Modern Warfare 2’s campaign has gone live ahead of its full October 28 launch, reuniting with Task Force 141 and bringing in new faces.
Infinity Ward went all-out, bringing more of their stellar game design and excellent character work to a short but serviceable story.
Task Force 141 is back.
After assembling at the end of Modern Warfare 2019, the team of British Special Forces operatives are undertaking missions around the world.
While trying to capture an Iranian general who’s funding terrorist organization Al Qatala, our heroes discover that American missiles are in the hands of these terrorists so they embark on a globe-trotting mission to find them.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s campaign went live in early access for digital pre-orders on October 20, over a week before the game’s full launch.
While Call of Duty has never felt or looked better and the new actors did a stellar job, Modern Warfare 2 brings a largely forgettable but serviceable plot.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Key details Developer: Infinity Ward Infinity Ward Price: $69.
99 USD / £59.
99 GBP $69.
99 USD / £59.
99 GBP Release Date: October 28, 2022 (October 20 for Campaign Early Access) October 28, 2022 (October 20 for Campaign Early Access) Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Modern Warfare 2 gameplay trailer Call of Duty never felt or looked better The gameplay is, of course, a major strong point of Modern Warfare 2’s campaign.
Infinity Ward have understood what worked best in the original — tactically moving through buildings, night-vision sections, and action-packed set-pieces — and used them to allow each mission to feel unique.
It’ll be no surprise to hear that Infinity Ward have done a stellar job with the game’s visuals, weapon feel, and audio.
The devs have outdone themselves, with Call of Duty feeling even more immersive than Modern Warfare 2019.
You’ll also find that game is significantly more difficult than previous entries because of the AI.
The enemies aren’t just mindless stormtroopers anymore, they can be quite deadly.
They’ll flank you, hide in awkward spots to catch you unaware, and give you almost no time to react when pre-aiming a corner.
Short but forgettable plot serves its purpose While Modern Warfare 2019 put players in painfully realistic scenarios, forcing them to make tough decisions where civilian lives were on the line, Modern Warfare 2 goes in another direction.
While there are still a few uncomfortable moments, such as chasing a target through people’s homes and threatening them with guns, for better or worse, the focus is more on action-packed fun than the grim reality of war.
The roughly six-hour campaign’s plot is rather formulaic but serves its purpose well.
It allows Task Force 141 to operate around the world, bringing a different atmosphere to each mission, and includes a few twists and surprises along the way.
Modern Warfare 2 did feel a little bit rushed toward the end with a mediocre boss fight leading into the game’s underwhelming final mission.
But, it wrapped up Modern Warfare 2’s story neatly, and the ending and post-credit scene were a nice tease for the future of the series.
Mexico shines while the rest falls flat It’s the Mexico-based missions with Alejandro, Ghost, Soap, and Graves that allows Modern Warfare 2’s campaign to shine.
Although it does get a bit silly in places, where Mexican Special Forces members are taking out hordes of cartel-payrolled Mexican Army soldiers with seemingly no repercussions, the plot remains tight and the emotional beats strong.
On the other side of the globe, Price, Gaz, and Laswell are trying to track down the other missing missiles.
While it’s great to reunite with Price and Gaz, who now have a much more relaxed and brotherly relationship, these missions don’t quite live up to the Mexico storyline.
They end up being quite run-of-the-mill, with the exception of the convoy mission where Gaz falls out of the helicopter and must jump from vehicle to vehicle like an Uncharted action sequence — although the mission’s length could probably have been chopped in half.
There’s also a take on the fan-favorite All Ghillied Up mission but its open-world design holds it back from reaching the heights of the 2007’s all-time classic.
The mission’s scale is impressive but the setting is relatively bland, and the tension just isn’t there in the same way.
Characters & humor stand out Returning actors such as Price’s Barry Sloane were as good as ever, but it was the newcomers that were the standout additions in Modern Warfare 2.
Alain Mesa’s Alejandro became an instant favorite and Samuel Roukin brought new life to Ghost’s wannabe one-man army persona.
While quite different from Kevin McKidd’s grizzled Soap, Neil Ellice did a great job of introducing us to this more fresh-faced version, and his utter horror at some of the game’s more shocking moments was endearing.
Plus, it was great to hear Gaz’s Elliot Knight flex his comedy chops while dangling from a rope after falling out of a helicopter.
Infinity Ward’s use of humor throughout was effective, and I’m glad to say they didn’t go Thor: Love and Thunder-levels of overboard.
The characters chatting to each other throughout the levels allowed the new actors to shine without cramming all of the dialogue into cutscenes.
In one mission, Ghost is leading Soap through a hostile area over radio, and the two can’t help but bicker and poke fun at each other.
Although, I’d hoped we were past tired exchanges such as Ghost’s “say that again in English” remarks whenever Soap uses a Scottish phrase.
Modern Warfare 2 campaign verdict Overall, Modern Warfare 2 brings an extremely fun campaign with a largely forgettable plot.
There won’t be any missions that stick in players’ minds like the original All Ghillied Up or 2019’s Clean House, but Task Force 141’s new faces should remain fan-favorite Call of Duty characters for years to come.
Be sure to stay tuned for our complete review of Modern Warfare 2 once the multiplayer drops with its full launch on October 28, 2022. Reviewed on PC Image Credit: Activision / Infinity Ward
