Modern Warfare 2 - First Impressions

Ok, so after umming and ahhing about whether or not to buy MW2 on the PS3 or PC, I decided to go with PC. As I mentioned in my previous post, I simply prefer the keyboard and mouse control that it offers. Also, finding it for $20 cheaper than on the PS3 definitely played a part in the decision.

I've played through the first five chapters of single player, and have spent a couple of hours on multiplayer. My initial impressions? To be honest, I'm a bit underwhelmed by it so far. My main problems with the game are the confusing and poorly told story, having to frequently restart due to numerous deaths caused by not having a clue what's going on around me because there are 40 million explosions all happening at once, and also that the game simply doesn't feel as fresh or as fun as the first Modern Warfare. Going back to what I said about having to restart all the time after dying, I realise that the Call Of Duty games have always been an assault on the senses, and consistently maintain a high level of intensity. The games represent, as closely as a game can, the sheer confusion of a real battlefield. However, in none of the previous games - and I have played and completed them all, except for Call Of Duty 3 - have I ever felt like I have died unfairly. I've lost count of the number of times I've just walked around a corner in MW2 and died instantly after being hammered from all directions by enemies, sometimes even from behind where I thought I had cleared all of the enemies out. To be fair, I am playing on the Hardened difficulty level, but this is the level I played all of the previous games on and I don't recall ever dying quite this much.

In my previous post, I wrote about the potential controversy of the "Airport" scene in this game. After playing through it, I freely admit that I really was quite upset and shocked by the scene. What was equally as upsetting, however, is that after it finished I realised how unnecessary it was. Infinity Ward have said:

"The scene is designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism".

If that's all they were going for, then I guess they were successful, but what was the point? I realise that it serves a purpose in the overall story of the game, but this information could just as easily have been conveyed through one of the between level loading screens. In my opinion there was no point in having this scene as a playable level. Yes, they give you the option of skipping the scene entirely, which going on it's graphic nature would really be a good option for some people, but personally I have no problem with graphic or confronting material as long as it actually serves a purpose. Good developers go through an iteration process where they sort the wheat from the chaff in order to come out with the best game they can, so I just find it strange that this level was included as I don't think it improves the game in any way. I'm keeping an open mind about this, however, as I haven't finished the game yet and it may be touched upon later in the game. If anyone reading this has an opinion, feel free to comment. I'm genuinely curious about other people's reactions to this scene.

Now, on to the multiplayer. I was prepared to bitch and moan about the horrible online experience for the PC version, but I've actually been pleasantly surprised. Almost all of the rounds I've played have been smooth and lag free, and I consistently get three or four green ping bars. In regards to the gameplay itself, it's obviously just a slightly evolved version of the original game's multiplayer. So, it's a hell of a lot of fun is what I'm trying to say. I really like the new rewards, and all of the new weapons are a lot of fun. I can imagine myself playing the online side of this game for a long time to come, just like I did with the first game.

I probably sound pretty negative about the game overall, but I really don't think it's a bad game. I just don't think it lives up to the excellence of the first Modern Warfare. Obviously I've still got a way to go before I finish the game, so it could still pull one out of the bag and really blow me away. Like I said, I've definitely got an open mind about it.