The first Modern Warfare was the first Call of Duty game to ditch the world war 2 settings in favor of a modern military action. The game did a lot of things right and the critics praised it highly for some good reasons; its campaign mode, though short, was frantic and well paced, the multiplayer was unique and addictive, and the presentations were top notch. Fast forward time (two years) and we have the sequel to one of the best and most played First Person Shooters this generation. But does the sequel outdo its original masterpiece?
 

Modern Warfare 2 is set five years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4. The game begins in Afghanistan, where US Army Ranger Private Joseph Allen helps take an Afghan city from an army of militants. Impressed, General Shepherd recruits Allen as a CIA operative and places him in Makarov’s organization as an undercover operative. The game story does have some plot twists, some are predictable, some aren’t. But I found the story to be there only to keep you playing until the end. You won’t care much about the characters or the story. In fact, the only thing you will care about is the action, and that’s where Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t disappoint. The campaign delivers an intense experience with some great action sequences you shouldn’t miss. The whole campaign mode is split up into 18 missions, with each one lasting between 15-20 minutes. But if you play the game on higher difficulty settings, it will result into longer play time.
 
 

When you finish the campaign mode, there are two options that will make you coming back for more. The first one is the addictive cooperative mode, Special Ops. These independent missions (not related to the main story of the game) will take place in a variety of locations from the campaign mode and from the original Modern Warfare. Such missions will include snowmobile races, killing waves of enemies, moving from point A to point B stealthily, one player providing air support from an AC-130 with the other player conducting operations on the ground, capturing an enemy compound, and much more. The Special Ops mode may be played alone, but supports two player cooperative play; offline (Split screen) or online with your friends. When you finish one of those missions, you will get stars. To get more stars (the maximum number is three) you have to complete a certain condition such as finishing the same mission in a shorter period of time or to play the mission in higher difficulty settings. When you unlock enough stars, more and higher difficulty missions will be available to finish.
 

The second option is where millions of gamers will play non stop for the next couple of years. The online multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 retains the same experience points and unlockable reward system as that of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but with exciting new improvements to the core system. The game multiplayer has improved in many aspects, as there are more weapons to use, more perks, and more kill streak rewards. Perks can now be upgraded through use and will eventually grant a secondary ability. Kill streaks rewards are now Customizable, which means that you can equip them as you see fit. Spec Ops and the online multilayer modes are addictive and lots of fun, and you will find yourself unable to stop playing.
 
 

The game graphics has improved since the original, as it uses an upgraded version of the engine that powered the first Modern Warfare. Better lighting, more realistic particle effects, and the amazing weather effects are some of these improvements. But the game does have some problem with shadowing, as you will see some pixelated shadows here and there. Especially for the game’s characters. The game runs at a sub HD resolution on consoles, but at the same time it maintains a stable frame rate throughout the whole game. Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best looking games this generation, and maybe the best looking multiplatform game thus far, but it falls behind some games such as Gears of War 2, Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2.
 

Hans Zimmer, the famed Hollywood composer has replaced another infamous musician Harry Gregson Williams (Metal Gear Solid fame) to produce the soundtrack for the game. As you would expect from him, the results are utterly amazing, as you will hear some epic pieces throughout the game.
 
 

Aside from the short campaign mode, the game is absolutely amazing. The intense campaign mode, the entertaining Special Ops missions, and the addictive multiplayer modes make this game one of the best games in 2009 and possibly the best FPS of this whole generation.
 

Score: (9.5/10)