COD MW 2 Disappointment

Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2

I think it's fair to say that COD MW2 has been, in the UK at least, the gaming event of the year. Stores not previously known for hardcore dedication to computer games suddenly decided to open all night so as to allow anxious customers to get their hands on a copy of the game at the stroke of midnight - one retailer even ran a nation-wide radio commercial advertising the fact they were staying open all night. Even the BBC's Newsnight ran a feature about the game - though it focused on the potential morality of the game's content, rather than merely 'hyping' the game. The gaming press eagerly anticipated the game - and unanimously deemed it a hit upon release.

But now the game has been out for a month. Hype, moral implications, and critical acclaim can be pushed aside - and a more realistic view surely must emerge.

The single player is an amazing game, well-paced, exciting and visually stunning. But is there anyone who bought the game on release still playing the single player? Probably not - and so attention shifts to the online multiplayer game - and so, a month after release is anyone still playing the online multiplayer?

And the multiplayer game is terrible.

The maps are unimaginative and dull.

The fire fights occur exclusively in one area in the majority of the maps - which is usually fine, a level must have 'hotspots' otherwise the action has no coherency, but the hotspots on CODMW2 just aren't exciting. They're bottle necks in corridors not the killing fields of Killzone 2 or the subtle genius of Halo 3.

Graphically the terrain is poorly realised, and mirrors the drabness of COD WAW. Often the levels are marred by needless weather effects, to a thermal sniper's delight.

The bullets have very strange physical properties, capable at times of tearing through concrete but incapable of registering any damage at close range.

The server doesn't 'even-up' teams - leading to stat-destroying losses for those on the short-handed team.

Grenades do roughly the same damage as a brick - i.e. if you hit them directly brilliant, but if you miss there's no real blast radius.

Snipers can truly dominate a game - more than on any other FPS. Sniper weapons and perks are over-powered compounding poor level design.

It seems that an evening of play, 30+ games, sees a rotation of about five maps.

There are no tactics, is no strategy, and any learning curve is nonexistent. There is simply a 'right' way to play - which was never the case with Battlefield BC or Halo, quality games with a multitude of effective playing techniques. Basically you are a sniper or not.

Say what you want about the single player. The multiplayer is an improvement on the criminal COD WAW, where the suicidal run and gunner was king, but only a marginal improvement. Roll on Battlefield BC2.

Then go back to halo and quit complaining.

I was just about to pick up both of the modern warfare games. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just pick up the one with the better single player? The way you describe the online aspect makes me think of tic tac toe--I'm more of a chess person, ala Halo 3.

So if MW2 is a disappointment online, are people still playing the original MW multi?

I was just about to pick up both of the modern warfare games. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just pick up the one with the better single player? The way you describe the online aspect makes me think of tic tac toe--I'm more of a chess person, ala Halo 3.

So if MW2 is a disappointment online, are people still playing the original MW multi?

Heirren

Hey, nice blog man!

I didn't feel like reading all that you wrote because like the other user said this is more like a blog than a thread. I did get the jist of what you were complaining about though. I really like the maps is MW2. They added so many new aspects as far as multiple level fighting. No longer do people have to find glitches to get on top of buildings. They can just climb up a couple boxes and AC units and they're there. I do see the rotation of maps that you talked about but it's a rotation of fun maps.