The single-player campaign mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign is now available. Without a question, the game’s popularity has surged since Infinity Ward introduced it.
Modern Warfare 2 is, as promised, the most exciting plan in the franchise’s history, with a campaign mode, multiplayer, Spec Ops, Warzone 2.0, DMZ, and more. However, with the launch of the campaign, the question of how the new story fared has arisen. Did it live up to its predecessors’ names?
The most awaited Call of Duty title in recent times was Modern Warfare 2. After nearly two years of no Call of Duty, the community was expecting something big from Activision. With everything the devs promised since the game’s announcement, I couldn’t wait to return to the world of Call of Duty.
While there is a lot to discuss about campaign, the first thing I want to mention is that I have never experienced a Call of Duty game as lifelike as Modern Warfare 2.
Before delving into the campaign’s ups and downs, it’s worth noting that Modern Warfare 2 is a sequel to Modern Warfare (2019) and is situated in the same environment. However, if you’re expecting the same story, you’ll be disappointed. While there are some references to past campaigns and certain famous Call of Duty moments, Modern Warfare 2 must be viewed as its own game.
Modern Warfare 2 campaign was more of a Hollywood movie than a game
Three decades after the events of Modern Warfare, the campaign story picks up (2019). Task Force 141, as shown in the previous iteration’s post-credit scenes, is now a full-fledged force fighting global threats. With the majority of the Modern Warfare (2019) roster, certain famous CoD characters have returned.
While Warzone’s lore featured the return of Simon “Ghost” Riley, the community was never totally satisfied. Modern Warfare 2 brings back the legendary Task Force 141 operatives Ghost, John “Soap” MacTavish, as well as General Shepherd in the most unforgettable way, and you get a lot of screen time with both. It should also be noted that CIA handler Kate Laswell and the PMC outfit Shadow Company will be returning to the campaign in full force.
The Modern Warfare 2 campaign offers a whole new experience, with newly revised game mechanics, increased character interaction, and true-to-life animation that makes the game more engaging than anything else in the franchise.
The entire Modern Warfare 2 campaign felt like I was watching a war movie on Netflix. However, some of the game’s lows brought the experience down significantly. The campaign is unique, but enjoyable, with its ups and downs.
The plot begins with a US airstrike that kills a foreign general named Ghorbrani. His successor, Hassan Zyani, has threatened to exact revenge on the US and to form alliances with international criminal cartels in Mexico to transport stolen US ballistic missiles. Task Force 141 is responsible for stopping this developing global threat, with the help of Mexican Special Forces and Colonel Alejandro Vargas.
In comparison to Modern Warfare 2019, the latest iteration’s tale feels a little hollow in several spots. The previous title focused on the reality of battle and how things aren’t always black and white; they can also be grey.
The story of Modern Warfare 2 isn’t anything like that. It is a more straightforward plot with specific tasks to achieve. While the story was a little disjointed, the cinematics and gameplay suspense more than made up for it.
The campaign lets you experience the perfect balance between stealth and warfare–
The campaign of Modern Warfare 2 lets you to go to many different locations throughout the world. You’ll never get weary of the breathtaking visual splendour on offer, whether it’s in the charming metropolis of Amsterdam, the valleys of Mexico, or the war-torn environment of Al Mazrah (a fictional territory for the Warzone 2.0 map).
The dynamic weather changes from a wet evening to a bright sunny day, providing a refreshing experience while playing the game’s story mode. It has everything you’d expect from a Call of Duty campaign, including covert operations as well as a chaotic battle experience.
There are 17 missions in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign. All of these missions will provide you with a wide range of experiences, ranging from stealth and large-scale action sequences to surviving without a rifle and making your mouth drop. The missions are highly engrossing and action-packed, and as I previously stated, it feels more like a Hollywood film than a Call of Duty campaign.
Captain Price and Gaz followed a lead that could connect the stolen missile to those moving it during the Wetwork mission in Amsterdam. The mission had just the right amount of stealth and reminded me of gaming Splinter Cell when I was younger. While Call of Duty has always been about gaming as a one-man army, this campaign has certainly added to the variety.
Violence as well as Timing was one of the missions that I thought was interesting but went on a little too long. When a crucial team member is kidnapped, Price and Gaz travel to Al Mazrah to reclaim them. This quest also reintroduces a former ally from the previous incarnation. You play as Gaz and drive and fight at the same time with the support of Farah’s troops.
The majority of the task is a vehicle assignment in which you can kidnap an automobile and fight alongside it. While this is something new and exciting, the lengthy pursuit scenario felt superfluous and dragged out. Unfortunately, Farah’s appearance throughout the game is limited to one mission, and you won’t be able to see her again in Modern Warfare 2.
Callouts to the iconic missions – A love letter to the veteran fans
Throughout the campaign, Call of Duty handed out love notes to their veteran supporters. Many reminiscences from my youth filled me with nostalgia. During the El Sin Nombre assignment, a character named Diego asked Soap,
If players recall properly, it was remarked by Captain Price when he was initially introduced to him in Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare.
Recon By Fire, an homage to the legendary sniping mission All Ghillied Up, is the largest mission in the whole game. However, the opponent AIs were extremely difficult to defeat this time. While Infinity Ward spoke extensively about enhanced AI in Modern Warfare 2, it was assumed that we would see results.
The tale wasn’t the same throughout the multiplayer beta, and the AIs were highly lambasted by the community. However, the campaign is a different story, as the AIs make it difficult to play.
Fighting against newly added armoured adversaries is now more difficult. It is notable because it uses a similar armour mechanism as Warzone. Players who are inexperienced with Warzone and its mechanics may have a difficult time completing this challenge.
