Nerds That Geek Game Review – ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​If there’s one thing I think we can all agree upon, it is that most sequels out there are merely…adequate. They do a fine job of continuing the story and giving us a quality one at that. But they rarely surpass the original or bring about that sense of awe and wonder that the first entry in the saga provided us with and it’s why we search far and wide for sequels that outright blow us away because when we find one, it’s truly a special experience and this search and desire for something more expands to the gaming world as well since so many digital stories receive a second entry, or more, on a regular basis.
 
But alas, I’ve only found a handful of follow up games in my time that outright exceed the quality of the first entry in the series. But when I do, well I definitely celebrate them as often as possible by playing them whenever I have time and one that I revisit often arrived from Infinity Ward in 2009, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is that rare breed of game that still sends shivers down my spine after all of these years simply because its story and overall quality remain unrivaled to this day, and it is the plot of this game that allows for it to stand out as one of the finest sequels to ever hit the gaming market.
 
I mean come on, this is an intricate tale, one that puts you squarely in the center of a grand conspiracy to put the United States and the Russian Federation on a path to war and well, the bad guy in essence wins in this one since Makarov’s wild plan actually works since we are privy to a devastating conflict that sees Russian soldiers on American soil and while that alone is incredible in its own right, it’s not the most stunning moment in the game. No, that’s reserved for the segment in the airport, wherein Makarov slaughters innocents as a prelude to war and the boldness of that ‘level’ sets the tone for what is a powerful and bleak game.
 
One that quite frankly sucks you in as you watch the world slip into madness and it is the conflict on the East Coast that still sends chills down my spine because fighting in suburbia and later Washington D.C. is terrifying and powerful to say the least and what’s truly incredible about this game, is that the stunning moments don’t end with a battle on the White House lawn, because the twists and turns that follow involving General Shepard are equally as powerful as the hell you’ve just been through and the finale truly sets the stage for an epic finale when all is said and done.
 
If anything, this game simply takes your breath away and it just goes to show what a simple FPS can do when it’s given a plot for the ages and I’m quite impressed with how well this game holds up nine years later and I won’t lie, I am holding out hope that it gets a remaster for next gen consoles to make some of the powerful visuals, like stepping out of a trench to see the Washington Monument shattered, even more breathtaking. And I suppose if there’s any particular knock to put toward this game it’s that…it is too damn perfect. Because its level of quality made it impossible to top which made the finale of this saga, a tad disappointing…

---