IMO Gamers.Com

Greatness is not achieved by luck, but by doing something, doing it well, and expanding on it.   The original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare set a new standard for first person shooters with a great story and captivating multiplayer that brought RPG like leveling elements into it with growing rewards.  With the bar set so high, it could easily be said that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the most anticipated game of the year.  It also was the game with the most potential to fall from grace.  However, this game not only meets the high expectations, but raises the bar even higher for first person shooters.

Many players will not touch the single player campaign, which is very disappointing.  The single player story is one of the most captivating tales ever told in a game with more twist and turns than any season of 24, but a lot better written.  And just like 24, no story character is safe.  And when story characters do get killed, you feel connected enough to them to care.  Which brings up to the biggest emotional moment ever in a video game, the scene in the airport where you take place in what is essentially a terrorist act.   While it is skippable, I would not recommend  it.  It is one of the most intense moments in a  game where you are realizing that as sad as the moment is, you are having to do it for the greater good of humanity.  Overall, the single player story could be on of the greatest stories of all time.

In terms of the multiplayer, it is everything from the first one plus more.   You level faster and get rewards quicker.  Also, the options in competitive multiplayer have expanded.  In addition, the game boast the new Spec Ops mode, which is a Co-Op multiplayer experience that goes beside the single player experience.  I’m terrible at multiplayer first person shooters, but I have found that it is an enjoyable experience.  However, my one biggest complaint is a complaint that follows the biggest complaint from the first game.  If you do play through the single player experience first, you will find that you are likely behind on the multiplayer experience.  If you are terrible at first person shooters, you will also lag behind the person.  This means that you have to deal with the double shotgun dude from hell.  It makes for a very tough experience but if you can struggle through it, you can get up to those higher levels much more easily.

Overall, Modern Warfare 2 exceeds the bar set by the first game and makes for a game that will certainly be in the discussion for the game of the year conversation.  I would highly recommend this game for any gamer.