Title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered
Developer: Infinity Ward, Beenox
Publisher: Activision
Genre: FPS
Available On: PlayStation, Xbox
Official Site: Call Of Duty
Release Date: March 31, 2020/ April 30, 2020
Where to Buy: PlayStation, Xbox
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from way back in 2009 was a groundbreaking, genre-defining classic. It had a solid campaign, a fantastic(if somewhat broken) multiplayer, and a surprisingly fun Spec Ops mode. Since being announced a little while ago, gamers have theorized how much of Modern Warfare 2 would actually be available in this remaster. Unfortunately, due to not wanting to split the multiplayer fanbase so soon into Modern Warfare’s life, this only included the campaign. While a solid addition to the base game in 2009, is it strong enough to stand out among the multitude of shooters on PS4, or does it fail to live up? “In war, there is no prize for “runner-up.”
Is Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 good?
Other than Modern Warfare getting review bombed, Call of Duty has had a resurgence as of late. Since releasing the fantastic Modern Warfare Remastered in 2016 and the truly solid Crash Team Racing last year, it is proven that Beenox knows their way around a remaster. The same can be said of Modern Warfare 2 Remastered. Unfortunately, most of these titles’ flaws are in the base game itself. There are aspects of Modern Warfare 2’s design that don’t hold up as well. I don’t envy Beenox here. Change too much; that’s an issue. Change too little, that’s an issue. Other than some graphical changes and slight handling changes, this is still fundamentally the same game you remember. If you merely want to play the same campaign with graphical polish, Go for it. Unfortunately, at its price point, I would not recommend it.
The story to Modern Warfare 2, upon reflection, feels a bit more self-aware and tongue-in-cheek than I otherwise thought. To tell it simply, the story hinges on a central conflict between Russia and the US. Vladimir Makarov has been sowing the seeds of doubt in American control through terroristic acts, all of which culminate in the infamous “No Russian” mission. This mission is entirely skippable within Modern Warfare 2. It is aggressive and, at points, downright horrific. You, as Joseph Allen, go undercover with Makarov, committing a mass shooting at an airport in Moscow, Russia. After mowing through hundreds of crying, shaking, and running bodies, you go to make your escape, evidence in hand. This is when Makarov shoots you, killing you. This leaves an American soldier on the grounds of an airport with a gun in his hand. Naturally enough, this escalates to an all-out war between the two.
How is the story of Modern Warfare 2?
The story beats works as well as the first time I witnessed it. One could argue it’s needless and only there for shock value (which I understand), but that shock is, undeniably, still there. So do many other twists in the story that I won’t spoil. In fact, many of the more cheesy moments from the campaign instill a sense of nostalgia in me. The moments that don’t work feel like a product of their era in an explosion-filled way. The entire game has a certain charm to it. Beenox capitalizes on this well. They clearly understand why gamers were drawn to the original over ten years ago,
Unfortunately, the good faith awarded to Modern Warfare can only exist for so long. While it does look pretty great, it’s hard to justify Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered’s development as it likely means we won’t receive a full remaster later down the line. Choosing to only make the campaign signals to me that they are done with this. This, paired with the fact Infinity Ward hinted at a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, puts that final nail in the coffin.
How does it play?
Modern Warfare 2’s story isn’t the only design aspect that feels outdated playing it in 2020. All of the gunplay feels like a huge step down from recent Call Of Duty offerings. While there are some changes made to guns and there is now an inspect gun option, they now feel terribly outdated. This is undeniably a conscious choice but not one I personally agree with. A remaster of this caliber should remind gamers of why Modern Warfare 2 was so beloved without making it feel bogged down in its design limitations.
Speaking of design limitations, the option to remove Multiplayer and Specs Ops means that all replayability is dead just a few hours after starting it. Other than collecting intel and maybe replaying a mission you really like, I cannot think of a single reason ever to come back to Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered.
Verdict
Overall, Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered does feel like a very solid rendition of the game, but it has many drawbacks. The option to ignore Multiplayer and Spec ops takes out almost all replayability the game could have. It is absolutely not worth its current price point for a few hours of occasionally great but often mediocre gameplay. Furthermore, while it attempts to be faithful to the source material, it comes off as sometimes dull and sullies part of what made the campaign so special all those years ago.
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