This Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign review may contain spoilers.
It says a lot about a franchise when it can pull off rebooting one of its most beloved games to incredible success. And it says even more when it’s able to follow it up with a sequel, which itself is a reimagining of the series’ best instalment.
At this point, there’s no denying the staying power of Call of Duty. And despite decidedly average titles from developers Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games in recent years, fans’ faith in Infinity Ward and their Modern Warfare sub-series never wavered.
From Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2‘s announcement, it was clear publisher Activision considered it the franchise’s next landmark instalment. Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard were just keeping its seat warm.
Infinity Ward’s greatest challenge was creating something that lived up to Modern Warfare 2‘s namesake. It’s a game so fondly remembered that the mere mention of its multiplayer lobbies gives fans that fuzzy feeling.
The 2009 original also set the standard for future Call of Duty campaigns with its compelling story packed with surprising twists and controversial moments scarcely seen in earlier titles.
So, it’s safe to say 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 had big shoes to fill. And while its feet aren’t quite large enough, players will still enjoy a comfortable fit.
Of course, this is the nineteenth Call of Duty. Therefore, it goes without saying that the latest CoD doesn’t stray far from the well-established formula. You aren’t getting something groundbreaking here.
However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 delivers a campaign the majority will casually enjoy. It’s a gorgeously presented eight hours of varied cinematic fun. And that makes it well worth checking out for long-time fans and hardened CoD sceptics alike.
Story – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Review
Modern Warfare 2‘s story is typical Call of Duty fare and perhaps its weakest aspect. You assume the role of operatives in Task Force 141, which was formed at the end of the previous Modern Warfare.
Fans will be pleased to see familiar faces such as Captain John Price, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley, and Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish. General Shepherd also makes his series re-debut (yes, THAT General Shepherd) and is overseeing Task Force 141 in missions against Russian-backed Iranian forces.
The plot moves at a breakneck – often disorientating – pace from the very start. Players are immediately dropped into an assassination mission in Al Mazrah (the capital of a fictional country called the United Republic of Adal). The target is an Iranian general known as Ghorbrani. After Task Force 141 briefly survey the area, a missile strike is called and Ghorbrani is killed.
His top spot is filled by Major Hassan Zyani – Modern Warfare 2‘s big bad. The campaign’s primary focus is Task Force 141’s globe-trotting hunt for him.
He’s involved in terrorist activity, arms deals, and all sorts of other chicanery throughout the world. This soon puts Task Force 141 at odds with a powerful drug cartel which is sheltering him in Mexico, and you spend the majority of your time doing battle with them.
Sadly, Modern Warfare 2‘s antagonists are shallow clichés – Zyani and Cartel bosses included. Shepherd’s place in the story is also questionable, given his role in the original Modern Warfare 2. Sure – the inevitable twist is enough to keep things interesting, but it was wholly predictable.
The campaign will last you between 6-8 hours. But it moves so quickly that you have little time to absorb what’s going on. Exposition is rattled through in brief – albeit stunning – cutscenes. And with the narrative jumping from country to country, I often found myself wondering why I was there and how missions followed on from one another.
With that being said, Modern Warfare 2‘s story is perfectly serviceable when taken at face value – even though it serves only as a superficial backdrop for the game’s stellar action.
Gameplay
What Modern Warfare 2 lacks in narrative depth, it makes up for in gameplay. It is snappy and restless, and every gun packs its own satisfying punch.
Each weapon handles differently and they have their own sets of pros and cons. Experimenting with different guns was a constant pleasure, and I certainly had my favourites by the time credits rolled.
There’s also something to be said for dispatching enemies with just one or two bullets. There’s nothing quite like swiftly popping off bad guys as you clear a building. It makes every incursion feel precise and tactical.
This is particularly notable during the game’s abundant stealth sections. These take different forms. There’s “Recon By Fire”, which feels like an attempt to recapture the magic of “All Ghillied Up” (although it doesn’t quite succeed). “Alone” forces an injured Soap to scavenge for survival and introduces interesting but under-utilised crafting mechanics.
In “El Sin Nombre”, you’re tasked with infiltrating a cartel mansion. This acts as a sandbox of sorts, and provides a degree of player freedom.
A personal highlight was “Prison Break”, during which you navigate Ghost through the grounds of a heavily-guarded jail using only CCTV cameras. This is an expansion of the more basic CCTV mission in 2019’s Modern Warfare, which saw Gaz guide a terrified employee through a besieged embassy.
Key to Modern Warfare 2‘s campaign is sheer mission variety. Naturally, the game features familiar run-and-gun segments. These would be dull if it weren’t for the counter balance provided by immersive stealth missions and high-octane levels that feel straight out of Fast & Furious.
Graphics and Sound
There are many jaw-dropping moments in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. For starters, the game’s cutscenes really are a sight to behold. They look so, so good. You’d be forgiven for mistaking them for a movie if you weren’t paying close enough attention.
And whether you’re admiring beautifully realised landscapes or the finer details of your weapons, you’re bound to mutter “wow” more than once.
One mission in particular, which takes place in Amsterdam, has already been singled out online for featuring one of the most lifelike recreations of city streets ever seen in a video game. And it’s not hard to see why once you’ve experienced it for yourself.
On the audio front, Modern Warfare 2 is impeccable. Weapons bang each time you pull the trigger and explosions thump with impact.
The sounds of violence and war ring out during firefights, while ambiant silences permeate moments of stealth.
If it’s immersion you want, it’s immersion you’ll get. There are few first-person shooters that look and sound as good as Modern Warfare 2.
It doesn’t just raise the bar – it is the bar.
Performance – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Review
My eight hours with Modern Warfare 2 weren’t entirely smooth when it came to performance. I experienced a number of bugs and glitches at random intervals.
Perhaps most notable were numerous crashes during a certain tank battle. These required a full restart and often a few attempts to load my save before it would finally play as normal.
There was also one frustrating instance during the final mission. I somehow got stuck in a wall and was forced to start the level over. Laughably, enemies couldn’t find me as I was off in a side room which they just kept walking past.
On a more positive note, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 played at a buttery smooth 60FPS throughout. And other than some momentary hiccups in cutscenes, I didn’t notice a single drop during gameplay no matter how intense the on-screen chaos became.
There are no performance or fidelity modes (not that they’re needed – the game looks and plays brilliantly), but Modern Warfare 2 offers a wide variety of graphical options on PS5 for you to tweak to your liking.
Verdict
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 won’t win any awards for its story. It’s generic and shallow, but good fun if not taken too seriously.
Where it shines is during its blockbuster set-pieces which are complimented by state of the art graphical fidelity and perfect sound design.
My only wish is that Infinity Ward took more chances. In the fleeting moments of player freedom, there are glimmers of what Call of Duty could be if those ideas were expanded upon.
Call of Duty wouldn’t benefit from an open-world. But overly linear missions full of map markers don’t allow players to fully immerse themselves in expertly crafted surroundings such as these – and that’s a shame. It means that CoD is still in need of reinvention and reinvigoration.
However, if it’s a blazing hot few hours of combat you’re after, you’ll find it in Modern Warfare 2. This is an enjoyable campaign buoyed by deep pockets and good looks. But it plays it too safe. Perhaps the inevitable third Modern Warfare 2 will bring change more akin to the first. Because the second missed its golden opportunity.
Overall Rating: 7/10
Reviewed on: PS5
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