As someone who loved the whole 2019 modern war Rebooting, I’m sorry to say, unexpectedly, I found the MW2 activity to be largely unimpressive.But its multiplayer — launch issues aside — is the funniest game I’ve ever played call-of-duty in age.
I could draft an entire article about how a shootout has never felt better, or how Infinity Ward is once again taking the hard-earned way to push the core CoD formula in a meaningful way. After two extremely predictable premium releases in Black Ops: Cold War (2020) and Vanguard (2021), Modern Warfare 2 feels like home. Yes, the current UI is pretty rough and the new perk system is going to cause more balance issues than usual, but its MP core is rock solid – especially when choosing a three-lane slaughterhouse that doesn’t feel like actively killing the brain map time cells.
For many hardcore CoD players reading this, the last sentence may be “No, I’m done”, but bear with me. I’m well aware that a good portion of these gaming communities gravitate toward more traditional three-lane maps with clear sightlines and easy-to-remember corners; after all, these are easier to “work” for competitive games. But that’s not how most maps feel in the most popular CoD entry of the PS3/360 era.
For example, let’s start with a brief review of OG Modern Warfare classics Crash and Crossfire. These maps feel completely different (except for the plethora of camping spots). While the former’s action revolves around a crashed helicopter and multiple dangerous buildings, the latter encourages a more cautious playstyle and long-range engagement. Maps like Showdown and Vacant (or were – and still are – Shipment madness) dealt with “run n’ gun” matches. We all agree completely.
If we move forward with Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Modern Warfare 3, and earlier Black Ops entries, there will be a clear and consistent progression from the above types of map designs to levels with stronger visual identities The progression – but the same rhythm that drives clarity – cuts the field, leaving little room to move to the front. Push back, push forward, or try to hold positions that shouldn’t be held. Enemies spawn as soon as possible to screw you up. Cover is limited. Rinse, repeat.
As mentioned above, many believe that Call of Duty is at its best when it comes to beating campers and more defensive players. For the better part of the past decade, this annotation has dominated the map design of the series’ core MP experience. Regardless of career builds and different gun customization options, more entries are flipping through any available whitespace, and the indirect message has always been “well, CoD is meant to be played that way”. That sucks.
That philosophy may have culminated in 2018’s fourth Black Ops project, which dropped the campaign (one of the biggest mistakes the franchise has ever made) and adopted an approach that wasn’t as engaging as Overwatch. of MOBA status.
The “soldiers are now heroes with ults” approach that worked so well in Black Ops 3 took over the whole game, including the excruciatingly long TTK – sorry, I don’t want my military shooter to play like Unreal Tournament — and the most restrictive and simple maps in the entire franchise. Any graphical complexity found in it is just a pretty disguise for the level geometry and overall design, at best like playing the earliest version of Counter-Strike.
Thankfully, the Modern Warfare reboot turned things around. With the (soft) reboot, mpas start to regain some of their individuality; they arrive with actual verticality, they are not afraid to throw away symmetry, they work through mechanisms that promote renewal (night vision, footsteps) and force us into where we need to climb Back to all the nooks and crannies, giving us more freedom of movement when the pressure is too high. You can sneak up on the scoreboard again with Sniper and Claymore, or run around like a headless chicken with your SMG of choice…unless, of course, you’re playing its Shipment remake.
Military shooters will feel very different, which is good. But I’m a firm believer that they shouldn’t forget where they came from, or where they are in the ever-evolving FPS environment. Call of Duty has regained much of its lost value by welcoming some of its more tactical roots. I still think Treyarch and Sledgehammer are inferior to Infinity Ward in terms of slower paced gameplay, but the fact that the latter studio is leading the development of the next generation of CoD (after defining the 2019 version for the past three years) gives those teams choice is very important.
I know, I know… A CoD game isn’t what you’d normally call tactical – its powerful tricks, super-hard-working DNA isn’t going anywhere – but the average game of Black Ops 4 and Modern Warfare 2 There is a big difference between the matches of the 6v6 encounters. As fast-paced as they are, the available equipment options and maps are all adapted to a style of play that was lost long ago. The expansive area is wider and has more cover to solidify your space. It’s not hard to discern the three main lanes in most of them, but the team can do a good job in kill-centric mode by sticking to the secondary route – which used to be a complete removal – and leaving key buildings as various checks standing, raining on the unsuspecting wanderer.
As someone who’s approaching 31 and has lost fast FPS reflexes, it feels odd to have an option that works for my team by selecting an area of the map and crouching with teammates (ground war is best) Get rewards when you play the latest CoD version. Modern Warfare 2 (2022) is still a twitch shooter at its core, and there’s a good chance I’ll be smoked to death in a head-to-head 1v1 encounter, but I appreciate having the option to be smarter than my opponent in terms of environment . Battlefield does its best work in Battlefield, but the fact that much of its DNA has been successfully infused into Modern Warfare 2 – and this applies to the smaller game modes as well – has me back on the franchise once again optimistic about the future.
Santa Seña – both small and large – is probably the best example of MW2’s map design; the three main lanes are very clear, as it’s a wide highway in the center, flanked by two straight secondary Roads (and covered paths). But the biggest twist is that it’s completely filled with abandoned cars that are both an explosive danger and the perfect cover to hide and ambush enemies.
Third-person TDM races – once you can peek around corners and over obstacles with a camera, the overall feel changes a lot – in Santa Seña was some of the most intense CoD experience I can remember, as checking every scrap car and suddenly opening became the highest priority to stay at the top of the scoreboard.
Ground War and Invasion maps also feature more diverse geographic features that feel both natural and fun. In addition, almost every building can now be a death trap, and special attention has been paid to the high ground, where most capture points are now vulnerable to fire from almost every direction and height. Check those windows!
As we head into Season 1 and beyond – it looks like the game will have to hold its own after 2023 – with Warzone 2.0, new maps and more, I hope Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t forget how special and refreshing it is The reason for this is appealing to players napping from Call of Duty.
