“Modern” Warfare 2
I know I’m late. That’s why I’m avoiding the multiplayer like the plague. I’ll start off with a shitty pop gun, and everyone else has tanks and drones and such. Well, I suppose I had no real intention of playing the multiplayer, I didn’t like it that much in COD4 anyway.
It’s the single player I’m interested in, unlike most. Can it really repeat the thrill ride of COD4? OK, it was only six hours or so, but what a six hours. I’m about halfway through the new one (I think) and I can only really remember 2 truly classic set pieces - going to Plan B in the snow level, and the breathtaking run and gun through the gulag (that’s where I’m up to). The now infamous ‘No Russian’ bit may have shocked on release day but there was no way that was being kept quiet. It just felt like a snail paced bit of plot elaboration to me.
And it commits some cardinal sins. The missions with Roach (your character) seem to include a moment where you are compromised, without fail. Be it falling rocks, ill timed helicopters or falling rubble it all stinks of artificial level lengthening. As does the horrific “I think I saw a stinger on the roof - go fetch it” bits during the Burger Time defence; why not pick the fucker up then?
Another gripe is the way enemies are set, it seems that they are just sat round waiting for you to set off an invisible trip wire, and then spring into action. I assume this is a response to the infinite spawning of enemies in COD4, but it feels far more forced, removing you from the experience.
It’s beautiful though, expertly produced with a filmic touch. The breathless bits are just that, but they fall too far apart though to create a genuinely astonishing experience. All of the presentation is faultless, voice acting, graphics, it’s such a shame that it maybe hasn’t been thought out as well as it could have been.
I keep thinking about the original Wolfenstein game when I play this. It’s just that, times a million, but not a great deal better for it. It’s just running and shooting from place to place until you find the right place to stand to finish that stage.
No doubt I’ll finish this to see what happens (I assume it sets up a now inevitable third game) but it feels like a grind already. When a six hour game is a chore, then there’s something wrong, right?
