Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: 'Lifelike' is an understatement

WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

All around Colorado Springs, gamers talk about Modern Warfare 2. Mention one thing about the game, and suddenly it’s an uproar of “Oh yeah! I liked the snowmobile mission!”, “Those dogs are hard to beat!”, “The Humvee was fun,” etc. Veteran gamers talk about how much different it is compared to other first person shooters they’ve played. Some refuse to put the controller down- the storyline is too cinematic for them to quit. They MUST know what happens. Well, to save your social life (as well as to save your Xbox from hating you), here’s a brief synopsis.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released November 10, 2009 worldwide, is the 6th installment to the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game boasts great graphics and very realistic fighting. This installment gives the player a taste of the conflict in Afghanistan, and well as Siberia, Washington D.C, and Rio de Janeiro.

You start the game as Private First Class Joseph Allen, a young Army Ranger in Afghanistan. As the game progresses, you play as many characters: PFC Allen, along with Sergeant "Roach" Sanderson, Captain "Soap" MacTavish (the same Soap from the last game), Sergeant "Roach" Riley, Captain Price, Private James Ramirez, as well as PFC Allen under the alias of "Alexei Borodin."

A Russian named Vladmir Makarov, a former officer of Call of Duty 4's main antagonist, is the primary villain. Lieutenant General Shepherd, commander of the Army Rangers and "Task Force 141", plants Allen as a spy for the CIA in Makarov’s Organization, but Makarov finds out Allen's true identity and kills him and reveals him as an American after an assault on unarmed civilians in an airport, thus framing America for the attack. Russia, infuriated, stages a secret attack on the Eastern Coast of the United States. Amidst the fighting, a Russian submarine is hijacked and an ICBM is launched at Washington, D.C. The missile detonates over the city, and causes the US Air Force to believe the city is lost. The Air Force plans to carpet bomb the city, but Ramirez and many more Americans are still fighting inside the city. In an attempt to stop the bombing, he must place green flares on top of the White House (which is under Russian control). The bombing is stopped, and the hunt for Makarov resumes. Roach and Ghost search the Caucasus Mountains for Makarov's Hideaway, while Soap and Price search an airport Afghanistan. Roach and Ghost find intel that shows Makarov is responsible for the attack on the Russian airport, but General Shepherd betrays them and kills both Roach and Ghost. In a final, epic battle, Soap and Price attempt to apprehend Shepherd. Soap is stabbed in the chest, but before Shepherd can finish him with his pistol, Price jumps in, knocks the pistol away, and fights Shepherd. After a long fist fight, Soap manages to crawl to Shepherd’s gun, but Shepherd kicks it away. Soap then pulls the knife from his chest and throws it at Shepherd, effectively killing him.

Throughout the game, the most common thing you will say is “whoa.” All of the fighting seems very real, the graphics are amazing, and the entire game feels like it could actually happen. Modern Warfare 2 sets the bar for first person shooters. The online play is fabulous as well. The multiplayer mode, Special Ops, allows you and a friend (whether on the same console or via Xbox Live) to complete challenges like placing explosives in an airfield or sneaking past guards to a evac point. Overall, this game is pure 100% greatness.