MW2 teeters on the fine line between a scripted movie and a true video game but always remains fun and entertaining.
Modern Warfare 2 comes to us with everything weighed against it: the bar has been set very high already and the hype has been building for over a year. Simply releasing "more of the same", no matter how much "the same" was loved in 2007, wasn't going to cut it. This sequel needed to be fresh, jaw-dropping and worthy of causing players to go ahead and trade in their original Modern Warfare.
Let's get one big gripe out of the way: There is no zombie mode, or anything close. World at War players have been hoping for this but alas - none. There is a new spec ops mode, discussed later, but you'll have to decide for yourself on that one. There is no zombie mode.
Right out of the gates you'll notice the graphics in Modern Warfare 2 are amazing. No one denies MW1's graphics were great but there is a certain realism MW2 manages to give off that wasn't there before. At times its breath-taking. Unfortunately there are times when its a bit choppy in framerate, such as during smoke usage or massive dust/dirt areas so the increase in detail didn't come without a price (Disclaimer: This is for the 360 version, the PS3 version may or may not suffer the same framerate smoke stutter. I'd imagine PC's do not). Don't worry about stutter though, you'll be too blown away to care.
The sound is downright amazing. It baffles me when some shooter games sound horrible. It seems like shooter games should be the easiest to produce sounds for since its all real-world based. Yet some shooters, like Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, sound like they're staight out of the 1990's. MW2 sounds so crisp, so clear, so real and so oh-my-god that you won't care if you're bothering your retired-and-in-bed-by-9pm-neighbors.
The single player campaign is definitely where we start to hit some roadblocks. First of all its short. I know in today's world gamers expect great multiplayer gaming and its accepted that single player modes will suffer. Call of Duty campaigns seem to always be getting shorter and this is no exception. Let's not even get into Halo: ODST's recent excuse for a campaign, it's becoming accepted more and more. Even so, I would expect something over 8 hours. Is that too much to ask? I mean come on, we aren't just paying $60 but we're also waiting on hands and knees for years. Reward us.
Another big 'ouch' in the single player campaign is the confusion. I have to be honest with you about something... I paid close attention to every cut scene and every word said, and even told my loved ones to go away when cut scenes came on the television, and yet I still have no clue what the hell I was fighting for. It's the most baffling campaign I've ever seen. Yes there were some great emotional parts that involve our homeland which gives me a temporary reason to fight and become passionate but overall the story just lost me from square one. You jump around from character to character and no one quite expains how they tie into eachother. It was so bad I started to think that you would wake up at the end and see it was just a dream and then the credits would start rolling.
Another gripe about the single player campaign: It's waaaay over the top and scripted. Much like Uncharted 2, you get a feeling that nothing you do matters anymore and all you need to do is follow whats happening on screen and everything will play out as planned. Scripting is fine to an extent. It became huge with the original Half Life where it was done so subtly yet so well. It's grown since then, however, and now we're being told to press certain buttons at certain times so a scripted event can play out. I miss freedom and discovery and being the cause of the effects and not just someone along for the ride. MW2 is extremely scripted and may be a bit too much for some people.
It's also way over the top with some things you'll be doing that are completely absurd and make you wonder if a fine line has been crossed between actually playing a game versus watching a movie with a controller in your hand...
And a big final gripe on the single player campaign: NO CO-OP! Ouch, because a lot of people loved that. Its single-player only though the new spec-ops mode, mentioned below, is great for co-op. Removing campaign co-op, however, is a major step back.
Now that I've griped about certain elements I can say with confidence these three things: 1. The campaign is fun regardless of what is said above 2. Multiplayer is awesome like before 3. The new spec-ops mode will make you smile
Multiplayer is basically the same as MW1 but with more refinement. You control your perks, many new perks have been added (Shoot down UAVs, AC-130 massacre, etc) and all-in-all if you liked MW1's multiplayer just a little bit then you'll love MW2. Additionally, you get more customization options with name tags and images and you earn cool little accolades after matches for certain accomplishments that can really keep things interested. For people who suck: there are perks for dieing too many times in a row, very nice. Multiplayer is definately refined and much more perfected.
Spec-ops is a nice idea but you need a buddy to play with whether its splitscreen or online. Well, technically you don't need a buddy but trust me you'll have constant moments of thinking "I wish I had a buddy for that". Look, just go out and make a friend ok? It's not that painful. There are a few areas where you actually do need a buddy though. Spec-ops is basically an in-your-face chopping of the single player campaign where you get to experience the best of the situations without buildup or storyline. Its much like the Mile-High Club final mission on Modern Warfare. There are 23 of them and you earn 1, 2 and 3 stars for each one based on how difficult you had it set as well as how well you did, so in the end there are 23 levels x 3 stars = 69 successful stars to gain to complete it all. Since you'll fail alot it ends up being a nice long and challenging new mode.
So let's be honest for a moment here and allow me to share a big doubt about Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty as a whole is aging but not evolving like it should be. What I'm referring to mainly is the huge lack of a cover system (the ability to duck behind cover and lean out to look/shoot or just hold your gun up and wildly spray). In a time where Delta Force: Black Hawk Down brought us a lean system 6 years ago, Gears of war brought us a cover system over 3 years ago, GTA IV brought us a simple cover system, Killzone 2 brought us a realistic cover system, and Uncharted 2 brought us a very effective cover system, you start to expect to see this in the more popular of shooters. Call of Duty still lacks any form of cover or lean control. You can only shoot by creeping out into the open, popping a shot, then moving back behind cover. The enemy AI uses cover just fine but the player can't. It's the reason Halo may be doomed in future years without major changes and hopefully Activision gets their developers to adopt this way of life that we're coming to expect in shooters.
A second gripe to the lack of evolution is there is no dive/roll control. If i'm a soldier in the field with wild explosions everywhere and enemies popping up from behind I'd like to be able to dive behind cover instead of clumsily running behind a car then kneeling down. I really hope more body control is introduced in future COD games and was hoping we would see it this time around.
Overall... 8.5
The Verdict: You might have doubts based on the above but the fact is we buy games for entertainment and Modern Warfare 2's single player, spec ops, and refined multiplayer will keep you entertained for many months.
Pros: Fun, wild, entertaining, bug-free, amazing visuals and sound, refined multiplayer experience, spec-ops is awesome.
Cons: Too movie-like and scripted, still lacking evolutionary controls like a cover system, short campaign, extremely confusing campaign story, no zombie-like mode, the usual framerate stutter during smokey scenes, no campaign co-op.