Modern Warfare 2

[Welrain]

Just finished this on Hardened. Not as good as CoD4 by a long way - it's like they took everything that was fantastic with CoD4 and tried to make it better but didn't quite understand what made it great in the first place..sigh. The story was poorly told and at only 6 hrs long I can't help but feel disappointed.

I never once noticed the respawing or was killed from behind. As I've played through each CoD2 & 4 on Veteran I was always pushing on and checking corners. One complaint is that I felt like a on-looker a number of times, which clearly isn't right.

[Jebus]

I really don't know where to start...I've finished the game now and firstly I just want to say that I will never play another Call of Duty game on hardened again. The ridiculous auto-aiming, the peripheral radar vision, the shooting round corners...it almost ruined the game for me on several occasions.

Maybe I need to admit that I'm not as "hardcore" as I think I am, but at times the game was just a case of "play this 10 times until you've memorised the spawn locations" and then it's a breeze, but numerous times that was just not fun.

I won't say too much about the story because it's been said, but it's all over the place at the best of times and unfocussed and incoherant at the worst. It's not a patch on the first Modern Warfare which was actually emotionally engaging and really really intense at times. I mean...was the game split into two sections whilst being developed? Why are all the MacTavish missions so far superior to the American ones? It's like night and day for me.

Which leads me to the biggest complaint I have about the game, the American missions. Are they hard? I don't really know, I can't tell. They might be hard, but only because half the time I don't know if I'm supposed to be shooting at people or not, they are so hard to tell apart. There's a brilliant bit that summed it up for me later in the game, almost as though they were poking fun at themselves where

->Open Spoiler<-

after the nuke, in the rain they can't tell if they've come across friend or fo, shouting the callsign and praying they get it back

...which really really summed up my complaint nicely!

The length isn't an issue to me, though it IS short and feels as though the order of importance to this game is Competitive Multiplayer/Spec-Ops then campaign as a distant last. I can see that being an issue to people who don't play online, but to me, well, I'll get my moneys worth!

So, seems like I'm complaining a lot really so I must hate the game? No. It's riddled with things I feel shouldn't be in a game with this big a budget, a game this huge...and yet for all that...I liked it. It takes forever to get going and I'd argue that the first 2 acts pale in comparison to the final act, but that final act IS brilliant, some of the dramatic set pieces nearer the end are executed brilliantly.

However, this (in my book) doesn't stand a chance of being "Game of the Year", because it's just Modern Warfare 1.5 really which, of course, is no bad thing! Despite being a totally different genre of game, you only have to compare this to a game like Uncharted 2 which for me, feels better in absolutely every respect.

I'd rate it an 8/10 but only because I actually play online. Mind you, the matchmaking is ****e, I'm a level 3 and the lowest opponent I've come across so far was a 17, and that match also consisted of a level 47 who annihalated everyone.

EDIT: Also on the subject of the online, it's nice to see that they allow spawn camping. In one match I died, and respawned, died...repeat that 4 full times before I even knew where I was or what was going on. No point in a "health booster" perk either if you spawn and before you even move a full clip is in your head.

[rmoxon]

Which leads me to the biggest complaint I have about the game, the American missions. Are they hard? I don't really know, I can't tell. They might be hard, but only because half the time I don't know if I'm supposed to be shooting at people or not, they are so hard to tell apart. There's a brilliant bit that summed it up for me later in the game, almost as though they were poking fun at themselves where

->Open Spoiler<-

after the nuke, in the rain they can't tell if they've come across friend or fo, shouting the callsign and praying they get it back

...which really really summed up my complaint nicely!

.

During any mission in the game if you put your crosshair over a friendly solider it comes up with their name, its not hard to tell who to shoot at.

I agree that the British missions are better than the american ones, but then they are in the first game too really, I think it might be in large part becuase the american missions feel like they could be in any other FPS of this ilk, The British Missions feel that bit more special and also contain more variety.

Incidently I dont play this on line, but I still love it, I rarley like long games really, short ones make me wnat to play them again and they actualy end up with more time spent on them than games I never finish becuase I get bored.

[Jebus]

During any mission in the game if you put your crosshair over a friendly solider it comes up with their name, its not hard to tell who to shoot at.

I'm aware of that, but when there are 30 odd people running around shooting in the distance and I want to snipe them, it just doesn't feel as "obvious" as it should do for a GAME.

I'd add to my list of complaints that the friendly AI is borderline moronic, running in front of me whilst I'm firing. I had that more times than I can actually remember, and it's just *so* infuriating.

I'm aware my opinions won't be popular, but that's just how I feel.

[J0e Musashi]

Quick question. I'm only ever going to play single player, so should I bother getting this? It should be noted that I only (today) managed to track down a JPN PS3 copy of COD4, which is winging it's way to me. Will I be best sticking with that? Ta.

[Dezm0nd]

I'd get CoD MW2 just for Spec Ops alone, for single player (or split screen co-op) the actual SP game is okay, full of scripted pieces which are amazing but filled with mediocre gameplay (IMO, of course)

For me it's all about multiplayer and Spec Ops, so it's up to you man.

[Skull Commander]

J0e, it's fun in single player but as I said the campagin alone ISN'T worth it. The spec ops is good fun, and can be played single player, but you really need a second player for the full effect. I think you can play splitscreen local on it (EDIT:confirmed by the above poster), so if you have a 2nd player handy then that will increase the value to you.

Based just on campaign alone, I'd say the first modern warfare is a better purchase.

[J0e Musashi]

Great thanks. Considering it was &#163;8 all-in brand new I think I should be pleased with myself. I'll give MW2 a few years lol.

[Jebus]

Would you play spec ops at all? If not, I wouldn't bother.

EDIT: Beaten to it.

[MJ]

I've started playing it through on Vet, Wish me luck, i'm gonna need it.

You'll be fine. It's the easiest CoD Veteran I've experienced.

[Mr_Skinny]

You'll be fine. It's the easiest CoD Veteran I've experienced.

I agree, compared to CoD2 and WaW this is a breeze. Haven't had a single moment yet where I've wanted to throw the controller at my tv!

[Matt]

I must be playing a different game to you guys. I enjoyed cod2 Veteran; this pissed me off so much on Hardened I dropped down to Regular Maybe I'm the only person not using AutoAim.

[Family Fry]

I will back that up too, got so frustrated with CoD 4 I actually didn't finish it on veteran.
This was a cakewalk compared to previous titles, Brazil being the only rinse and repeat level I got stuck on for over an hour.

[Matt]

Actually that was the level that made me drop the difficulty....

[BaronSqwelch]

I flew thru Brazil on veteran, I had a bit of a mare getting to the sub in the 2 mins tho as I obviously wasnt getting to the right place for the checkpoints to pop. Am currently stuck protecting the computery thing in the lodge...but seeing as I couldnt even do the first level on COD4 it must be way easier. No grenade spam like WAW either.

Am loving special ops on veteran...have only managed 7 of them tho. Done a lot on hardened too. Best part of the game for me if you have a decent partner...keeping me away from the MP!!