I just finished Modern Warfare 2. I wrote in my previous post about not being overly impressed by the game, but still hoping that it might blow me away as I continued playing. This never happened, unfortunately. Sure, it had its exciting moments, but for the first time in any Call Of Duty game I actually found myself growing slightly bored as the game went on. I found the final couple of levels in Afghanistan particularly uninspiring, and by this point I was just eager to get the game over and done with.
Going on all of the rave reviews from the press and gamers alike I get the feeling I'm in the minority with my opinion, but overall the game just never really "clicked" for me. My problems with the game that I mentioned in my previous post still stand. The story was confusing, and very poorly conveyed. I honestly didn't have a clue what was happening most of the time, or what my objectives were or why the hell I was supposed to care. I did find myself dying less as the game went on, however. I think it was mainly just the tight, death-trap streets of the Rio de Janeiro that were the main cause of my frustration regarding this aspect of the game's difficulty.
I still feel very uneasy about the worth of the "Airport" level, also. I'm still not convinced that it was necessary to have it as a playable level in the game. The fact that you can choose not to play the level, and not have it affect the story completion, attests to the fact that it could easily have been left out.
I'll still play the multiplayer side of the game to death, however, which I guess is really the main attraction of the Modern Warfare games anyway.
Showing posts with label modern warfare 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label modern warfare 2. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Modern Warfare 2 controversy
It just seems like controversy after controversy for Infinity Ward lately. First all of the hooplah about no dedicated server support for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, and now outrage over the leaked footage from the game in which you play a terrorist and shoot civilians in an airport.
In regards to the first controversy, about the PC online experience being neutered, like most other PC gamers I am pretty pissed off about this. So Infinity Ward want it to be more like a console experience, and also allow themselves to maintain more control over the online side of the PC game? Thanks, but no thanks. I have a PS3, if I wanted to have a console experience for MW2 then I would purchase the game for that console. When it comes to First Person Shooter games, however, I still much prefer the more refined experience offered by the PC. As much as I enjoyed Killzone 2 recently on the PS3, nothing really compares to the precise mouse control that you can get on the PC.
In regards to the second controversy, about the terrorist airport subplot, I'm definitely on Infinity Ward's side over this one. Infinity Ward are one of the most effective developers when it comes to creating games that really immerse you in the experience. Going right back to the first Call Of Duty, I have regularly found their games to be psychologically traumatic experiences. They have never shied away from presenting the utter brutality of war, while also maintaining a perfect balance between fun gameplay and intense scenarios.
Infinity Ward have said that:
"The scene is designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism".
If they manage to put as much thought into this scenario as they do all of their others, then I'm sure that the scene will achieve its intended purpose.
They have also said:
"At the beginning of the game, players encounter a mandatory "checkpoint" in which they are warned that an upcoming segment may contain disturbing elements and they can choose not to engage in the gameplay that involves this scene."
So, they're giving players the option to skip this scene. Surely this type of socially and morally responsible action by Infinity Ward should allay any fears that media watchdogs might have about the scenario? Umm, no. Jane Roberts, president of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, now wants the game to reassessed by the Classification Board. As the game is already MA15+, the maximum rating allowed under the Draconian Australian game classification system, then if she was successful this would mean the game would be "RC", or refused classification, essentially banning it from sale in Australia.
Now, to anyone who follows the Australian gaming scene this should really come as no surprise. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but if you want to read my thoughts on the classification system in that country then read this:
http://gamertron5000.blogspot.com/2008/10/refused-classification.html
I wrote that when I was living in Australia last year, and unfortunately a year later the situation is no different than it was then.
Hopefully this will all just turn out to be a storm in a teacup, and the game will still be released in Australia unedited. But going on how the Classification board has forced other developers - such as Bethesda, Valve etc - to compromise their artistic vision when it comes to their games, I wouldn't really be suprised if the same thing happens to Infinity Ward.
In the end, will any of this really hurt the success of the game overall? No chance. Modern Warfare 2 is set to be the biggest product launch ever, of any type of media. That's a pretty amazing thing, and if any developer deserves it it is Infinity Ward. But, you know, how about giving us PC gamers dedicated server support and modding tools? No? Really? Oh well, you can't blame me for trying.
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