LAST year was a weak one for the world’s most popular gaming series, Call of Duty, as both Vanguard, and free-to-play Warzone were panned by fans and critics alike.
Call of Duty’s active players fell to the lowest numbers in a decade, and Activision had to do something big to win players back around.
One of the best Call of Duty campaigns to date.
The 2019 reboot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was one of the best-received entries to date, and so a sequel seemed like a safe bet.
It seems to have worked, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 feeds into players’ nostalgia for the series, giving us a new story starring Soap MacTavish, Ghost and Captain Price.
Fighting terrorists is a story you’ve seen a dozen times before in the series, but MW2’s presentation and gameplay sets it apart.
The visuals are impressive, keeping a steady 60fps on PS5, and the photorealistic recreation of Amsterdam is already a hit with fans.
It mixes fast-paced sections where you guide high-speed rockets, with refreshing slower-paced moments.
The missions are inspired by the original trilogy. While they stay the same, the ones chosen are iconic for a reason and are now better than ever before.
There are still the heavy-hitting moments the series is known for as you blast your way ever forward while collecting weapons.
But they are mixed in with stealth tasks, such as infiltrating a dock and taking down soldiers with silent takedowns.
MW2 keeps you on your toes, mixing in enough fresh ideas while keeping the gameplay we all know and love.
Not all of the missions are a hit — one where you take part in an armed convoy sticks out — and a few overstay their welcome, while others feel tonally strange.
However, there’s enough standout missions, such as late-game mission Alone, to help you forget the flops.
Alone is incredibly tense, stripping you of weaponry and forcing you to scavenge and craft.
It’s a relatively underused idea and one that gives the game an explosive ending.
You’ll still find Call of Duty’s revolving door of Russian, Nazi, and Middle Eastern enemies, but there is one blonde American boy that gives you hope that the series is stepping into self-reflection.
MW2 is undeniably still a Call of Duty game, and cannot boast the creative steps other shooters like Titanfall 2 have delivered.
However, the latest game is one of the best Call of Duty campaigns to date, with a surprising number of engaging moments for the series.
Those who pre-ordered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have early access to the single-player campaign now.
For everyone else the game launches on October 28 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PS5, and PC.
Written by Dave Aubrey and Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
