players can become more focused in their playing time.

 

 

Another new feature in multiplayer are death streaks. Death streaks are for the more poorer players who are having a bad game or just can seem to go anywhere in the match. This gives them a slight advantage so they can have fun or have a chance to win the match. Obviously some players might be skeptical hearing this, but these are not game changers in the slightest. The advantage they get is short lived as well. Another note to add is the amount of unlockables is ridiculous. Gamers can now unlock much more weapon attachments, and also unlock new titles and emblems for the brand new call sign feature. The call sign is something that pops up in the game when you kill someone or do something spectacular in a match.

 

Speaking of customization, Modern Warfare 2 now gives you the ability to set up your kill streaks. Yeah, you read that right. Instead of the three, five, and seven kill streaks in Modern Warfare, the sequel now gives you kill streaks from three to twenty-five kills in a row. You can set them up however you see fit. Maybe you want to get a care package, then missile, and then an airstrike. Or maybe you want a missile, then a pave low chopper, followed by an AC-130 that you can control. Yes, I just said you can control an AC-130. The best thing about all of the options available is that they can all be reached. It’s obvious that they want you to experience one of the more powerful kill streaks, so they made it partly easy for you to get. This makes the multiplayer so much more enjoyable and takes it to a whole other level. Infinity Ward should consider bring this feature back for the future. Good luck trying getting the Tactical Nuke which is given after twenty-five kills.

 

One new game mode that got a lot of attention was the new 3rd person game modes. This allows the player to go though the game all in 3rd person obviously. This allows players to try a new experience and for those who prefer over the shoulder aiming. Experienced players will probably try this once and move on to regular play, while some will stick to it. This was really the mode that Infinity Ward wanted to test out and get some feedback from its gamers so they can debate putting it back in any other Call of Duty.

 

One last feature for multiplayer is a new mode called “Spec Ops.” This is a brand new co-op mode which you and a buddy get together and play through different missions that all have to do with the story. Your goal is to get all of the sixty-nine stars by completing these missions. The experience is still fun alone, but if you really want to feel the teamwork then grab a friend and start playing. Spec Ops is a great mode for Modern Warfare 2 because it gives the players even more to play, rather than just playing campaign or straight up multiplayer. Not to mention this makes the replay value higher than it already was. Getting all of the sixty-nine stars will take you sometime, especially if you’re playing on Veteran. Spec Ops is highly recommended if you’re looking for something new to do.

 

Without a doubt, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best, it not the best FPS to be released. Absolutely beautiful graphics, intense campaign, and the perfect multiplayer strongly backs that case. All 360 and PS3 owners should have this as part of their gaming collection. This is a game that you might not stop playing for the rest of the year if not longer. The incredible replay value will really make you light up inside, knowing you made a great choice in getting Modern Warfare 2. However, the campaign could have been longer, and some storytelling needs some work. Hard to believe that those were the only two flaws that I found playing it.

 

Infinity Ward has created a monster ladies and gentlemen, and a beautiful one at that.