Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PlayStation 3

Multiplayer reigns supreme in game of the year candidate

Adam Biessener — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:32:00 GMT

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was, in a word, superlative. Fawned over by critics and rabidly defended by its massive fanbase, the game was an instant blockbuster that topped sales charts and spawned an online community the likes of which are rarely seen outside of timeless classics like Counter-Strike and StarCraft. Developer Infinity Ward is aware of the microscope that Modern Warfare 2 is under. Only a few flaws show up under even the greatest scrutiny, though. Modern Warfare 2 is an unqualified triumph.

MW2 takes the concept of action-packed first-person combat, plops a live grenade at its feet, and mows down its friends with an incendiary minigun. If you have time to breathe, it’s because you’re being flanked. Every reload is a tense few seconds of unwelcome defenselessness. Each enemy dispatched yields a surge of adrenaline that soon gives way to fear as his allies eagerly unload in your direction.

To excel, you have to master the use of various tools, starting with smoke grenades, thermal vision, Claymore mines, and Predator drones. It’s extremely helpful to familiarize yourself with each weapon class; assault rifles, LMGs, SMGs, pistols, and explosives all have vital roles. In the co-op Special Ops mode (and the single-player campaign, to a lesser extent), even more diverse skills come into play. Targeting allied support units like Stryker APCs, defending hardpoints with sentry guns, and directing the overwhelming firepower of an AC-130 or helo-mounted minigun are all necessary.

Modern Warfare 2’s competitive multiplayer offering is the soul of iterative design. New ideas arise like third-person play and death streaks, but nothing substantially affects the core gameplay. On the other hand, the tweaks are almost uniformly great. Weapon-specific unlocks, cosmetic titles and callsigns, and upgraded “pro” perks contribute to a dramatic increase in the depth and breadth of persistent progression. The strategic variance of each map invites hours of study and experimentation. Included due to the mountain of feedback, the playlists (preset rotations of maps and modes for groups to play through) offer delightful bouquets of varied-yet-similar gametypes for all tastes.

To get a sense of how the subtle changes to Modern Warfare’s online formula have profound effects, consider Headquarters Pro mode. In the original game, a team simply had to gain uncontested control of the hot zone to earn a point. Now, you’ve got to hold it for a short time to score. With this simple alteration, the mode is about positioning and teamwork rather than twitch skills and a mad rush to the designated spot. Locking down an area for half of a minute is a much different task than briefly clearing it. Infinity Ward went for this kind of change rather than rocking the boat with player-controlled vehicles or some kind of persistent world battlefield, and it works. Modern Warfare is arguably the most beloved online FPS of this generation, and MW2 surpasses it in nearly every way.

The most significant change in this sequel is the addition of two-player co-op in the form of Spec Ops missions. The lack of co-op in the story-based campaign is disappointing, but Spec Ops successfully adapts what Call of Duty does best to a cooperative setting. Most of the missions involve the kind of spectacular setpieces that Infinity Ward is known for, while still capturing the tension of a battle against overwhelming odds. These single-shot challenges range from providing aerial overwatch for a buddy on the ground to assaults on fortified enemy positions and stealthy infiltrations. Since there are no AI companions in Spec Ops, it all comes down to you and your buddy’s skill and rapport. Spec Ops deftly captures the spirit of teamwork that all the best co-op experiences have, from Left 4 Dead to Rainbow Six.

It’s easy enough to storm a collapsing and Russian-infested Golden Gate bridge with a skilled friend at your side on Regular difficulty. Cranking it up to Veteran is much harder, but still very doable. Staying alive on a tight urban street against a dozen swarming, aggressive, flanking foes while waiting for your buddy’s helo to circle back around to a decent firing solution is much harder. Taking down the super-tough Juggernaut enemies (we’re talking multiple assault rifle clips to drop) blitzing your limited cover while being suppressed by snipers and machine gunners is a brutal challenge. Spec Ops offers all this and more. Only elite players will complete all of the Spec Ops scenarios on Veteran. The process is fantastic entertainment regardless of skill level, though.

To a greater extent than the other modes, the campaign suffers from the fact that Modern Warfare’s spectacle has lost a little of its shine. The pacing leaves something to be desired, with some sections feeling like slogs through clearing streets and houses while waiting for the next awesome setpiece. Lackluster ally AI often results in cheap-feeling deaths when your compatriots fail to shoot the guy right in front of them or forget to clear a room they pass. The high points, however, are as powerful and impressive as anything. One particular scene, which I can’t discuss without spoiling, will be one of the defining gaming moments of this year. I would still lay out the purchase price for the single-player campaign, but it’s definitely the least impressive of the three ways to play Modern Warfare 2.

There’s not a lot to complain about here. I still disagree with gaining quantitative advantages via perk upgrades in multiplayer, the AI missteps in the single-player are irritating, and the controversy over the lack of PC dedicated servers is a shame. They’re not anywhere near enough to make more than superficial dents in the game’s overall brilliance, though. Modern Warfare 2 is a masterpiece of careful iteration, with an unmatched presentation and a well of content that will take months to run dry.

