Calling Modern Warfare 2 anything but the "most anticipated game of the year" at this point would be a gross understatement. Any and all news on the game is considered monumental. All Game of the Year talks aren't about what games could win, but what games could win over Modern Warfare 2. Everyone's thinking it, but I'll happily be the one to actually say it.Gts supports local split-screen or online play, though there is no Matchmaking, meaning it's invite only. When playing with a partner a mini UAV is always up as well, showing where your buddy is looking at all times, and it's absolutely essential. The difficulty can be changed for each player individually
There's radar in all difficulties, with the map displaying off ammo crates where players could go and re-up bullets and grenades. While the starting guns players is pre-determined, Modern Warfare 2 does a nice job of offering slews of weaponry as well. One of the levels has a huge wall of guns, as well as a house literally filled with rifles and handguns • we're talking upwards of 30 guns in one place.
As for the other multiplayer specifics, friendly fire is always on, so watch out for your buddies. On Normal difficulty, the revamped Last Stand perk allows for two minutes to bleed out and crawl around once you're health is drained.
First off, the thermal sight. Mounted to what looked to be any automatic weapon, the thermal actually zooms in like a sniper scope. The scope is black and white, works fine in the daytime, and has all enemies glowing white to pick them up better within the world. It works extremely well, but it also has a small amount of tracking blur; a nice touch for added realism. The holographic sight is also a really nice option for players, giving what is basically an improved red dot experience to weapons. The scope is wide, doesn't block much of your peripheral, and has a nice clear dot in the center.
As for the ACOG scopes; things are moving in a different direction. No longer are all scopes the same. Some have a round steel base with a thin pin pushing up the center (The L-86 is like this), some are like a hunting rifle with a full scope (still open to peripheral sight though) and black notches, and others are more like a holographic sight. Again there's less movement though, having actually no bob in the scope as you look through it, making it far more manageable. Those that play multiplayer all the time know the annoyances of both the ACOG's "diamond" reticule and the bobbing of the scope, and at least for single player and Spec Ops mode that has been completely fixed. I didn't touch ACOG's in COD4, but I can't wait to use them some more in Modern Warfare 2. Nice, nice change.
With all that said, let's move onto the specific missions.
O Christo Redentor Based on the single-player mission "Takedown," O Christo Redentor is a terrorist elimination map specific to Spec Ops mode. You drop in with a standard loadout of M4 Grenadiers (M4 with an under-mounted M203). The entire area is based on a Rio village, similar to shantytowns or single-level, single-room houses. All of the combat takes place outside, though some enemies fire on you from behind the windows and doors of surrounding houses. A few civilians running around for good measure.
During our time with the level I had a chance to try out the AA-12 (which is fast to empty, but long to reload) and practice a little street clearing as a team. On the default skill level it was fine running around on my own and just gunning down people willy nilly, but I was dropped a few times when overextending into occupied areas. I also had a chance to pick up akimbo mini-uzis as well, but ditched them quickly due to some pretty crazy recoil. Dual desert eagles were also available, and after trying them briefly (and finding out the weapon had slower shot speed overall this time around) I again ditched the weaponry for a single weapon set.
For my money, akimbo just isn't something that's worth the time unless you're really close. The recoil is upped, you can't look down sights, and while you can reload and fire weapons independently (good for staggering your reload) it's just not as effective. Great news for those of us worried that akimbo would break the game's balance, but bad news for all you dual-wielding freaks out there that can't wait to run around with a gun in each hand.
O Christo Redentor was a great kick-off level, and I had a chance to try a few tactics, but it's also a standard experience with very little to talk about. Just don't hit civilians and you're good.
Time Trial I didn't get a chance to play this one, but it is amazingly self-explanatory. Based on the snowmobile chase sequence demoed at E3, this level is a single- or two-player time trial race where you drive the snowmobile through a predetermined route. You start off with 15 seconds on the clock. Each group of gates you drive through awards you with four extra seconds, making the race as much about hitting slalom gates as it is about speed. You'll get a chance to catch some serious air though, and there look to be multiple routes to take as you move through the level. The entire mission took less than a minute from top-to-bottom, but it also ended with a huge jump across a chasm, which was a sweet finale to the action.
Taking place on the chilling slopes of Cliffhanger, Time Trial is like the Olympics mixed with Jack Bauer and a big hill.
Breach and Clear The second playable level, Breach and Clear, feels like it was ripped right out of the movie The Rock. In this reimagining of the "shower room" scene, players jump into a back room of a brick facility, have plenty of weapons to choose from, and then literally "breach and clear" through the level in a timed extraction challenge. Once both players are up against the wall they can start the actual breach charges, which explode and send the players into a cinematic bullet time sequence. As you progress through the level • which is essentially two rooms • dozens of enemies pour in, complete with lazer sights from upper levels. Since you've got the low ground you and your partner have to fight for every inch, moving slowly as you pick off snipers and go hand-to-hand or use close quarters weaponry on approaching soldiers.
This mission starts you off with the classic M104 shotgun, but allows you to grab an AK, AA12 shotgun, and other weapons from downed opposition. I made use of the G18 (which is a three round burst only weapon) and it rocked. The Vector SMG could also be found • another awesome weapon, with an iron sight similar to the Skorpion from COD4 • and even snagged the "Striker," which is an even more impressive auto-shotgun similar to the AA-12. Wow, it packs a serious punch.
"Breach and Clear" should be re-named to "run your ass off" after going a few rounds with it.
The level is pretty easy overall on the default difficulty, but gaining one star is a cakewalk compared to what this challenge offers on Veteran, as there's fire coming from literally everywhere. It's a close-quarters nightmare where reloading takes a backseat to grabbing random weaponry at your feet or sticking your blade into a few enemies at a time. After pushing through a few rooms filled with complete chaos (Mile High Club was nothing), you jump through a busted hole in the ground and find your extraction point. Simple, if not for the insane opposition that stands in your way to the finish line.
Estate Takedown In hands-down the most impressive of the Special Ops modes, Estate Takedown takes place in an outdoors level that has a distinct forest look. With trees lacing the high ground, small cliffs offering cover, a low ground with a small lake, and a more open area complete with barns and farm equipment, Estate Takedown is an awesome venue for another impressive terrorist hunt mission. This is where the Juggernauts come into play as well, generating at what IW says is a random iteration (though all three playthroughs had one spawning at the beginning of the mission) but capped in number. Juggernauts are enemies covered head-to-toe in armor with a boonie hat guarding their face. These guys know they're fitted with armor too, as they rush you with shotguns and M240's (the bigger brother of the SAW) and can gun you down in seconds. The mission starts you out with the Barrett.50 Cal sniper rifle, powerful enough to drop a Juggernaut with a few impressive headshots. Still, he lays the hurt on you, and when one pops up while you're fighting a half dozen baddies he's be a real pain in the ass.
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