Call of Duty with all its might has been going through a journey of development, enhancement and success as mentioned in previous episodes. Still, new ideas and creativity led the game builders to continue introducing the market with sequels over a period. Activision announced a follow-up to the modern warfare series, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2).
Immediately after the work had wrapped up on Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward was set on a mission for another sequel. It was regarded as being bigger and more impressive in every aspect to beat the competitors. The primary step was as usual redesigning the game engine which resulted in iw 4.0, comprising enhanced features and less scripted AI.
After the exhaustive work done to build up an engine and fulfill all the needs, novice features were introduced with more weapons and characters. Only a year later only a few months after Trey Arch’s World at War was released. In 2009, Activision announced a follow-up to the modern warfare series, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2).
MW2 Plot
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) reveals its gripping storyline five years after the events of COD 4 MW. In this action-packed-single-player campaign players inhabit the role of distinct five characters each having a first-player perspective.
Sergent Gary Roach
Sergeant Gary Roach Sanderson, a British operative serving in the elite international special forces units known as Task Force 141. The narrative also allows players to step into the boots of Private 1st-Class Joseph Allen and James Ramirez from the 1st Ranger battalion.
Sergent John Soap MacTavish
Captain John Soap MacTavish now promoted and a senior member of Task Force 141. He serves as Roach’s superior officer and takes over the playable character in the game’s final three missions.
Additionally, during the mighty conflict between the United States and Russia, players briefly experience the perspective of an astronaut in the international space station.
Lieutenant Simon Ghost Riley
In this intricate storyline, non-playable characters play a vital role. Task Force 141 includes Lieutenant Simon Ghost Riley, a British operative recognizable by his skull-print balaclava who serves as the Soap’s second-in-command. On the side of US Army Rangers, Sergeant Foley and his subordinate Corporal Dunn initially led Joseph Allen’s squad, and later Sergeant Foley became James Ramirez’s squad leader. Lieutenant General Shepherd is the commandant of both US Army Rangers and Task Force 141. The game’s diverse locations explore Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Brazil, the United States, Georgia and even outer space.
The game’s storyline unfolds the backdrop of political turmoil and escalating tension. Despite the previous game containing a nuclear crisis, ultranationalists gained control of Russia, with Imran Zakhaev becoming a martyr. This led to the destruction of the diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States.
Vladimir Makarov,
Makarov, radical ultranationalist and Zakhaev’s protégé begins a vengeance against the Western world. The narrative key events include Private First-Class Joseph Allen’s infiltration of Makarov’s terrorist cell which culminates in a devastating mass shooting at Moscow airport. Makarov eliminates Allen, leaving behind his body to falsely implicate the United States in the attack. Meanwhile, Sergeant Gary Roach Sanderson and Captain John Soap MacTavish are assigned to recover an essential satellite module from a Russian-held airbase in Kazakhstan.
The aftermath of the Russian airport massacre caused the launch of its surprise invasion on the East Coast. This invasion is made possible by the capture of a satellite module, which disables American satellites, rendering NORAD blind to attack.
Task Force 141 embarks on a mission to rescue prisoner 627 who is believed to be Makarov nemesis. The prisoner turns out to be Captain John Price. Price rejoins the Task Force and takes an audacious step to level the playing field for the Americans by launching an ICBM from a Russian nuclear submarine. The resulting electromagnetic pulse disables Russian equipment and enables the US counterattack.
MW2 – Shepherd’s Betrayal
Task Force 141 pursues Makarov by targeting a safe-house on the Georgia-Russia border although they do not find him there. The team however retrieves valuable intelligence which they secure before facing a betrayal orchestrated by General Shepherd. Shepherd executes Roach and Ghost while the Shadow Company, a private military organization, clears out the rest of the task force.
Concurrently soap and price search for Makarov at the aircraft boneyard in Afghanistan. Task Force 141 and Makarov briefly shake hands with Makarov divulging Shepherd’s location. Price and Soap then set out to avenge their fallen comrades.
A tense scene unfolds when Soap sustains a critical injury. Shepherd’s treachery is exposed, including his role in exposing Allen to Makarov and instigating the war with Russia. In a pivotal moment, Soap seizes the chance to remove the knife from his own chest and hurls it at Shepherd, ending the General’s life. Nikolai arrives at the eleventh hour to rescue Soap and Price setting the stage for their uncertain future.
