"Review of COD: Modern Warfare 2." Topic

Well the game is awesome! I just wised that the campaign was longer, it was about less than 6 hours. I spend the whole day playing it.

One problem with game is that your enemies is armed with very odd selection of weapons. For example, the Russian for whatever reason, are armed with FAMAS, FN FAL, and Javelin.

I will rather see more accurate weapons for my enemies, like AK-74, AK-101, and RPG-29.

Another flaw I will point out is the storyline is less realistic then Modern Warfare 1. For example; the US is invaded.

I do warned this game is more graphic and bloody than the last. An early level in the game might turn your stomach! And force you to shut it off.

I haven't done multiplying yet, so I can't comment.

But overall the game was quit good. The story ended with a cliffhanging, so expect COD: Modern Warfare III in future.

Why is it so unrealistic the US is invaded? Do you know what will happen in the future? The US is unfortunately as vunerable as the rest of us, as tragic events in the last decade have shown. I mean, we're an island – and used to have the biggest and best Naval fleet in the world – but it didn't mean we could never get invaded.

Shame the weapons are not exactly correct – but again, it's a fictional game. Are they the Russian army per se – or a private army in effect? I've only just got the game so don't know (yet) :-)

Its a great game but the story line is beyond ludicrous.
Its like a bad Roger Moore James Biond film directed by Michael Bay. Saying that if you dont pump your fist in the air and have a huge poo eating grin after a few of the levels you may well be dead inside.

To keep this from being deemed "non-wargaming related", do you think the campaign or multiplayer maps would lend themselves to minis gaming?

Also, what system are you playing on (pc, xbox, PS)?

Why is it so unrealistic the US is invaded?

Based on the trailers I've seen, it looks like a full-on combined arms invasion with all the bells and whistles. Nobody has the sea lift capability or air lift capability to pull that off. It's not likely Canada would let somebody build up in their territory to invade us. It's also not likely we wouldn't intervene preemptively to halt a third party build up in Mexico.

Aside from that, I look forward to getting this, much to the horror of my wife.

The campaign is as exciting as COD:MW. As noted it does not seem very plausible, but its a game.

Having said that, its a fun game. Infinity Ward has tweaked the weapon loads fixing some obvious holes in MW (for example, adding Stingers to the mix for AA work). Graphics are excellent and the environment is rendered brilliantly. If you've ever wanted a 'shoot out at the Burger Joint' this is the game for you.

The Multiplayer maps would lend themselves to tabletop skirmish gaming. The 'handbook' (sold seperately) provides good hard copy maps of each area you could use to build a table top game.

I am seriously tempted to pick this up, I was just concerned over the "dedicated server" issues that has the PC gamers up in arms.

Thanks G Dog – I broke down an purchased a gaming magaizne, something I never do, because it had layouts of the multiplayer maps. As I enjoy modern skirmish games I thought the articles would be good fodder for table tap gaming.

The "no dedicated server" issue is a deal killer for me. I buy games like this to play online. Restricting the game to 8v8 and relying on one of the players to "host", with all the lag and balance problems that entails is a retrograde step. It may be acceptable to the console players, but the PC crowd expect (and usually get) more. Release dedicated servers and I'm buying in, otherwise I'm going to stick to CoD4

I saw CoD4 gamed at a local con last year. Unfortunately, I was committed to another game at an adjoining table, but I was able to peek over now and then.

After our games finished, I finally got to look at the board. I couldn't quite place which map it was, but once the GM clued me in (it was Overgrown) I had to laugh at how well he'd captured it. I moved around to several of my favorite game hiding spots and could find them all.

Translating these games to skirmish miniatures is a great idea!

- Bob

My friend bought it for the 360 and I watched him play it for a few hours on Wednesday. He hasn't touched the campaign yet and has only been doing multiplayer.

Two gripes I have of muli is 1) when they divided the teams I didn't think they divided them equally I saw a 10 person match that was split 6-4 with the three highest level players on the 6 person team it just didn't look balanced 2) there is a device called a "heartbeat detector" that is like a motion tracker from Aliens that's mounted on the side of the weapon. It's an unlockable item when you get up there in kills. I just don't like items that give a player around the corner/concealment viewing when starting players don't have it and can dominate the field.

Other than that if you like shoot'em games it's good. I just personally don't like quazi simulator games. Like for example it's not that my friend shot down an AH-64 with a AT-4 rocket, it's the fact he was shooting it straight up and was not affected by the back blast that should be engulfing his shoes. Or a riot shield that is impregnable and I witnessed get hit with 12,000 rounds from a pedestal mount minigun that he was 4ft away from.

