Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review

Yo Oscar Mike!

Two of the three words mentioned are one of the most said phrases in what is considered the most anticipated game of 2009 and probably in video gaming history so far; beating Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the forth child by veterans of the modern first person shooter genre known as Infinity Ward. Originally following in the footsteps of Medal of Honor and the intensity of World War II, the new world decades away from the great war is specialized by the folks at IW. Unlike the historically written cases where events were already written, the Modern Warfare series gives the developers in making a more free form interpretation of what our future may be later on especially with countries like the United States of America in conflict within the Middle Eastern zone. Along with an interesting narrative in relation to our current situation outside our homes, the first game excelled in expanding the single player and multiplayer experience by making very fluid and engaging moments of action that is still rivaled by other shooters. When a sequel comes, everyone who has been a fan of Infinity Ward's work and/or the Call of Duty series expects a step up. Just like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare before it with going into new territory, Modern Warfare 2 does the same and then some.

Taking place five years after the original Modern Warfare, Ultranationalist member and terrorist Imran Zakhaev is still dead but yet his spirit hasn't been forgotten when Russia ultimately becomes controlled by the said political party with Zakhaev being recognized as a hero and martyr. Peace exists on both sides of the Earth but one man who was a major associate of Zakhaev named Vladimir Makarov wants to end it by any means. It's then up to the multinational counter-terrorism unit Task Force 141 led by Call of Duty 4 protagonist Captain "Soap" MacTavish to stop Makarov from creating any catastrophe.

In Call of Duty tradition, the player follows multiple protagonists with Task Force 141 operative Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson being the most prominent. Roach will assist Captain MacTavish to such missions including retrieving a lost module in an airbase located in the Russian mountains and saving hostages in an oil rig. Aside from 141's activities, the perspectives of both the character and the environment changes where the action hits home with such characters like Private Ramirez and the United States Army Rangers defending Washington D.C. from invaders.

The plot discusses issue of terrorism may not be destroyed by a gun shot to a leader's head which explains Makarov's intent of revenge. By playing through, it's a bit vague of what he is going after but his introduction in Modern Warfare 2 especially in the controversial airport massacre level, it's good indication that he is someone that should be despised. It also deals with the theme of escalation where it becomes very prominent by the second act. With that being dealt with, it's doesn't try to go very subtle on events as it tries to shock you every couple of missions. The game provides little to no breathing room. Sometimes it's excessive but for something that has a strong Jerry Bruckheimer vibe (as opposed to the more realistic narrative of Call of Duty 4), it's acceptable.

Being a Call of Duty game, it follows the tried and true format just like usual. In cases where successors sticks to its guns, it can feel feel boring but for Modern Warfare 2, it's constantly exciting. The content is dense when shooting at the enemies with from a moving helicopter or clearing a room full of baddies and even civilians. You will witness tanks assaulting hostile houses while your squad moves up and takes down the enemy. When an area of enemies is defeated, you know they are defeated as this sequel lacks one of the most common issues in single player; which is the infinite waves. When playing, the game can trick the player that there is no end to enemies but in execution, it is very likely a large force. It doesn't force the player to move up and find a checkpoint to end the battle but encourages to eliminate the opposing force with excellence

The lack there-of makes the very challenging veteran difficulty less annoying and more enjoyable; while nonetheless very challenging. The battlefield and the AI seem to be one with each other as they know how to flank and take the upper hand instead of just being cheap sharpshooters. The design is still linear while having open room for both sides to take part and conquer. Still being stuck into two weapons only with grenades, the player can use new gadgets to get the upper hand including the addictive UAV Predator missile which can exterminate numerous foes at once without consuming too much ammo.

Task Force 141 infiltrating

Similar to the first Modern Warfare, the sequel contains specific varied sequences where you might have to defend a building from an invading force or stealth-fully get from point A to point B. It also includes controllable vehicle scenes which includes Roach and Soap having to escape by means of snowmobiles. The sequences and how the enemies currently act keeps the pacing going at a constant rate. When comparing to the lengths of both Modern Warfare games, the second one goes on faster yet can be finished about the same time as the original. Never a bad thing though because it's short and sweet.

Though great and all, I can safely say that Modern Warfare 2 bears so much similarities to its predecessor. There is no actual blatant improvement as opposed to the changes from Call of Duty to Call of Duty 2 to Modern Warfare. But when the campaign being much larger in context, it's very minor.

One of the biggest reasons that the first Modern Warfare became really popular was its multiplayer which contained very fun playlists as well as a role playing game like leveling system where people are rewarded with weapons and perks that can change the tide of a match by doing special tasks and challenges; and as well as kill people. It gave people an initiative to keep on playing especially when taking part in the Prestige Mode where they build up their rank all over again and again and again. That never went away in Modern Warfare 2. The framework is still the same with such popular modes such as team deathmatch and headquarters with its regular and hardcore settings (although old-school is gone). New modes include a third person perspective creating a new and interesting way to play the game; it feels very odd to view your player model yet feels fluid and and reactive during action.

Most of the new maps feels varied and exciting to play through. Some range from the symmetrical (Highrise) and the very condensed (Scrapyard, Rust). Old favorite from both Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2, Brecourt (now titled Wasteland) has returned with a new face lift. Some of these maps fit for specific playlists where Rust is great for small term deathmatch while Terminal is euphoric for domination.

The leveling and rewards system has improved with subtle changes. No more always unfair active perks such as juggernaut and martyrdom, people must die constantly in order to get some of these boosters. With kill streaks, there are now death streaks which can help get a player who might be trailing to get back into the game. It can help new users to get comfortable with the already ready and hardened multiplayer community. The kill streak system has improved with providing more types of rewards including a supply drop that can contain ammo or a random kill streak or even commandeering a gunship for the player to take down enemies right from above. Another interesting kill streak reward is the tactical nuke which destroys everybody and ends the game with the winning team containing the person who used the reward. But at 25 kills, it will be very rare for anybody to witness it. That leads to the initiative for the player to wisely pick which streak will fit for their playstyle as the limit is to three.

