PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Rating: R18
Developer / Publisher: Infinity Ward / Activision
MW2 features one of the best single-player FPS campaigns I have experienced in a long time. Picking up where MW1 left off, you play through the story in a time linear fashion through the eyes of several Special Forces soldiers, spread across different units and locations around the world. The objective is…. well, it’s hard to discuss without giving too much away but as you would expect it is based on international acts of terrorism and global war.
The story behind the single-player campaign has been well thought out, and well executed (excuse the pun). There weren’t moments when I was thinking “wtf is going on?” like I’ve had in other FPS games, and the story is very well conveyed through mainly in-game narrative. Particular elements have proven to be quite controversial, in particular the scene titled “No Russian”. Without spoiling what happens, I was quite shocked. Out of context I can see how a scene like this could compel certain (non-gamers) to get up in arms, but keep in mind this game is not intended for children and it carries an R18 classification. I have seen worse scenes in TV and movies, that’s for sure, but I welcome more adult (and substantial) content being added to the medium of video games. A bit of intellectual engagement is in my opinion a healthy addition to an otherwise retarded “run and gun” genre (*cough* Halo franchise).
The AI is quite intelligent, and the hardest difficulty is challenging but it seems fair (it’s not like they just gave enemies bullet-proof vests, speed and steroids). Covert Ops is the 2-player co-operative mode, which can be played either over system link, Xbox Live or split screen. Playing co-operatively is great, and makes going for the achievements a lot more fun. Some Covert Ops scenarios involve one player operating cannon in a circling aircraft, providing cover for their partner navigating the hostile environment below on foot.
Multiplayer online is a fast and furious kill-fest, but I have not had time to really try it out in great depth. I prefer Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for online multiplayer madness, but the single player experience in BFBC2 is not in the same league as MW2 (MW2 is more akin to Uncharted 2). If you enjoy the military FPS genre, you simply must try MW2, just don’t have high expectations of the online multiplayer experience outside of co-op.
8.5/10