Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

PC – Keyboard / Mouse – 2009
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Playtime: 5 hours (campaign + Special Ops), 5 hours (online).
Paid: ~$60 from GAME
Metacritic: 87 (PC), 94 (PS3/360)

(An aside about the playtime: For those 5 hours of playtime online, Steam claims I’ve spent 7.5 hours in the multiplayer client, suggesting I’ve spent 1/3 of my time in matchmaking and customisation.)

Well, that was …interesting. After all the hype, all the advertising, and all the controversy, what did you expect?

Modern Warfare 2 includes a singleplayer campaign continuing 5 years after where its predecessor left off, and… well, it’s short. Indeed, it’s really short, at just 4 hours and 40 minutes for my admittedly quick playthrough on Regular difficulty.

An interesting addition to the game is the Special Ops mode, comprising 23 singleplayer / 2-player co-operative (some are 2P-only) missions, which are a mixed bag of brief little scenarios of various types – assault missions, defending an area, racing, stealth, and so on. Completing each mission earns you 1, 2, or 3 stars, giving those who need to complete everything an added challenge. The challenges are quite fun, and will likely cause that “one more time” reaction when you fall just short.

And, of course, the game features multiplayer. You may have heard some things about it. Plenty more after the jump.