Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Rating Mature Genre first-person-shooter Publisher Activision

Finally.  The wait is over.  After a few long years (and a quality and brief reprieve with the release of World at War) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has hit game store shelves with near box-office fervor.  The sequel to the incredibly successful Call of Duty: Modern Warfare brings familiar characters and multiplayer action, while simultaneously introducing some new and exciting additions.  An extremely impressive blend of single-player campaign, special-ops cooperative mode, and online multiplayer action, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a premier example of how a modern first-person shooter can combine the complexity of a compelling story and fun single-player campaign to the fast-paced, heart-pounding action and depth of a well-rounded online multi-player system.

The campaign will throw you right back into squads with familiar characters, all aged slightly from the 5-year span between storylines.  With an over-abundant and upgraded arsenal, you will fight in various beautiful locations around the world to secure the threat.  Whether you are sneaking around the snow covered enemy air base or laying down suppressive fire in the suburbs of America, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 wields powerful graphics and good game play in a must have package.  Although the story is more far-fetched than the plausible and realistic beginning, you will uncover double-crosses and world changing events as you fight through enemy lines.  The one drawback people are talking about is the lack of cooperative campaign play, which is supplemented by the Special Ops missions.

The Special Ops missions ideally take two players into some of the most important and powerful moments in the campaign.  The various levels of difficulty ramp up the intensity to almost frustrating levels, giving every level of gamer the opportunity to test their skills at capturing an objective or taking down wave after wave of bad guys.  Much like the campaign, you will be able to sneak through snowy cliffs or hold off infantry in Russia with some impressive firepower.

Rounding out the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 experience is the multi-player option.  Getting some serious upgrades from the first installment, the newest round brings exponentially more guns, perks, customizable features, and un-lockable items.  The online action is more frantic and fast paced than the original, since multiple air support options will fly on screen at once, you can steal enemy air drops, and additional perks and guns are firing all around you.  The familiar ranking system returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with astonishing depth.  Guns that could quickly be finished by completing all the perks now have more perks, more requirements, and take much longer to complete.  The depth of your guns and perks alone will keep you playing for a long time, but there are added to multiple maps and a wide variety of familiar and new game types.  With so much to choose from, uncover, and explore, the online experience offered by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is tough to match.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is by no means a perfect game, but gets the full rating because it is definitely worth buying despite these flaws.  The lack of a cooperative campaign will rub people the wrong way, despite the Special Ops option.  Also, the banning of Xbox Live Chat in certain game types is unwarranted and leaves many people frustrated.  In the end, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 improves upon the original and brings a great new offering to the table this holiday season.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is definitely worth shelling out the money and would leave any gamer smiling long after the holidays.