Modern Warfare 2 Opinion Piece

While this is not a review, and my opinion will probably vary greatly from the official review being penned by Reece Heywood, I figured I would voice my opinion about this title as it is a game that has received a lot of hype and as of now–critical appraisal. With an almost perfect, if not perfect score by most major outlets, this game should be absolutely stunning. But is it?

It was November 9th when I decided to stand in a line-up of approximately 100-200 people for the spectacle that was the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Midnight Launch! As a fan of the past game, I had been counting down the hours until the time came when I could submerge myself into a new experience. The 2 hour wait outside an EB Games in the cold was well worth the prize; a new copy of the game.

Slowly but surely I made it through the doorway to the store. I handed over my pre-order slip and waited as the clerk hunted through the box for my copy of the game. After about a minute of awkwardly standing in front of the cash register as anxious onlookers stared through the store windows with envy in their eyes, I was handed my copy of the game. I felt a boost of adrenaline; I made it my duty (ha ha get it?) to get home as quickly as possible and start whooping some ass online.

When I got home I powered on my Xbox 360 and put in the game. It was now close to 3 AM, but my spirits were high and my excitement had me feeling wide awake.

As soon as the Infinity Ward logo popped up on screen, my thumb reacted and pressed the start button instantaneously. Within seconds I had navigated to the online panel and was launching my very first online Team Deathmatch.

From here my excitement dies, and I become sadly aware that the hype was very much just that–hype. Don’t get me wrong, I am not implying that the game is in any way bad; it just leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion.

The environments seem either familiar, or they are far too large and lack efficient design. Gone are the days of strategy, these maps are h-e-c-t-i-c, and kill streaks are harder than ever to rack up on. While not a bad thing, a lot of skilled Modern Warfare players were battling frustration as they screamed out in agony every time they were massacred.

“THIS IS BULLSH*T, WHAT THE HELL, EFF THIS GAME”, I heard from multiple voices that night. (PS: thank you for amusing me you angry, angry gamers.)

With cursing and screams echoing in my brain, I decided to take a break from the online side of things. I left it on a good note, I was sure that it would grow on me and become as loved as World at War’s online play–or even COD 4’s. (And with about 6 hours put in as of right now when I write this, I must say that I am somewhat addicted!)
Then things got a little ugly. I started… (dun dun dun), the campaign mode.

For a game striving for a cinematic experience, the gameplay in the campaign feels extremely dated–and not in the least bit immersive. The games mechanics seem dull, your actions have very little impact and you always feel as though you are not effecting the world all too much. Where other games have you invested in the story, the atmosphere and the characters, Modern Warfare 2 fails in all of these regards.

The levels are all fairly short, and play much like the other Call of Duty games… which believe it or not is a very bad thing. Is it just me or am I sick of just having to run to a certain spot (checkpoints) to advance through the game? That is all I ever feel as though I am doing. Never was I ‘beating’ the game, I was simply shooting and pushing onward as if it was one of those rail shooters.

A few levels passed, I was growing tired and the game was starting to feel less and less compelling. Like an old married couple, that spark between us was no longer there…

Finally I reached the ‘No Russian’ level. You know, the one that is responsible for the pop-up at the beginning of the game that offers you to skip the level due to offensiveness? The one that recieved world-wide attention from press and journalists?

With so much hype and talk of this level, I had expected it to exist to serve a purpose. I wanted to go into a world unlike one I have ever played before and have to fight with my better judgement and consciousness as I did what was horribly wrong.

What happens instead?

Well the story for it is that you’re an undercover militant who joins a group of Terrorists. Upon starting this level you are given a 3 second introduction where you ride up the elevator to your destiny and the terrorist group leader turns to your character and says “Remember… no Russian”. That is it.

You then hear the ding, exit into the crowd of unsuspecting people and mow down each and every one of them. You kill the fleeting, you shoot the injured and you mercilessly slaughter hundreds of innocent civilians. The purpose? THERE IS NONE! Is it immersive, compelling or even worth playing? Absolutely not. To avoid spoilers I’ll end this discussion here. But basically, my opinion is that this level was introduced to generate buzz, controversy and discussion and for that it was very successful. As a level in the game, it left me wishing I had pressed the skip button when I had initiated the campaign.

So campaign is mediocre at best, online is solid with some good advancements, however it feels very familiar and lacks a certain finesse that is more apparent in the previous iterations of the Call of Duty games. For those reasons I wouldn’t give the game a rating over a 7.5 out of 10. This doesn’t feel revolutionary, or as awe-inspiring as the games that have come before it.

If you got the game and disagree entirely with what I say, I guess I am just a jaded cynic who has a sour outlook on a little fun.

Or perhaps I speak truth, and I am one of the many who rode the hype train into a little town called Disappointment.

While this is not a review, and my opinion will probably vary greatly from the official review being penned by Reece Heywood, I figured I would voice my opinion about this title as it is a game that has received…

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