Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

5 stars

So here we are, 2009. The weather is getting colder every day, and most people are finding themselves indoors more and more. But fear not, thou shall need not resort to playing Scrabble with your great Aunt Flo, watching hopelessly as she blows you away with her superior vocabulary and multiple triple word scores… because Modern Warfare 2 has finally arrived.

Let's start with the single player campaign first. The game picks up five years after the end of the first Modern Warfare with your character (Pvt. Joseph Allen) showing local Iraqi recruits the ropes. After a brief tutorial, you are sent on a mission to clear a nearby city of hostiles. As the game progresses, you travel to various countries and regions, such as a military base in the snowy mountains of northern Russia, the rundown Favela of Rio de Janeiro, and the sandy deserts and caves of the Middle East, along with many others.

The single player campaign is, to put it bluntly, short. It's around four or five hours on the normal difficulty, and around seven or eight on veteran. But I can honestly say that, while short, the campaign in this game is incredible, in terms of storytelling and gameplay.

The other main focus of the game is it's multiplayer. If you've played Modern Warfare, then you won't find anything groundbreaking here. Aside from a few new modes, new guns and a few new perks, it's pretty much stayed the same. While it's certainly no Battlefield 2 in terms of size and scope, the multiplayer is still well thought out and very fun.

Now on to the new stuff: Spec Ops. Spec Ops is a series of 18 single, or cooperative, scenarios in which you have a specific objective, such as defusing bombs or racing down a mountain using a snowmobile. All of the missions in Spec Ops are very entertaining, and range from simple, to nearly impossible, especially if you are playing by yourself.

All in all, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a great game. The story is solid, the multiplayer is easy to pick up and play and the addition of Spec Ops make it feel different enough than its predecessor to easily warrant a purchase.