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Modern Warfare 2 on Playstation 3 Review.

In trying to outdo Call Of Duty 4’s monstrous setpieces, Modern Warfare 2’s narrative becomes cluttered. Despite that though, Modern Warfare 2 is a prime showcase of Infinity Ward’s ability to create tight shooting and interesting mission design. It does nothing to drive the genre forward, and it’ll fail to surprise you like CoD4, but it’s still absolutely worth playing.

Disclaimer: Our score for Modern Warfare 2 factors in the multiplayer components of the game (Spec-Ops and the traditional multiplayer options); however we will only mention the single-player aspects of the game in the written text below. You can read our impressions on Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer here.

What’s It All About?

Picking up the epic arc of events in Infinity Ward’s blockbuster Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare; Modern Warfare 2 is the much hyped continuation of the near-future storyline.

Modern Warfare 2 crafts a darker, grittier plot than CoD4, but it’s also less grounded. Set roughly 10 years in the future, you’ll play as a host of American and British troops, with some familiar faces re-emerging along the way.

Modern Warfare 2’s single-player campaign will take roughly 5 hours to complete, with co-op and multiplayer modes included to lengthen the experience. We’ll talk about the multiplayer options in a future article.

What We Liked:

• Memorable missions. Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t quite get off to the same break-neck start as CoD4. It’s a more laboured build-up. The first two-thirds of the game aren’t particularly memorable, with the only real stand-out moment being the source of much controversy. It’s in the last third of the game though, that Infinity Ward really hit the gas. The game’s never afraid to throw different challenges at you. Whether it’s storming an oil rig and saving the civillians, or sniping the security of a Russian prison via helicopter – it’s exciting. The pacing can get a little too relentless in places, but it’s the subtle tweaks in approach – night vision goggles, heart-beat monitors, stealth – that make the memorable missions so much more exciting.
• Shooting. Infinity Ward has been really smart in keeping Modern Warfare 2’s shooting mechanics exactly the same as Call Of Duty 4. The game still feels as tight and slick as ever, with shooting infinitely rewarding. It’s the weaponry on offer that really makes the difference from CoD4. New upgrades such as a hearbeat monitor – allowing you to essentially “see” in the dark – and thermal scopes allow for new gameplay strategies.
• Smart AI. Shooting the enemies in Modern Warfare 2 is not just rewarding because of the slick controls and great response animations, but also because the enemy AI is genuinely intelligent. They’ll work together, finding cover and trying to flank you. It’s not just the enemy AI that is great however, those in your squad will also respond well to many situations, providing covering fire while you move, and working as a unit. It all helps to give you the sense of being involved in a real battle.
• Framerate. At 60FPS, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the slickest shooters available on the Playstation 3. The engine appears to have been upgraded from CoD4, giving environments more detail and allowing more action on-screen. There’s also been an injection of colour since CoD4, meaning Modern Warfare 2 has much more varied pallette. It gives the game a warmer, and more inviting look – hopefully putting an end to drab shooters this generation has become famous for.
• Music score. With Hans Zimmer on hand to underscore many of Modern Warfare 2’s blockbuster moments, the game becomes a real audio tour-de-force, with huge sweeping orchestral sections underlining the more poignant moments of the game.

What We Didn’t Like:

• Trying hard to shock. Modern Warfare 2 tries hard to shock you. We remember when we first played CoD4 and having to literally walk away from the Playstation 3 when we encountered the nuclear bomb setpiece. It was just such a huge deal. A breath-taking moment in video game narrative. Modern Warfare 2 tries to recreate that and fails. Instead of having one epic set-piece in the campaign, Modern Warfare 2 has about 5. Except none of them are epic because the game’s narrative lacks surprise and impact. Part of that is due to the humongous hype for Modern Warfare 2 granted, but it can also be attributed to Infinity Ward trying too hard.
• Confused narrative. In trying to outdo those epic set-pieces from CoD4, Modern Warfare 2’s narrative also takes a hit. The plot is confused, undeveloped and frankly, hard to follow. It’s almost like Infinity Ward tried to squeeze too many plot twists into one short campaign. Personalities and motives are never really justified, and the plot just feels like a bit of a mess as a result.
• It’s CoD4. It’s no bad thing that Modern Warfare 2 is essentially a reskin (with some improvements) of Call Of Duty 4. But if for whatever reason you weren’t a fan of that game, Modern Warfare 2 will do absolutely nothing to change your mind. If you were a fan of course, you’ll find much enjoyment in Modern Warfare 2.