But to each their own.

It has taken over my (non-work) life. Heaven knows when I will get to do some actual painting. IF you liked the first one, you will love this one. The updated multiplayer is awesome. A lot more customization than in MW1.

I don't think the story is *too* far fetched, I mean this game takes 5 years ahead of the last game so tech might be slightly more advanced then are own. Alien Surfer, the Russians in this game aren't the ones we know now. This game takes place after the new Russian Gov't take over after a civil war. So we don't know exactly what weapons they'd have…

I am a PC gamer and the graphics are stunning. I wish the assault guns were capable of select fire for the old "double tap." Everything is full auto. But in spite of that, it is first rate entertainment, and just plain fun! Jürgen

Enjoying it a lot, though it's early days yet.

(I play on a PC with maxed out graphics hardware, currently 2x GTX280 SLI with 24" monitor at 1920x1080 res, all settings all the way up.)

The campaign (which I haven't finished yet) feels similar to COD4. But solo play doesn't end there. In addition to the campaign are unlockable scenarios you can play on the maps, that you can invite another player to or play solo. These provide significant single player playability besides the campaign. Functionally they are like the Zombie gaming mode of COD:WAW but since your bot opponents are live combatants, the mode is more generally appealing. And there is more variety than the half-dozen zombie maps -- I think there are 5 levels of these with 5-7 game types in each, quite a large variety.

Graphics are very detailed, very bright. When you go prone to cover you are pushing among individual stalks of grass. Like COD:WAW in terms of detail but with rich modern colors. The COD4 washed out look is gone. The COD:WAW grim dark look is gone.

The multiplayer feel so far is fast and frantic. I haven't played long enough to sort out all the weapons or build preferred classes, and currently don't know the maps that well. This means the games are ruled by the run-and-gun, bunny-hopping, shoot fastest first from the hip types of players (which is not me). Most FPS games are like this at first, and I expect to do better as time goes on. I am quite competent on COD:WAW for my preferred game types, same with COD4, but it took a while.

The change to peer-hosted servers has no technical effect on game play. The social aspect of clans -- gamers playing with their friends -- I think is achievable, since you can reciprocally designate other players as friends and then join their games and invite them to join yours. It will just take the various clans a while to figure this out and reciprocate all the friend invites.

What is missing is the ability for clans to host their own servers with preferred settings. I suspect this will be overcome by clans by agreeing on common settings and putting clan tags in their names, then advertising on web sites what their clan's settings are. But unless some hosting management tools are released later, this isn't going to be as consistently implemented, which is frustrating. There are game servers for other FPS games I avoid because they cater to players who like different styles of gameplay than I do, and I can't easily filter these out anymore.

Long term this may kill the game. The prediction from the developer's gamer community liasion -- who had the same role for earlier releases of the Call of Duty series -- is that this game will be very popular during its release life, but that when the next hot game comes out, players will drop this one and not go back and replay it. This is a marked contrast from COD2, COD4, and COD:WAW, all of which are still actively played by the player community.

Two things I strongly dislike are 1) no console mode so no changing of game settings by admins or easily tweaking ingame by tech-minded players; 2) no way to run the game windowed. I run multiple monitors and occasionally something running on the other screen pops up and becomes the current app. With windowed mode when that happens the game is still up so you just click the game and you're back and running. With full screen mode, the game goes away minimized and you have to ALT-TAB back to it, which is slower and can get you killed.

Enjoy it. I sure am.

Heh heh.

I was taking cover in the poppies today. I had time to marvel that they rendered each plant.

I think I will stick with killing zombies in L4D2 when it comes out in a couple days.

The one I am waiting on is Bad Company 2. I want a game where I can level every building, wall and tree to deny those hiding spots. Have a sniper in a tower, take out the tower. Why go through a door when you can enter through the wall.

Why is it so unrealistic the US is invaded? Do you know what will happen in the future? The US is unfortunately as vunerable as the rest of us, as tragic events in the last decade have shown. I mean, we're an island – and used to have the biggest and best Naval fleet in the world – but it didn't mean we could never get invaded.

10 trillion dollars of debt will sort that out!!! Maybe they'll come for Disney? "Ve vant to secure the only supply of Mickey Mouse in ze vorld…" :)

As for the game, meh, it looks fun but why bother when I can sit with a SAW and riddle n00bs for FREE!!! in Insurgency… maybe pick it up on discount when I get a better computer (which won't be for a long while yet)