Review | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Online)
//The tyranny of evil men
While all this adaptability offers players the chance to make the most of their time online, and while a good player will still be able to kill more often than they’re killed regardless of time online, those who say the weapons and perks are not an issue at all are deluding themselves. That argument doesn’t make sense. The weapons themselves are well balanced – the FAMAS, Barrett .50 Cal and MP5K are versatile offerings, and are all available very early on – but the attachments are not, and neither are the perks. Given the importance of the radar in non-hardcore games, the requirement to level up for Ninja perk – when combined with having to unlock silencers by making kills with each weapon – means that only higher level players can be truly undetectable. This is a huge advantage, and those at a lower level can do nothing to counter it. The range of options will always be greater for those who have played more of the game, which will only accentuate the potential unfairness of a competitive reward-based arena.
Naturally, though, the fact that Modern Warfare 2 rewards those who put in more time is also part of the appeal. Many of the same addictive qualities can be seen in the grind of levelling in other games, only in this instance the player is offered the instant gratification of seeing heroic feats, merciless slaying and cunning manoeuvres directly rewarded. Once you stop to appreciate that there are 22 pages – yes, pages – of signatures to be unlocked, as well as a comparable amount of emblems, you realise the achievement of the Gold Cross on the first Modern Warfare pales into insignificance. To unlock everything in Modern Warfare 2 is to commit more than is perhaps healthy. It is the ultimate monogamy of game and gamer.
//Two up, two down
Technically, the online side is equally impressive. Added host migration is a welcome introduction for flaky hosts or sore losers, and the cycle of maps is reliably varied most of the time. Matchmaking will still occasionally stall – most notably in the objective playlists – and killcams will still betray the imbalance of connection speeds, but this is less a problem with the game and more with the nature of the internet itself.
The geography of the maps is impressive, too – I already have some clear favourites. Kudos to the developers again, though: even on the maps I don’t like, there are still plenty of opportunities afforded to any player competent enough to take advantage. Whether you prefer sniping, stabbing or ambushing, you can do so with a little thought. The tight spaces of the Favela give way to long avenues around the edge; the multi-tiered Quarry has both spacious fields of fire outside and some clusters of buildings for those wishing to sprint into the fray.
//Mummy’s special little soldier
If the intensity of competitive slaying gets too much for you, then you can always take a wingman and play the Special Operations missions – Modern Warfare 2 offers its own distinct take on the current vogue of survival modes. Taking to the field like a commander of striking, prescient brilliance, Infinity Ward imitates no-one here. The Spec Ops missions nod to particular sections of the campaign, as well as creating brand new scenarios for you and a friend to co-operatively try to beat objectives – and you can even select individual difficulty settings. Missions vary widely – snowmobile races, terrorist hunt modes, stealth runs, even the simple destruction of vehicles: so much is on offer. Successfully meeting your objective will earn you anything from one to three stars (three stars typically being reserved for playing on veteran). There are 23 missions in total, broken down into five sections of increasing difficulty. You need to earn stars in the preceding sections – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and finally Echo – in order to unlock the following ones. This serves a solid function of ensuring you don’t get disheartened by jumping straight into the tougher later missions, while simultaneously throwing down the gauntlet of making you want to beat them all.
It’s tremendous fun, and a huge boost to the longevity of the game for those less interested in the online side. On the higher difficulties, it’s often tense and terse, but rarely less than brilliant. It requires co-ordination, teamwork, and tactics – do not expect to make it through on your first attempt when playing on veteran. The lack of checkpoints never feels like an omission, either. Being able to revive your team-mate means veteran outings remain tough, occasionally daunting, but never insurmountable. While you can play on your own, the immense satisfaction of running the perfect strategy with a partner and besting the heady mix of tasks makes the completion of all missions an attainable but obstinate goal.
It’s towards the pinnacle of online gaming. It’s pitilessly harsh to the careless player, and the lopsided availability of certain weapons or perks will put some off the necessary grind. Despite this, Infinity Ward has opened up a hugely polished competitive shooter to allow even the most fleeting of users to make the most of it. Such willingness to invite everyone is to be commended, especially when the foundations of the game itself are so perfectly tuned. The inclusion of the Spec Ops modes (and a split screen option for those not online) makes this a staggeringly comprehensive package, and few gamers will be able to resist the furious interaction of the online side, even if they simply flirt with the addiction. Even if you bought Modern Warfare 2 for the campaign, you’ll keep it for the online side.
9/10
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Ohhhhh. Want.