Opting Out

Upon starting a new game, players are given the choice to opt out of a morally gray mission with no penalty to their Achievements or Trophies, and with no effect on the story. The option is there for a good reason – the mission in question makes the player a part of truly heinous acts. If you’re on the fence about letting your child play this M-rated game, this will likely push you over the edge. On the other hand, the mission draws the morality of war and espionage into sharp focus in a way that simply shooting the bad guys cannot. It is presented and handled in a mature way that avoids feeling tasteless. By choosing to skip this controversial scene, you’ll be missing the most emotionally affecting moment I’ve experienced in a game this year, and possibly ever. The subject matter is mature in a fashion that goes far beyond a topless lady or a messily curb-stomped alien; it deals with issues like the relative worth of a human life and the idea of heart-rendingly difficult sacrifices for the greater good. If this mission felt in any way exploitative or tasteless, I’d be the first to call for Infinity Ward’s head. The skill with which it is handled in the game, however, makes me proud that our medium can address such weighty issues without resorting to adolescent black-and-white absolutes.

What’s Up With PC?

Infinity Ward says that the PC version is functionally identical to the PS3 and 360 builds that we played for review. However, we were unable to spend hands-on time with the PC game. When we have that opportunity, we will revisit Modern Warfare 2 and publish a separate review if there are any substantial differences. Until then, please consider this our definitive review for all platforms that the game appears on.

Activision Talks Modern Warfare 2 Co-op

Adam Biessener — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:21:00 GMT

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 nearly upon us, Activision offered a chance to chat with Infinity Ward about the game's new Special Forces mode. This primarily co-op offering consists of a couple dozen self-contained challenge levels, all of which are playable either single-player or with a buddy via split-screen or online. Infinity Ward says the amount of Special Forces content is roughly equivalent to the length of the single-player campaign.

The idea behind Special Forces is to release Infinity Ward's talented level designers from the constraints of the story-driven campaign. This opens up new gameplay like timed snowmobile runs, bomb defusing segments, and superpowered enemies that take multiple bullets to the skull before going down. Multiplayer-focused toys like sentry guns, which don't work terribly well in the more heavily scripted single-player campaign, are a better fit for Special Forces, so expect to get a chance to play with those in co-op. Getting to apply Modern Warfare's outstanding gameplay fundamentals to even more outlandish scenarios is an appealing concept.

Special Forces levels are reportedly much more open and freeform than we're used to seeing from Infinity Ward. Since they're designed as challenges, there are fewer constraints on the AI. This means that your foes are far more aggressive as well as more adaptive to your tactics. In the higher difficulty levels, not only do the bad guys get tougher and smarter, the maps themselves change. You might have longer open-field sprints to get to your next cover point, or worse sight lines for the protected spots you do find. Even members of the Mile High Club (the last game's notoriously difficult Achievement, granted for completing the airplane bonus level on the hardest setting) will find challenges worthy of their skill here. You'll need to develop a solid rapport with your partner in addition to bringing your A-game in terms of twitch skills.

One thing that Special Forces does not do is tie back into your progression or persistent profile for single- or multiplayer. Each of Modern Warfare 2's three modes is a self-contained entity. Infinity Ward doesn't expect to have online leaderboards for timed runs or other performance metrics for Special Forces, which is a head-scratcher.

Believe me, I hear your cries for more concrete details on Special Forces and what kind of awesome setpieces we can expect from Infinity Ward when all the restraints are taken off of the design squad. Right now, that's not in the cards. One way or the other, we'll get the full scoop when the curtain is pulled back on the full review – which should be very soon.

Infinity Ward Unveils MW2 Multiplayer, And Our Hands-On Is All We'd Hoped For

Adam Biessener — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:45:00 GMT

The Call of Duty creators at Infinity Ward are extremely talented artisans. They’re in no danger of being confused with boundary-pushing studios like Double Fine or Quantic Dream. Like Blizzard, though, they hone their craft to perfection and execute a beloved formula at a level no other team has approached. Modern Warfare 2 is a perfect expression of the studio’s identity.

Infinity Ward recently removed the wrappings from MW2’s pined-for multiplayer. Rather than ginning up an involved PowerPoint presentation, the studio invited a few dozen journalists to jump in and shoot at each other for a few hours. The game speaks for itself. Modern Warfare 2 is a tightly tuned, beautifully rendered, darn near spotless first-person shooter that will disappoint very few of the franchise’s legions of fans.

Barring anything being held back for the game’s launch, there are few surprises to be found in MW2’s online play. The action is fast and brutal. The presentation is unmatched. The three maps available for play showcased brilliant design, with carefully crafted sightlines, multiple routes to any destination, and a few hidden paths that lead to great sniping points. I’ve played variations on every gametype in MW2 before, but never in a setting that comes close to matching this overall experience.

The lauded create-a-class feature, which allows players to unlock and equip passive bonuses along with weapon loadouts, is hugely expanded. Completing challenges can unlock higher levels of certain perks now, rewarding excellence with increased power. None of these higher-order perks turn you into the Juggernaut by any means, and everything still has a counter, but giving experienced players straight-up better abilities is a worrisome path for Modern Warfare to explore.

Kill streak rewards are customizable now as well. After unlocking them, you can change the default UAV/Predator Missile/etc. bonuses to others that suit your (or your clan’s) style better. In addition, death streak perks complement kill streaks. These are aimed at leveling the playing field by preventing spawn camping and giving players a little boost after a bad run. The two I saw in action – dramatically increased health for a short period after spawning and copying your killer’s class loadout – are less explosive than kill streak rewards, but can alter the outcome in more subtle ways.

Insignia and callsign rewards join your displayed rank as vanity rewards. Some of these are rewarded for tough challenges, while others are slowly unlocked as you accumulate experience points. Infinity Ward declined comment when asked whether prestige functionality (resetting your progress for a special icon) is returning in MW2.

MW2 is very much a sequel, but it’s an exquisitely crafted game that builds on a deep, solid foundation. The final release isn’t far off now, and anything other than a resounding success on every level will be a shock.