MW2 Features
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) is a first-person shooter game with fast-paced gunfights against enemies. The players take roles of a soldier with a range of actions at their disposal, including jumping, sprinting, crouching, going prone and aiming down their weapon sights. When the player is injured, their HUD displays blood splatter indicating the damage taken. Taking the cover allows the player to recover.
Combat Competence
The game offers a variety of conventional firearms like assault rifles, shotguns, handguns and sniper rifles. Some weapons come with attachments such as suppressors and heartbeat sensors. Additionally, players have access to grenades, flashbangs for crowd control, and a knife for crowd combat.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) comprises three distinct game modes: Campaign, Spec Ops and multiplayer.
MW2 Campaign
The campaign is a single-player experience encompassing eighteen levels with a central narrative. Each level consists of a set of objectives, respawning occurs at checkpoints if a player is defeated. Different difficulty levels are available for added challenges.
Spec Ops
Spec Ops offers twenty-three levels designed for solo or cooperative play with a partner. These levels comprise specific challenges such as diffusing multiple bombs in a limited lifetime. In a cooperative play if one player is incapacitated, they can crawl and use a handgun. If not revived, they fail the level. Spec ops include five tiers of difficulty, with later tiers unlockable by earning stars through successful completion of levels.
MW2 Multiplayer
Multiplayer mode offers diverse game types on various maps. The players earn ‘killstreaks’ for consecutive kills, granting advantages. The ‘death streaks’ bonuses help struggling players. The matches end when point thresholds are met or time expires. Experience points lead to level advancements unlocking new weapons and perks.
Acclaims
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) claimed ‘universal acclaim’ for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions and ‘generally positive’ reviews for the PC version according to review aggregator Metacritic. Its in-depth story mode and multiplayer stole the show.
Game informer praised the game for its refinement and evolution within the series along with the impressive presentation and abundant playable content. IGN called it a ‘no-brainer purchase’ for its outstanding multiplayer and engaging campaign.
1UP.com stated;
“Mixing real-world locations with bombastic set-pieces MW2 continues the guided, thrill ride experiences of its predecessor, and adds even more depth to its multiplayer offerings. It might not have fixed all the problems from the first game, but there’s just so much quality content packed into this game that it will almost certainly be one of the most-played games in your library for a long time to come.”
GameTrailers stated;
“The air of unpredictability and the care that was paid to each separate element put it in lofty company. The multiplayer hasn’t received an overhaul, but considering most shooters are still playing catch-up with Call of Duty 4, the tweaks and twists make it the best multiplayer shooting experience in the industry. Few games meet such high expectations.”
Sales
According to the NPD Group, in November 2009 Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) sold about 4.2 million units for the Xbox 360 and 1.87 million units for PlayStation 3 in the US. In Japan, it sold 64000 copies of the PlayStation 3 and 42000 copies of the Xbox 360 in its first week, followed by 117000 copies of the PlayStation 3 and 61000 copies of the Xbox 360 later on.
Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) was ranked as the eighth best-selling video game in the US in August 2018. Surprisingly it outsold the most recent entry in the series, Call of Duty WW2. In the previous month before its backward compatibility release, Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) was only at the 321st position on the best sellers list. In November 2013, IGN put the game’s sales at 22.7 million.
MW2 Controversy
Some journalists accused the designers of cultural insensitivity, citing the use of Arabic rather than Urdu on the signs and the banners in the Karachi multiplayer map based on the real-life city of Karachi in Pakistan.
No Russian Mission
In the campaign’s ‘no Russian ‘mission, players assume the role of an undercover CIA agent involved in a mass shooting at Moscow airport to gain the trust of a Russian terrorist group. The mission begins with a player and four other gunmen exiting an elevator and opening fire on a large group of civilians at the security checkpoint. As they progress through the airport, more civilians are killed, and the only legitimate targets are security personnel encountered indoors and a heavily armed group on the tarmac.
The level is graphic, with screams and injured individuals leaving blood trails or seeking refuge. Importantly, players are never compelled to participate in the massacre and can choose to let their comrades carry it out. The level was highly criticized for letting the players take part in the terrorist attack.
MW2 Final Word
With its huge fame and praise, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) earned the “Best Overall Game of 2009” award from GameSpy and GameTrailers and hence narrowly reached the audiences’ expectations in a shorter period. The game kept on progressing with enormity with more incredible sequels.
Read Also:
The Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Milestone Achieved
Call Of Duty 3: All Rumors till Reality
