The game shares a name with 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is widely considered to be one of the best entries in the series. Most Call of Duty games are known for their online component, and it is not difficult to understand why. The series has a history of serving up well-designed maps where players can show off their marksmanship to other players around the world, or just enjoy private matches with friends. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, however, is a little different, as its singleplayer campaign brought a jaw-droppingly good story that made waves in the gaming world.
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Modern Warfare 2 Is a Modern Game
In terms of gameplay, Modern Warfare 2 presents a smooth experience that has been emulated by subsequent games. Players can move in a relatively realistic fashion, and they have the ability to run, crouch, jump, and lie prone. Staying out of the line of fire allows health to replenish, meaning the action is never on pause for too long, and a wide array of guns and other weapons including grenades and flashbangs let players get creative with how they tackle enemies. The result is a series of nonstop exhilarating moments and gun-firing that is hard to not get addicted to.
Modern Warfare 2 also stands out by taking military warfare to uncomfortably familiar places. Players will find themselves shooting through favelas filled with colorful houses, as well as suburban homes on American streets and in fast food joints. The focus on an urban setting also allows for some incredible levels that have players shooting it out on Pennsylvania Avenue and eventually winding through The White House.
Modern Warfare 2’s Trigger
Like all good stories, Modern Warfare 2 has a potent catalyst for its main events. Skillfully, players are lured into caring about the characters on-screen and the outcome of the frenzied gunfights. The game begins with a world filled with tense political relationships, especially between the USA and Russia. Vladimir Makarov is an enemy of America, but his terrorist organization has been infiltrated by an American named Joseph Allen. Allen, who is being controlled by players, is undercover, and he joins Makarov as his team heads to a Russian airport to enact a terrorist attack. Allen is powerless to protest because that would mean blowing his cover. The scene of the terrorist attack is a bloody one, as Makarov and his men unload into a crowded area. However, when the deed is done, Makarov turns on Allen and kills him. When his body is found, America is blamed for the attack, sparking a massive war.
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Upon release, Modern Warfare 2 received critical acclaim and great commercial success, managing to sell 4.7 million copies in the West in its first 24 hours. However, the airport terrorist mission, titled “No Russian,” generated intense controversy. Some critics believed it was distasteful to make players take part in a mass shooting. Reporter Marc Cieslak, for instance, described it as being “controversial for the sake of being controversial” and felt that it did not need to be in the game. For others, however, the mission represented a milestone in gaming, signaling that games were finally becoming mature enough to deal with complex topics and make players ask themselves difficult questions.
The Story Behind Modern Warfare 2’s Story
Although players can skip No Russian entirely, it plays a key part in the game’s narrative. As Mohammad Alavi, the game designer, explained, his job with the level was to “sell why Russia would attack the US, make the player have an emotional connection to the bad guy Makarov, and do that in a memorable and engaging way.” On all three fronts, the mission is highly successful. Although players can choose to not shoot a single innocent soul, throughout the mission, players are inches away from Makarov as he massacres defenseless people. Players see first-hand how evil Makarov is, and then they get to experience his double-crossing when he kills Allen to frame America for the attack.
The brutality of the terrorist attack fuels players to want to seek revenge against Makarov and make him pay for what he has done. However, the feeling that Makarov inspires within players is the same feeling that is behind much of the violence in the game. Following the terrorist attack, Russia invades the USA’s Eastern Coast, and this only ramps up the bloodshed. A cycle of violence has begun, and while a select few Machiavellians like Makarov benefit from it, for everyone else, it produces nothing but misery. In this way, Modern Warfare 2 problematizes the notion of revenge, making players both enjoy the thrill of it while illustrating the evils it brings forth.
Modern Warfare 2 Stays Close to Home
Despite the action-packed scenarios that players may find themselves in, Modern Warfare 2’s campaign manages to resonate and remain impactful by weaving relatable themes into its narrative. The chaos enacted by Makarov and his men in the Russian airport speaks directly to the fear surrounding air travel safety, which was still high when the game was released in 2009. Modern Warfare 2 also illustrates that often, there is just as much reason to be afraid of one’s own government as there is to be afraid of terrorist organizations. Although Makarov is the trigger for much of the world mayhem, none of it is possible without governments overextending their hand in response to terrorism.
Modern Warfare 2 is a well-crafted game so beyond its time that the 2020 remaster needed few changes in terms of gameplay. Its singleplayer campaign is a masterclass in video game storytelling that demonstrates how to effectively get players deeply invested in a plot early on, and how to powerfully motivate them against an antagonist. With 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, one can only hope that it reaches the narrative and gameplay heights of its predecessor.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. The remastered version is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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