Call of Duty conundrum: Do I buy it?
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 released and the big question is, is it any good? This game got released everywhere by Infinity Ward and Activision on October 28, 2022. The game consists of its campaign, multiplayer, and Warzone modes. The game is important for the Call of Duty franchise because it is coming off one of its worst games in a while. And they need a comeback. For many fans, this may be a make-or-break year for this game. And whether they will buy the next game or not might ride on how good this one is.
Campaign
MW2’s campaign leads off where the first game left us, with the formation of Task Force 141. It includes the same members as the original trilogy, with Ghost, Soap, Price, and Gaz all returning. Another returning character is General Shepard. Who is well-known for his role in the original trilogy. It follows them through a variety of places. Including the Gulf of Mexico, Amsterdam, and the fictional Mexican city of Las Almas. The game is the first COD to run on the IW9 engine, making it stunning. The attention to detail in the game also helps immerse you into the game and make it feel more like real life. The acting in the game’s headlined by people like Samuel Roukin (Ghost), Neil Ellice (Soap), Barry Sloane (Price), and Elliot Knight (Gaz). The campaign so far has received some criticism for its story. Some say that it moves too slowly, while others say it has many memorable moments throughout. Forbes writer, Mike Gardner said this about it, “the Modern Warfare II campaign offers a real change of pace, with stunning visuals, superb acting, and the most diverse mechanics that Call of Duty has ever offered.”
Multiplayer
Multiplayer launched at 12 AM on October, 28th. It kicked off the preseason for the game. Meaning no battle pass or anything in the shop at all except for the annual Call of Duty Endowment Package. Season 1 goes live on November 16th, which goes hand in hand with the release of Warzone 2. The game will follow a similar path as Call of Duty Cold War. Seasonal updates bring things like a new battle pass, new guns, new maps, and more. This is also the first COD game with a two-year content cycle. Meaning this will be the only COD game released for the next two years. The gameplay is good but not great. The time to kill seems lower than ever before. The new gunsmith system has allowed for a greater range of guns to use than ever before. The family tree system for weapons has never been in COD. It is a little bit confusing but has the potential to be good. The new movement system as well as players trying to adjust to the pre-sliding era. The dolphin dive has come back as a way to replace that. Everything seems slower without the old movement, but that can be a good thing depending on who you are. It puts an emphasis on your ability in a fight. Rather than being able to jump around everywhere until you manage to win.
Multiplayer Maps
There are 10 maps in the game as of release. They are all brand new to the series with no returning maps from past entries. 2 returning maps got confirmed. With Shipment and Shoothouse coming at the start of season one. Maps range in size, from large to very small. Mercado Las Almas is a very small map but still manages to keep the COD feel. The maps vary in how good they actually are. On one hand, some of them have a lot of potential once you learn the map and don’t have to worry about where you’re going. But this game also holds one of the worst maps of all time. Santa Sena Border Crossing has one lane with many cars that are all explodable. The spawns do not work. So you can die at any time, and the best strategy is to lie down and wait for someone to walk past you. Earlygame.com writer Jon Ramuz said this about the map, “It really baffles me that this map somehow made it through to the finished version of the game”.
Warzone 2
Warzone 2 has not released yet. It comes out with the start of season 1 on November, 16. There is no early access so all players will be able to play at the same time. It is free for all to play, so it will have a larger player base than multiplayer. Players of the first game hope that the sequel will be able to fix the problems of the first. Including adding a working anti-cheat. But only time will tell if that happens. Warzone 2 could be great. If Activision builds on what it had in the first one, then it could be great. There are minor issues that they need to fix. Inverse.com s ays that this is the most important release in the series’s history. That is true because success with Warzone 2 could cause a massive resurgence in the popularity of COD. Which has been the goal for the past 2 years.
About the Contributor
Kaden Brady, Staff Writer
Kaden is a 17 year old Junior at Jenison High School. He plays football and throws discus and shotput in the spring. He enjoys playing video games and...