Close Air and Hardpoint evoke memories of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s Death From Above. In this operation, you take on the role of Shadow Company and command AC-130 to give air assistance.
One aspect of the assignment that I enjoyed was the amount of destruction supplied by Infinity Ward. You can demolish the entire structure in a fraction of a second by triggering the launcher, which will undoubtedly bring back some nice old memories from the past.
New crafting mechanism adds more variety to the campaign
‘Alone’ was another task that piqued my curiosity. It begins immediately following Shepherd as well as Shadow Company’s betrayal of Modern Warfare 2. You take on the role of Soap and are shot by Philip Graves.
So the main goal is to make it through all of the hurdles and meet Ghost at a rendezvous place. The mission reminded me of Modern Warfare’s (2019) hometown, where players had to survive as a youngster while fighting with only a screwdriver.
Infinity Ward also includes crafting in this task, which is quite unusual; by making various materials, you can unlock doors and create distractions. The main goal is to walk through random houses on a wet night while staying as low as possible so that adversaries don’t see you. It never felt like a typical Call of Duty operation; rather, it had a post-apocalyptic survival flavor to it.
What disappointed me was that, after introducing crafting, the feature was never used again in the campaign until the final task. Even that is somewhat forced, and you will have little choice but to pursue the objectives. This newly released feature would have been a game changer in Call of Duty if the options were more flexible. That, however, never happened.
Gameplay overview – Improved physics, water, swimming, and more
In terms of gameplay, Infinity Ward has done an outstanding job of giving you with a first-rate experience. While the gunplay is nearly identical to prior editions, there are several new aspects that I find incredibly intriguing.
Using the ADS button, you can now modify how you want to utilize your weapon. Except for the newly introduced ledge-hanging mechanic, which is quite useful in some spots, the default moves are essentially the same, and I detected no notable changes.
Infinity Ward has made several statements about its work in water physics and swimming. I couldn’t wait to see what the developer had in store for the campaign.
I was particularly amazed by the level of detail added and the flawless use of physics, which brought the sequences closer to reality. The slowed bullet velocity underwater during Wetwork was perhaps one of the greatest things I experienced in the Call of Duty campaign.
When it comes to things that blew my mind, Dark Water and its deep gameplay surely top the list. The major goal of this mission was to prevent a missile from being launched. The missile is located on an oil rig, and the control is located aboard a ship.
Moving containers will hinder your path while pushing adversaries on the ship, as they move from one side to the other based on the ship’s movement on the water. The mission gives the most exciting sequence while fighting attackers, with sea water gushing over the ship and an unending storm. Without a doubt, Dark Water was the most enjoyable to complete and, in terms of gameplay, the greatest.
The most lifelike Call of Duty in history
In terms of visual and audio fidelity, Modern Warfare 2 is most likely the best Call of Duty game in the franchise’s history. The amazing details and skillfully made animations will have you wondering whether you’re playing a game or seeing a movie.
The Tradecraft objective, which depicted Amsterdam on a beautiful morning, is possibly the most photorealistic Call of Duty campaign ever. From the Middle Eastern desert to the nightlife of Chicago, the developers have done everything they can to create a world that is as near to reality as possible.
Concerning the cinematics, I’ve remarked numerous times that all moments are comparable to a high-budget Hollywood film, if not something else. Everything looked fantastic, with all of the actors, lighting, shadows, and textures, and I couldn’t take my gaze away from it for a single cinematic sequence.
Performance on PC
On PC, Modern Warfare 2 runs flawlessly. The game is well-optimized and does not stutter; there is no lag during the adventure. I also didn’t see any aesthetic flaws or problems that could have damaged the experience. My frame rate decreased briefly throughout the Dark Water task, but it was little compared to my generally seamless experience.
Flat storyline – Substantial compared to its predecessors
When it comes to the elements that brought me down, I must say that Modern Warfare 2 is far from flawless. While the name is comparable to the classic Call of Duty title released in 2009, my answer to whether it lives up to the expectations of its predecessors is that it does not live up to the name of the legendary Modern Warfare 2 or the concluding part.
While the previous iteration had some dark and dirty times where players had to make difficult choices that called their morals into question, the new campaign had none of that. The plot is uninteresting, and there is no clear antagonist. Hasan and Valeria (El Sin Nombre) did not appear to be major threats. Even towards the end of the campaign, the entire scene felt so staged that it irritated me.
With the return of General Shepherd in Modern Warfare 2, expectations were high from the start. Shepherd eventually betrayed Task Force 141, but his treachery and the arrangement with the Shadow Company and Philip Graves were foreseen from the start. As a result, the end product was a huge plot with numerous needless goals.
While the campaign began with some interesting objectives, it slowed after Recon By Fire. Anything after that has pace concerns, either rushed or slow, affecting player immersion. The sole exception was Dark Water, which, as I already indicated, was the most enjoyable game I played.
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Conclusion
Modern Warfare 2’s overall judgement is that it is one of the most imaginative and compelling Call of Duty campaigns in recent years. It is without a doubt the greatest in the market in terms of visual quality and attention to detail. A single-player campaign, on the other hand, revolves around the story, and the game falls short in that regard. The story is all over the place, and after a while, it becomes predictable every minute.
The good news is that the Call of Duty franchise has learned how to keep the hype going. The post-credit scene was the most exciting aspect of the entire campaign. While I’m not aiming to disclose any major spoilers, the campaign’s post-credit scene brings back a significant antagonist from the Modern Warfare trilogy, which is critical to building up a reprised world and future games.
I’m excited to see what happens next in this story and where it goes from there.
