With sales upwards of 300 million dollars on the first day of release alone, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 drew Black Friday-esque lines outside Game Stops around the country as gamers eager to get their hands on the new title waited into the early hours of the morning for its debut.
But does the game live up to this incredible hype and the precedent set by years of COD games before it? This review will focus on the multiplayer aspect of this triple-A game.
Modern Warfare 1 Similarities
The online multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 will be familiar to gamers who enjoyed the original Modern Warfare right off the bat. It maintains the same leveling system the original game introduced, where accumulated points allow higher levels to be achieved, which come with new weapons and other perks. Points are awarded by doing a variety of things, including kills, point captures, and round bonuses.
New to the online mode are 15 different kill streak rewards, which are unlocked by completing several different “challenges.” These rewards include the ability to activate a UAV after 3 kills, place a sentry gun after 5 kills, or send in a game-winning nuke after a whopping 25-kill streak. The game also introduces new weapons and an interesting, but optional, third-person mode for some of the multiplayer game types.
Limitations of the PC Version
Begrudgingly, Infinity Ward has killed support for dedicated servers in the PC version of the game. The player cap has also been limited to a maximum of 18 players (previously, games could have as many as 32 or more players on one map). While this is done to help cut down on modifications to the game which allow players to cheat, it prevents the player from being able to choose which map to play on or go directly to a favorite server.
Game play in the online mode is very fast-paced and addicting. The varied maps, which are visually stunning, include locations raging from the blazing hot desert of Afghanistan to a freezing-cold submarine base. The levels are, naturally, more open versions of maps played during the single-player campaign.
The maps offer a range of game play types, including team deathmatch, free-for-all, domination, ground war, demolition, sabotage, and capture the flag. Each game type has different objectives for winning: in domination, for example, two teams vie for control of 3 points on the map; controlling the points gives the player advantageous spawn locations as the teams fight to be the first to get 200 points generated by capturing control areas and win the game.
Unlock Perks and Weapons as You Level Up
As new weapons and their attachments are unlocked, the game seems to become more and more addicting. Unlocking one weapon opens possibilities for future unlocks, as well as better ways of dominating other players. Each customizable “class” allows the player to mix and match three perks, one primary and secondary weapon, and unlockable kill- and death streak rewards.
By using perks properly, the player can unlock “pro versions” which further the perk’s capabilities. For example, the “hardline” perk allows the player to use kill streak awards sooner, while “hardline pro” makes it possible to access death streak rewards sooner as well.
Truly, the multiplayer aspect of the game is very multifaceted, offering players many hours of fun as they achieve higher levels and unlock new weapons and perks. The online mode, at least, certainly lives up to the established expectations.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Addictive gameplay keeps your attention for hours
- Unlockables give you a reason to strive to "level up"
- Gorgeous graphics and detailed maps keep things intersting
Cons
- Expensive (59.99, about 65.00 after tax)
- No custom servers on the PC version
All-in-all, the online mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 serves up well-rounded gameplay to keep the player interested. I would recommend it as a very solid Christmas present for any gamer. No-frills action will keep the player invested in its world for many hours of pwnage.
Philip Davis - Hello! I am an average guy from Finleyville, PA, USA who loves technology and building computers. Since the age of 12 I have been ...
