Written by Brett Jones
Whether you’re a video game enthusiast or not, you’ve probably heard some of the buzz surrounding Tuesday’s release of “Modern Warfare 2,” the sixth and latest installment in the “Call of Duty” series. According to the Washington Post, early projections put first-day sales of the first-person shooter at about 7 million worldwide, with as many as 14 million expected to sell by year’s end.
Although I would hesitate to style myself a “gamer,” I am a huge fan of the “Call of Duty” series. I own and regularly play “Modern Warfare 2″‘s two immediate predecessors, “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” and “Call of Duty: World at War.” Consequently, I have been excited for some time about the release of “Modern 2.” However, my income being what it is, I told myself I would not buy “Modern Warfare 2” the day it came out but would wait some months until prices came down. (Besides, only geeks buy video games on their release date, right?) Tuesday came around, and I began hearing whispering about it in class and reading Facebook statuses lauding its slick graphics and all-around awesomeness. Still resolute in my determination not to purchase the game, I decided to at least read an online review of the game to see how well it was received.
I made it about halfway through the article. Twenty minutes, 60 bucks and one financially unsound impulse purchase later, I was gleefully offing Russian militants and South American guerillas with a vast and beautifully rendered arsenal of the most sophisticated weapons the near future has to offer.
Built on an upgraded version of previous versions’ graphics engine, “Modern 2″‘s visuals are impeccable. With a remarkably detailed environment and incredibly life-like characters, “Modern 2” looks more like a Michael Bay blockbuster than a video game. The game has essentially the same controls as its predecessors, which means all the sick skills I developed during hours of playing “World at War” online are almost immediately transferrable! There are also many new elements, which enhance gameplay and make “Modern 2” unique.
There are a number of new vehicles that players can commandeer, including Humvees, underwater scuba vehicles and even snowmobiles (my personal favorite). The game features considerably more weapons than previous installments and allows users to customize their gear with a whole host of upgrades, including holographic and thermal sights and even a “heart-rate monitor,” which acts in place of the ubiquitous “radar.” Players are even afforded the opportunity to control Predator drones, providing their own air support by guiding missiles directly onto targets via their trusty Toughbook.
“Modern Warfare 2″‘s solo campaign is set five years from the end of the previous game’s plot, which puts the game just far enough in the future to allow for some imaginative, futuristic weaponry while maintaining a current events feel. The game begins with the player controlling PFC James Allen, an Army Ranger in Afghanistan who subsequently goes undercover (Spoiler alert!) with the CIA and infiltrates a Russian terrorist organization headed by Vladimir Makarov, a former protégé of Imran Zakhaev, the chief antagonist from “Call of Duty 4.”
In a truly troubling scene, Allen assists Makarov in a terrorist attack on a Russian airport. The player can choose to either participate in the slaughter or simply watch as hundreds of civilians are slaughtered by the machine gun-wielding terrorists. As they make their escape, Makarov kills Allen and leaves his body at the scene. Turns out he knew all along that Allen was a rat and intended to use him as a scapegoat for the attack. An outraged Russia launches a full-scale invasion of the United States, which leads to such unsettling experiences as assaulting a TGI Friday’s lookalike and fighting house-to-house in suburban Virginia.
Although single-player campaigns are important, it is the online multiplayer experience that truly defines the series. “Modern 2″‘s online gameplay is similar to its predecessors, but it adds even more fun perks to mix things up. Players are rewarded for kill streaks with such goodies as autonomous sentry turrets, Predator drones and EMPs (which disable all electronics, including some gun sights). Another feature is the introduction of bonuses such as increased health or a “last stand” for struggling players. (I personally dislike this as it affords my roommate an opportunity to mock me.)
While a two-player co-op campaign mode such as was found in previous installments would be nice, I can find very little else to criticize in “Modern 2.” My advice to anyone with $65 in the bank, a compatible game system and a willingness to endure Harding’s often-inadequate Internet connection: Go out and bring home the game of the year.
