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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Platform: PC
, Playstation 3
, Xbox 360
Price: $59.99 (regular edition) $79.99 (hardened
edition
)
So I guess I should clarify my position on first person shooters... It's not like I hate first person shooters, it's that I'm kind of indifferent to them. As far as I'm concerned, they're the Asians of the gaming world. They're all the same to me. Shooting someone in the face from a first person view is the same to me, no matter if it's an alien or a Russian mercenary. But seeing as how I'm reviewing games and not just the games I like, I figured I'd give one of the year's biggest releases, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a try.
Probably the toughest part about reviewing a game like Modern Warfare 2 (besides all of the mail I'll get for not giving the game the rating some of you think it deserves) is the lack of perspective, if you'll pardon the unintentional pun. Having not played many contemporary first person shooters, or even the predecessor of Modern Warfare 2, I have no idea what's different about the sequel, what's been changed for the better or worse. But maybe that's a good thing? I can gauge the game based on it's own merits and not hold it to the standards or preconceptions of the games that came before it.
In case you've been living under a rock, Modern Warfare 2 is the follow up to the Modern Warfare, which takes the franchise out of it's all too familiar World War 2 setting and places it firmly in the no-too-distant future. Modern Warfare 2's story splits it's time between a group of US Army Rangers and a multinational counter-terrorist unit called Task Force 141. Through an unfortunate series of events, the US is on the brink of war with the Russians. The plot starts to balloon out of control and ends up feeling like a Michael Bay movie, flashy but something you can't think about too much or the whole thing will unravel.
Although, the game does uses its first person view as a way to not only put you in the middle of the story viscerally and situationally but also emotionally. The much discussed level where you "play the role of a terrorist" is an example of this in Modern Warfare 2 but I wonder how effective this kind of storytelling is among the general gaming population. If anything, this type of narrative is certainly more effective in a first person shooter than in a third person view or any other type of game.
In addition to the story mode, Modern Warfare 2 includes two other modes, multiplayer and Spec Ops. In multiplayer, at first you're limited to a couple of different play modes, but as you play and gain more experience you can unlock various other types of multiplayer matches, including a third person view. (Which is only available in multiplayer modes... but it would have been an interesting experiment to see if playing the entire game from a third person view would change my opinion of the game.) In Spec Ops, you play through objective based missions either alone or with another player. The mission types have a lot of variety, including stealth and even driving objectives. It definitely adds replay value to the game and provides a nice change of pace.
Rating
Reviewing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 feels like an exercise in futility. Chances are you've probably already made up your mind about the game before you even started reading the first word of the first sentence in this review. And statistically speaking, there's a good chance that you've already bought the game and are reading the review to see if I agree with you. But again, my first person shooter bias comes into effect. Modern Warfare 2 may not be my cup of tea, but objectively, I can recognize it's value. It's an extremely well polished game and there's a lot of hours to be had playing it. This one is a "rent" for me... because if you're a fan of first person shooters, you've already bought the game. But if you're not, it's totally worth checking out, if only for a rental period.
Recommendations
Um. I don't know? Like I mentioned above, I have no frame of reference for first person shooters, so any recommendation I'd be giving would be hearsay... Which I'm not necessarily averse to, I just wouldn't know Halo 3 from a stick in the ground.
Player Two
After the resurgence of multiplayer co-op, GameBizCo Inc. hired Player Two to be the Goose to someone else's Maverick. His workload isn't quite as heavy as most of the other people working at GameBizCo Inc. and as a result, he spends a lot of time in the break room or playing computer solitaire.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
Player One
Player One is top dog at GameBizCo Inc. Nearly every game, from Pong to Mario Bros to Grand Theft Auto, requires Player One's expertise. His cocksure and sometimes inappropriate attitude is an annoyance to his coworkers but seeing as every game needs a first player, they make due.
First Appearance: Bonus Stage! Here comes Player One!
Damsel I. Distress
Whether it be a castle, a dungeon or mystical island, Damsel always needs to be saved... and she hates it. Damsel longs for the day when she's given the role of a strong female lead character who doesn't have huge breasts with hyper accurate physics.
First Appearance: LittleBIGPlanet
Final Boss
Underneath the huge brute that is Final Boss lies a timid creature who wouldn't hurt a fly. He puts on his "angry face" when throwing barrels down ramps or breathing fire but deep down he feels sorry for doing so. He's been known to throw a game or two in the player's favor.
First Appearance: World Record
John Minion
John Minion, or Min for short, is the hardest working employee at GameBizCo Inc. Playing everything from Goombas to no name thugs, Min gets beat up on a daily basis but loves every minute of it. He always wanted to work in the gaming industry and was originally hired as an intern. After years of getting coffee, his big break came when someone called in sick... and the rest is history.
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Middle Manager
Middle Manager works in the Human Resources department. He runs staff meetings and interviews prospective employees. The other 90% of his time is spent playing Freecell on his computer.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction