Games Thirst Review: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Player(s): Offline 1-4/Co-op 1-2, Online 2-18/Co-op 1-2
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: (NA) November 10, 2009
Platform(s): Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC)
Rated: Mature

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was one of most successful and highly praised FPS games of all time, so how exactly do you top something like that when the bar has been raised so high?

What Infinity Ward managed to do with Modern Warfare 2 is create a game that manages to immerse you in a way that Call of Duty 4 couldn't do as well. Unlike in other war games where the battle takes place in foreign countries, Russia brings the fight to American soil making you feel like there is far more at risk then before.

The story takes place 5 years after the conclusion to Call of Duty 4. Ultranationalists have managed to seize complete control of Russia despite our heroes' attempts to stop this in the previous game, with Imran Zakhaev now being declared a hero and martyr.

Meanwhile, one of Imran's former lieutenants named Vladimir Makarov starts committing numerous acts of terrorism against Europe and due to events that happen during the game, America is blamed for one of the largest terrorist attacks which results in Russia invading the states and sparking a large-scale war.

The story to Modern Warfare 2 is very engaging and far more intense and dramatic then the first game and while MW2's campaign doesn't last very long, the amount of jaw-dropping moments Infinity Ward managed to cram into that amount of time is amazing.

That is my only complaint about this entire game is the fact that it's story mode is way too short which you think would have been fixed considering that was one of the biggest complaints that Call of Duty 4 received.

Thankfully there is plenty to make up for it. The newest edition to the game is a mode called "Spec-Ops" which are various missions you can do either solo, split-screen or online. There missions vary quite a bit but most of them are taken directly from the game's campaign and some of them are even from Call of Duty 4.

Now let's face facts, most people went out and bought this game because of the multiplayer. Call of Duty 4 has some of the best multiplayer you could find on any console so did Infinity Ward actually manage to improve on that? Yes they did. A large amount of weapons, customizable and unlockable callsigns and emblems, larger maps and a ton more killstreak rewards including a freaking tactical nuke if you can manage to get a 25 kill streak going.

I knew when I got this game that I would be pleased because Infinity Ward hardly fails to do that so when the game managed to blow me away, I wasn't surprised. It took everything about the first Modern Warfare and made it better with new modes, better graphics, an even more in-depth multiplayer system and a far more epic story.

Keep in mind however that the story doesn't last as long as I would have liked. Playing non-stop I managed to wrap up the entire campaign in around 10 hours, which isn't really all that bad for a game as linear as this.

Pros:
- Intense and epic campaign
- Incredibly in-depth and improved multiplayer
- Fantastic musical score
- Spec Ops co-op mode is addicting
- Graphics are great looking

Cons:
- Campaign is once again too short

10/10

Modern Warfare 2 Patch Now Live On 360 And PS3

For the past little while, a hack has been spreading through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that allowed for infinite ammo and other private match glitches like a contagious virus throughout the gaming community.

A patch to fix this issue has been released on the Xbox 360 version of the game so now the problem is fixed console-wide. If you have resorted to playing Call of Duty 4 to avoid the problem you will happy to know that it is no more.

Does this mean that another hack or horrible glitch might raise it's ugly head to strike once more? Probably but by the looks of things, Infinity Ward is keep a close eye out.

12/24/09 Colton West

Call Of Duty Dominates Xbox Live Activity, Xbox 360 Renamed COD Box

Major Nelson has said on his blog that Call of Duty occupied three out of the top four slots for Xbox Live activity during the second week of December. It comes as a surprise to no one that Modern Warfare 2 is at the top of the list, but the fact that World at War and the original Modern Warfare are among the top 5 is incredible. Now you understand why EA has taken notice?

Halo 3 is also in the top 5; Halo 3. The game's been out for a very long time and even with ODST just recently coming to the market, players a still stuck like glue to Master Chief and the gang.

here's the full thing:

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
2. Halo 3
3. Call of Duty: World at War
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
5. Left 4 Dead 2
6. FIFA 10
7. Assassin's Creed II
8. Grand Theft Auto IV
9. Madden NFL 10
10. Gears of War 2

Here are the online activity results of other games being played on the 360.

Xbox 360 Arcade Titles
1. Trials HD
2. Call of Duty Classic
3. Madden NFL Arcade
4. Castle Crashers
5. Magic: The Gathering
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
7. A Kingdom for Keflings
8. Hasbro Family Game Night (combined sales of all Hasbro Family Game Night titles)
9. Shadow Complex
10. Battlefield 1943

Xbox 360 Indie Titles
1. The Impossible Game
2. myChristmas
3. Avatar Drop
4. Head Shot 2
5. I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES!!!1
6. Avatar Avenue
7. Don't B Nervous Talking 2 Girls
8. Inside Lacrosse's CL2010
9. A Killer's Dream
10. Miner Dig Deep

OG Xbox Live Titles
1. Halo 2
2. Star Wars: Battlefront 2
3. Counter-Strike
4. Fable
5. Conker: Live and Reloaded
6. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
7. Star Wars: Battlefront
8. Doom 3
9. Call of Duty 3
10. Star Wars: Republic Heroes

Via GameInformer.

12/17/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Modern Warfare 2 Hit By Another Glitch, Again

Ever since Modern Warfare 2 was released, the online portion of the game which is mostly where all the excitement is, has been plagued with glitch after glitch keeping Infinity Ward on their toes as they try to stay atop of the situation.

This time, players can grab unlimited ammo and unleash the wrath of hot metal into their enemies bodies... video after the read.

Studio boss Robert Bowling's acknowledged the situation and promised a fix "soon enough," so it won't be too long victims. It won't be too long either cheaters.

12/16/09 Ernice Gilbert

Sony don't plan on banning MW2 "Javelin" glitch users

While Microsoft plans on banning XBL members who take advantage of the glitch dubbed "Javelin" in Modern Warfare 2, Sony has no plans to follow in its competitor's footsteps.

"I don't believe we're banning people for using the glitch," a Sony representative told CVG.

So you know what that means? PS3 users can cheat till they're convicted of sin, or at least till the glitch is fixed. Will be soon so....

12/04/09 Ernice Gilbert

EA Boss: I want back the FPS crown from Activision

Medal of Honor is going the modern warfare route and it's no coincidence. In fact according to EA boss John Riccitiello, it's a bid to take back the FPS crown from Activision.

"I'm not saying that's it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activsion sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and own the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter] between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," Riccitiello told Kotaku.

"And we're going to get there with innovation and quality."

Bad Company 2 is now head to head with Infinity Ward's best, and the new Medal of Honor will take place in modern Afghanistan, according to Riccitiello.

"The first [Bad Company] did very well in its first outing. The next one is a heck of a lot better and looks like a worthy competitor to Modern Warfare," he said.

Get a first look of Medal of Honor at the VGAs on December 12th, the game will hit retail sometime next year for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

12/03/09 Ernice Gilbert

I'm "dreaming" to see a MW2 movie, says game writer Jesse Stern

Modern Warfare 2 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time, and now Activision says the franchise has surpassed more than $3 billion in sales. Hollywood is taking notice and according to MW2 writer Jesse Stern, a movie adaption of the block busting franchise is something that should not be too far off.

In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Stern was asked what were his thoughts on games as the new comics of movie adaptions, to which he responded:

"I grew up a giant comic book fan and a lot of those titles I was always just chomping up, waiting to see them happen on screen," he said. "And I never really thought I'd get to see the day where there was X-Men movies and Iron Man movies and all the marvel comics I grew up with and I love that. I think that they've done a great job with most of them.

Jesse Stern is obviously pleased with the job Hollywood has done at adapting his favorite comics, however he feels the games adaptations have been less than stellar.

"I think the success rate with adapting videogames in the past has not been as high, but obviously the people know that these are commodities. People spend an awful lot of time in these worlds and now they get really tied to these characters. I wouldn't be surprised to see all the videogames start coming to the big screen in the next few years. They're licensing boardgames right now, so it makes a lot of sense that videogames would follow.

Stern's biggest dream though, is to see the game he wrote make it to Hollywood.

"I don't know that there's one that I'm dreaming of seeing other than Call of Duty."

11/27/09 Ernice Gilbert

Modern Warfare 2 DLC scheduled for spring says Bowling

You will have to wait awhile to get some DLC for MW2, because according to Infinity boss Robert Bowling, that won't happen until sometime in "spring."

"DLC is planned for the wonderfully vague time frame of spring. I'll let you know when it'll be done," Robert said through his twitter page.

No details at all were divulged. But rest assured it'll contain some new modes and maps, that's a safe bet.

Thanks JPS.

11/26/09 Ernice Gilbert

Call of Duty DLC could generate up to $140 million according to analyst

According to broadpoint AM Tech analyst Ben Schachter, DLC for Call of Duty could do pretty well next year for Acti and Infinity.

"As with the last two Call of Duty titles, the game itself should maintain its $60 price until the next iteration, but Activision will also benefit significantly from the high-margin DLC enabled by the packaged product's success," he said.

"We estimate that Activision will generate at least $100-$140 million in gross income from Call of Duty in 2010.

"Though the company has not announced anything, we would not be surprised to see the content expand significantly beyond map packs to include new missions, modes of play, and in-game items. The point is that Call of Duty fan base will pay for the additional content, and we expect Infinity Ward to monetize that throughout 2010."

IndustryGamers has more.

11/26/09 Ernice Gilbert

Judge calls in sick to play Modern Warfare 2 all day

Here's some news to brighten up your day. A judge named Will, saw it fit to forget about the all important job of convicting villains and called in sick the day after the midnight launch of Modern Warfare 2, so he could get his game on for the entire day; who cares about convicting sinners.

"[It was like] Charlie waiting outside the chocolate factory," Will said.

"As soon as the package was in his hands, he ran home and sat up long into the night machine-gunning his alarming life like enemies," according to The Times. "The following day, tired but happy, he feigned sickness to get out of his commitments despite the chaos that would inevitably cause."

Really intriguing vibes right there. Ah the pull of gaming; a judge forgets about his duty and decides to play 'Call of Duty.' Heh.

11/23/09 Ernice Gilbert

Response to "no Russian" airport scene has been fascinating says MW2 writer

Jesse Stern, the man behind the script of Modern Warfare 2, opened up to Gamepro in a recent interview, shedding light on why they went ahead with the controversial "no Russian" airport scene, saying it's a "risk we had to take" and that "the response has been fascinating".

"When we tested the level, it was interesting. Steve Mancuda, who ran a lot of testing, said people would get angry or sad or disgusted and immediately wonder what the hell was going on here. And then after a few moments of having that experience, they would remember that they were in a video game and they would let go.

"Every single person in testing opened fire on the crowd, which is human nature. It feels so real but at the same time it's a video game and the response to it has been fascinating. I never really knew you could elicit such a deep feeling from a video game, but it has.

"I hope that people don't just look at it as being this simplistic and brutal sequence. We've done our best to treat it with care and not to make it gratuitous. The effect of it is you absolutely hate this guy, and the war that takes place in the game is set in motion.

"I hope that game developers take the lesson that you've got to try things. You've got to go out on a limb sometimes. This is a triple A game and the top grosser of all time with this huge budget behind it, yet we're still taking major chances wherever we can and the airport level was a risk we had to take.

"Sometimes you take huge risks and it really works. Sometimes it doesn't work at all. but if you don't take the chance, you're not going to make something new."

Revealing stuff.

11/21/09 Ernice Gilbert

MW2 cost $50 million to make, 8 million played online in one week

This is no small fit, Modern Warfare 2 is more than just a game it seems, there's a movement behind this juggernaut title. According to the L.A Times more than 8 million played the game online in it's first week at retail, which means that the game has really outdone all all the estimates set for it.

It cost $40-$50 million to produce MW2, people close to the close to the project reckoned, about as much as a mid-size film.

"My goal was to create a launch that would compare very favorable with the biggest box offices of all time," Activision/Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick said.

"With multiplayer we deliver hundreds of thousands of hours of gameplay for about the same price as taking the family to the movies," he bragged.

And with good reason, the man's bathing in millions of dollars from his stock options, tens of millions actually. Support Kotick some more will ya? Go buy MW2 if you haven't as yet, you're missing out on some serious fun. Wait, that don't sound right.

11/19/09 Ernice Gilbert

Rumor Thirst: Call of Duty movie coming to a theater near you?

Kevin Mckidd, the voice actor for Soap McTavish in the Modern Warfare 1 and 2 games has hinted in a recent interview with the New York Post that a Call of Duty film is in the works.

"They were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood, they were probably couldn't get Gerard Butler so they got the number 2. Gerard Butler, me. I had no idea it would be so huge, and now there are talks of a feature film," the actor said.

He's not shying away from the hopes that he might receive the role either.

"If the script is good and Gerard isn't available [laughter] then obviously," Kevin said.

Although this remains a rumor, it most probably is true because a few months ago, trademark did some searching around and found that the Call of Duty licence has been reserved for future film use.

If true, I'm guessing we'll have another butchered movie iteration of a game, or we could see a huge blockbuster hitting theaters not too far in the future. Don't hold your breathe for the latter.

11/19/09 Ernice Gilbert

In the UK MW2 sells over 1.7 million units in one week

In the UK Modern Warfare 2 shattered all sales records when it sold 1.25 million units on the first day of its release, and now Chart-Track has confirmed that the title has sold over 1.7 million units in the UK in one week. Chart-Track also confirmed that the Xbox 360 lead the way with total sales of over 1 million units.

The title obliterates the previous record of 927,000 held by Grand Theft Auto IV and grossed a substantial £67.4 million in the one week it has been on sale. The game did so well that it made almost double the entire UK entertainment software market the lat week.

It'll will undoubtedly take years for any other game to break the record set by Modern Warfare 2, but there are a few titles in mind that may have the pull to do it. GTA V comes to mind, also another Modern Warfare title is guaranteed to come our way soon and it too will obviously have the potential of breaking its own record.

But it depends of how Modern Warfare 2 was received, all indications points to a positive reception from gamers, however more time is needed to know for sure. Good going Infinity.

11.16.09 Ernice Gilbert

Rumor Thirst: Modern Warfare 2 character "Ghost" getting his own spin-off title?

According to a report from a UK launch event for Modern Warfare 2, actor Craig Fairbrass revealed that Infinity Ward is in talks about creating spin-off title featuring Sergeant Simon "Ghost" Riley from Modern Warfare 2.

"I did in the last game a voice for a character called Gaz and in this game I'm now voicing a guy called Ghost, who now just got a spin-off comic of his own and they're talking about another little game to go with it," Fairbrass mysteriously said during the launch event.

Was he allowed to say this and what exactly does he mean by "little game"? It is unconfirmed as of now, but will it come in the form of DLC or a full blown game?

11/16/09 Colton West

Video Thirst: You've got to see this amazing knife throw in MW2

Some may call it a fluke, but this might as well be the best knife throw anyone could pull off in Modern Warfare 2.

Yes for those of you who don't know, you can throw knives in the game, and it's the best throw I've ever seen. See it for yourself below.

11.15.09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Guy goes mad after playing MW2 for 17hrs straight

Um, the media is going to have a field day with this one. This guy played Modern Warfare 2 for 17 hours nonstop and.....

He's furious.

Mature audiences only, there's some obscene language in the vid. Watch after the jump.

11.14.09 Ernice Gilbert

Heavy Rain producer adds his two cents on MW2 controversy

The game you're most likely playing right now is causing quite a stir outside the gaming world. As we reported, Fox Noise News had to lend their lips to the controversy and now Russia has banned the game because of the "No Russian" airport scene.

So you can imagine what's going through devs minds throughout this industry; some must be thinking about the implications of said issue and what it means for the games they develop in the future. Well Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumiere think it's ridiculous that games get treated this way.

"My take is very simple. I don't see any reason why video games should be treated differently than movies, for instance," he told MTV. "I think that we should leave game creators free of expressing their vision as they see fit. I think the guys at Infinity Ward had something very precise in mind when they did the scene.

"The real danger for me is, when you put out such a scene out of context. I can take any movie and take a sequence and make up a story and it will look like something that's amoral or that crosses the line. This is most of the times what happens in video games [in the media].

Well put Mr. Fondaumiere, well put.

Get more up there.

11/14/09 Ernice Gilbert

In Russia, "No Russian" MW2 scene causes stir, game gets banned

That "No Russian" scene in Modern Warfare 2 just won't go away, and now in Russia, gamers and politicians alike are railing over the segment that "Portrays Russian armed forces as terrorists who invade the United States and subsequently erect statues of dead terrorists in Washington D.C."

The Russian version has since been censored and is now waiting approval from the government, and if all goes well, it should be released within a month's time.

Russian gaming website GotPS3 is packed with furious Russian gamers who see the segment as only catering to American audiences and not putting into perspective other cultures, especially the Russians, since the game depicts them as terrorists.

My opinion on this situation is, if the scene was done correctly, and I believe if was, there should be no feud over it. Of course it's controversial, but why are movies not scrutinized like this? Why should video games be treated as children entertainment when it's clearly for all ages, just like movies; it's downright hypocritical. Note, if a mass massacre scene in either a movie or game is just plastered with no tie-in to the story's overall plot, then shame on the directors and creators in either medium, and there should be lasting disgust amongst the people [media].

But when something is well done, although it may offend some, there is no reason why creators should have to fear backlash. Personally, what I hope comes out of this situation is that people outside and even some inside the gaming industry finally get that games are not played by only kids anymore. It's an industry that has grown by leaps and bounds.

Get more through here.

11/14/09 Ernice Gilbert

Chart-Track slams Pachter over MW2 sales doubts

Overnight, Pachter said to VG247 that he doubts Modern Warfare 2 sold 1.23 million units in the UK on the first day, a move that caused Chart-Track estimates to be questioned. Chart-Tracked has responded:

"UK retailers have been at the forefront of electric data capture for decades, which in turn allows us to capture daily sales from 99% of retailers on our panel," Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch said.

"That's over 6000 retail outlets plus all the etailers - currently 25 different store fronts."

What say you now Pachter? Hit the link up there to get full details on how CT arrived at their numbers.

11/11/09 Ernice Gilbert