Stopping the terrorists solo is only one part of the total Modern Warfare 2 package. To truly become a force to be reckoned with, you're going to need to take the fight online. As with the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, MW2 offers a deep online experience but this time, it should appeal to both competitive and cooperative gamers. Want to know more? Look no further than our Modern Warfare 2 online training guide.
The Tools of the Trade
Before you hop into the fray, we recommend checking out your equipment first. Modern Warfare 2 provides a lot of new customization for virtual soldiers, from cosmetic additions like emblems to more practical ones like heartbeat sensors. There are also brand new Perks to change the in-game abilities of your character, and each Perk can level up to a Pro level. For example, Stopping Power delivers extra damage to enemies, but Stopping Power Pro can damage killstreak vehicles more while also doing more damage to enemies.
How you load out is based on your style of play: Want to snipe and stay hidden? Opt for a Barrett .50 cal, and the Cold-Blooded perk, which can render you invisible to UAV sweeps and more. Rather play defensively? Go for the Riot Shield which blocks bullets, but watch out for Semtex sticky grenades or it'll all be over.
Last but not least, players can customize the rewards they earn when killing enemies in a row. Rewards are naturally awesome, ranging from controllable AC-130 gunships to airstriking Stealth bombers. If you're feeling really crafty, there's even a game-ending Tactical Nuke. You'll just need to kill 25 guys in a row without dying to get there. We wish you luck.
There's No I in “TEAM”
Sure, there are a few rogue lone wolf set lists for playing Modern Warfare 2 online, but the bulk of the game is played in competitive team-based action. COD4:MW favorites return with familiar game types like Domination, Search and Destroy and Team Deathmatch alongside new modes Capture the Flag and Demolition. Capture the Flag is a straightforward flag grab, while Demolition pits two teams against one another defending valuable targets. One team starts tasked to destroy the targets, and then it swaps; how it differs from Search and Destroy is that everybody on the team has the ability to plant explosives, and both targets must be destroyed to win.
The maps themselves range from Rio de Janeiro slums with multistory vantage points to the open deserts of Afghanistan. In Afghan, a wrecked airplane separates two areas of the map, and players can choose to navigate underground tunnels to reach objectives or slip around the long, dusty backroad. Highrise takes place on top of a building still under construction, which is flanked by two offices. Be sure to watch your step outside, and it goes without saying that firefights inside those offices can lead to a lot of collateral damage. At launch, Modern Warfare 2 will have 17 different maps available for the variety of game modes, with new download packs coming in Spring 2010 that will offer even more.
Special Ops Training
Sometimes when it comes to saving the world, it takes an army of two to get the job done. That's why we like the new cooperative Special Ops mode in Modern Warfare 2, which lets players take on original missions with a buddy via split-screen at home or over the internet. Each of these missions are set in locations from the game, with few exceptions . For example, one scenario is the infamous AC-130 sequence from COD4: MW where, as a player, you would rain death down on bad guys in an attempt to clear the path for an AI trooper. This time out, that AI trooper can become your friend, or vice versa. Other missions include basic elimination or stealth objectives alongside more fantastic sequences like snowmobile racing and a breach and clear mission that has you escaping from a Soviet gulag.
Players can choose their difficulty from Regular, Hardened and Veteran, which will dictate how the enemies react and the damage they do, as well as upping the challenge. If you beat the challenge, you'll earn stars which unlock more missions to play. The harder the difficulty, the more stars you can win, if successful. Can you collect them all? The answer better be yes, and while you can play most of Special Ops solo, trust us, you're better off with a friend.
The Choice Is Yours
It may seem like a lot of options, but really there are three routes to choose once you've peeled off the shrinkwrap: Do you go for the level advancement of competitive online play, the badges of honor from earning stars in Special Ops or the satisfaction of a playing a solid story single-player? The best news of all? No matter which you choose, we guarantee it's a winner.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Posted: 5 Nov 2009
