Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – A Thrilling Return with a Few Missteps
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released on October 28th, 2022, promises a nostalgic yet fresh take on the iconic 2009 title. It brings back the beloved Task Force 141, featuring familiar faces like Captain Price, Soap, and Ghost, while delivering a compelling campaign with new twists and turns. The game also offers a robust multiplayer experience with familiar game modes alongside new additions like Invasion, Knockout, and Prisoner Rescue, catering to both veterans and newcomers. But while Modern Warfare 2 delivers on its core gameplay promise, a few issues hold it back from achieving the greatness of its predecessor.
Campaign: A Nostalgic Journey with a Rough Start
The campaign throws players into a globe-trotting adventure, initially relying heavily on the typical Call of Duty formula of following NPCs and clearing wave after wave of enemies. This can feel repetitive and monotonous, especially in the first few hours. The reliance on escort missions, where players are confined to narrow corridors behind characters, hampers the early experience and leaves little room for player agency.
However, the campaign gradually evolves, allowing more freedom of choice and embracing stealth elements in later stages. This shift is refreshing, offering diverse approaches to engaging with enemies and allowing players to utilize their preferred playstyle. The introduction of a captivating stealth-focused mission in the latter half of the game significantly elevates the whole experience and rekindles a sense of excitement.
Modern Warfare 2 leans heavily on the legacy of the original Modern Warfare 2, and much like its predecessor, it successfully rekindles the passion for the iconic characters like Captain Price and Soap, delivering a campaign that loosely follows the events of the original game. The inclusion of RPG-like conversations allows players to interact with these characters, adding depth to their personalities, and fostering a sense of camaraderie through witty banter and interactions. Ghost’s central role in this iteration is an especially welcome addition for fans of the classic Modern Warfare trilogy, evoking a sense of nostalgia and excitement. The overall campaign ends on a strong note, leaving players eager for the sequel.
Multiplayer: Fast-Paced Action with Balanced Gunplay and Unsolved Concerns
Modern Warfare 2 excels in its multiplayer experience, offering a diverse arsenal of weapons, including pistols, assault rifles, battle rifles, marksman rifles, sniper rifles, and multiple types of utility weapons, each equipped with numerous attachments that drastically alter their performance. The addition of mid-game weapon customization provides flexibility allowing players to adapt their arsenal based on the map or game mode. The progression system, while demanding, feels rewarding, with unlocks for weapons, attachments, and skins earned through gameplay achievements.
The game’s gunplay feels mostly balanced, each weapon possessing distinct strengths and weaknesses. However, the inclusion of unbalanced weapons like the overpowered Battle Knife and the SP-R 208 marksman rifle disrupts the balance, allowing players to effectively dominate in close-quarters combat and long-range engagements. This creates an unfair advantage, especially on console platforms, where aim assist combined with these weapons’ effectiveness creates a significant advantage for console players.
Modern Warfare 2 additionally features perks, killstreaks, and operator skins with two factions: SPECGRU and KORTAC, available for customization. However, the visual differentiation between factions can be confusing, making it difficult to distinguish friendly from hostile players, particularly in close-quarters engagements. This lack of clear identification can lead to confusion and detrimental gameplay.
The main focus of Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer experience is Ground War, a large-scale game mode inspired by Battlefield, offering intense 32v32 battles on expansive maps. The developers have successfully integrated new elements, but the addition of vehicles feels unpolished. Vehicles can easily become stuck on seemingly insignificant obstacles while lacking a significant impact in gameplay, especially considering the lack of destructible environments.
Despite the issues with Ground War, Modern Warfare 2 still offers enjoyable experiences in other game modes like Domination and Hard Point, which allow players to fully harness the refined movement and gunplay. The varied map designs cater to different playstyles, ensuring that every player can find a niche and succeed. Competitive modes like Search and Destroy and the new Prison Rescue mode are also incorporated, but the lack of ranked play diminishes their appeal for competitive players.
Instead, the game relies on skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to balance online gameplay. However, the SBMM system can feel overly aggressive and reactive, resulting in inconsistent skill levels within lobbies. After a few successful matches, players may find themselves grouped with opponents possessing high-level weapons and impressive Kill/Death ratios, creating a frustrating experience. Furthermore, the persistent resets of lobbies after each match hamper the sense of community and discourages players from developing connections with fellow gamers within the game.
The game also suffers from the absence of map selection, a basic feature that would provide more control and enjoyment for the players. The introduction of third-person mode might have its place in battle royale modes like the upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, but it feels out of place in Modern Warfare 2’s core multiplayer experience.
Special Ops, the game’s co-operative mode, depicts narrative-driven missions, but unfortunately, solo queuing in this mode can be extremely frustrating. Players frequently leave the mission before its completion, creating a hindrance to solo players. While Special Ops can be fun with a friend, its solo experience leaves much to be desired.
Technical Performance: Visuals and Stability
Modern Warfare 2 offers impressive visuals, showcasing detailed environments and realistic character models. However, the visual fidelity doesn’t reach the standards set by other AAA titles, especially considering the advancements in next-generation consoles. The graphics feel somewhat disappointing, considering the premium price of the game.
While the game runs smoothly on high graphics settings with a relatively modest hardware setup, it is prone to frequent crashes, especially during the campaign. Although recent updates have addressed this issue to some extent, crashes remain a persistent problem, creating frustrating interruptions in the player’s experience.
Final Verdict: A Double-Edged Sword
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 possesses a strong core gameplay foundation, delivering a thrilling multiplayer experience with satisfying gunplay and varied game modes. The campaign also successfully rekindles the love for the iconic characters, delivering a nostalgic journey with moments of real excitement. However, the unpolished SBMM system, the absence of ranked play, and significant stability issues significantly dampen the overall experience.
Despite its positive aspects, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 might not be the ideal choice for casual gamers due to its high price point and persistent technical challenges. While the game promises hours of enjoyment for dedicated players, the lack of a comprehensive ranked system and the unpolished SBMM system create frustrations for those seeking a structured competitive environment.
Pros:
- Fantastic gunplay
- Low system requirements
- Variety of multiplayer modes
- Great character moments
- Expansive arsenal
- Rewarding multiplayer progression
Cons:
- Constant game crashes
- Boring first half of the campaign
- No ranked in multiplayer
- Lobbies reset after every match
- SBMM not properly optimized
- Difficult to differentiate enemies
Rating (out of 10): 7
Despite its flaws, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 offers a captivating experience for its dedicated fan base. The thrilling combat and nostalgic campaign will be sure to keep players engaged, but the persistent technical issues, the lack of a ranked system, and the premium price make it a less desirable option for casual gamers.