Besides destroying the opposition itself, people can destroy the opposition's rewards. Similar to shooting rockets at the chopper in the first Modern Warfare, people can now destroy the opponents' gunships, planes, and even the UAV recon plane disabling any chance of the enemy to find you. In order for everyone to have a equal chance, they make the rewards penetrable to destroy. It causes the rocket launcher to be a necessary weapon as opposed to originally being a perk. The explosive launchers as well as machine pistols and shotguns are moved to the secondary weapon side while the usual rifles and machine guns are still primary. A new weapon in both single player and multiplayer called the riot shield provides a new way of how to play the game where the shield-man is creating a defensive line for people behind him. Being indestructible, it can benefit objective based games where teamwork is necessary.

Some new identity based additions also exist in multiplayer with now titles and emblems that can help characterize any player.

The snowmobile getaway

The newest mode to Modern Warfare 2 is the cooperative capable Special Ops mode which was influenced by the bonus Mile High Club from the original Modern Warfare. It's simply a challenge mode with different types of objective for the player(s) to complete. The mode uses assets from the main campaign and as well as the first Modern Warfare. It can be played alone or with a friend through split-screen or online. The differences with playing alone and with a buddy is key with some missions where communication is golden. Some of these include a mission influenced by the ghille suit mission in Call of Duty 4 where the goal is to get from point A to point B. The environment though is very dense with heavy foliage causing enemies including camouflaged ghillied enemies to blend in completely. Having a friend for a case like that can really help find the snipers. It's an exciting mode with so much tension and fun that it can encourage players to play it again and probably at a harder setting.

Despite being a sequel on the same generation of consoles as Call of Duty 4, it looks fantastic from the dark and torn Washington D.C. to the faces of character like Soap and ally Ghost. Running at 60 frames per second, it can add so much visual fidelity while still being consistently smooth. You will be amazed and speechless to what you will see. The sound is a big improvement as well with such things as the believable ambient-scapes and battle chatter from your teammates. The game recruits popular talent including sci-fi hero Lance Henricksen and video game voice veteran Keith David as prominent characters throughout the campaign. The voice of Soap (played by Kevin McKidd) is probably the strongest video game performance this year after never hearing a word from him while playing Call of Duty 4.

There were controversies before the launch of the game but it doesn't stop Modern Warfare 2 from being absolutely fantastic. There are some problems that plague the game but it's very little as opposed to the seemingly larger than life campaign, the fun Special Ops, and the still addicting multiplayer. Infinity Ward always knows how to make an exceptional product since day one and this game doesn't end the mark.

10/10

The Week of Gaming Madness 2009 Part Four: WOLVERINES!

No review yet. I am working through my single player playthrough on veteran difficulty. It was the case with Call of Duty 4. I am a fan of the franchise from one to now yet as I played the first Modern Warfare, I picked veteran after ignorantly thinking that it's the easiest. What a dumb ass am I! Although with hardships trying to move forward to get to a checkpoint before a new wave of infinite soldiers, I succeeded with almost 1000 gamerscore with every mission done on the difficulty. I tried World At War but the issue is that it was too cheap with not just infinite enemy respawns but with the issue of grenades and just hoping for the best that I can get to the next checkpoint. I opted out.

With Modern Warfare 2, veteran is still balls to the wall hard but there are benefits to it (will keep brief). No grenade spam and no respawns! It keeps the game going for the determined yet gives them a time of their life.

Hopefully a review can be written tomorrow or else I might be distracted from multiplayer.

The Week of Gaming Madness 2009 Part Three: Release Day

I got it, playing it, and loving it. Review tomorrow.

The Week of Gaming Madness 2009 Part Two: Big Title or Small Title?

Tomorrow is the day. It will be the anniversary of the Marine Corps.' formation and most commonly, the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Sometimes it's weird to say or type that whole phrase instead of just having Modern Warfare 2. Ever since it's announcement back at the Game Developers Conference in early 2009, people have been in debate if the game should be placed under Call of Duty or try to be separated from the main series as now part of the Modern Warfare. If you see something like Wikipedia, they were debating about the names and constantly moving to each one in between the announcement and now. Recently Activision finalized the public title on the regular edition of the game by adding the Call of Duty name to likely get customers who would buy Modern Warfare 2 if it had the franchise title.

I know the gaming industry just commonly says it Modern Warfare 2 and it's fine because I say so too but there's an interesting question lingering in my head... Would the game sold more copies with just Modern Warfare 2?

I guess people who might not be the most hardcore gaming fanatics in a local Wal-Mart would question Modern Warfare 2 when they seemingly never heard of Modern Warfare 1. If they added the Call of Duty name, it would have reminded them of the previous two games which were CoD 4: Modern Warfare and CoD: World At War. It would have likely gave them the initiative to buy it.

Just having Modern Warfare 2 doesn't equal bad sales but a majority of fans of the series will get it and will be strong nonetheless, although lesser than what you would compare now with having the largest quantity of pre-sales in retailer GameStop. Just like Call of Duty 4, the sales would increase by game reviews and word of mouth from a fan to one who is curious of what is up. But for the case of Activision, it's not enough for them to earn more money as opposed to just slapping Call of Duty and frolic in their pool of cash.

For the sake of success, having the name is necessary because gamers of different stages know what Call of Duty is and will get it but to get the sales from a crowd who are just playing whatever is popular or not very knowledgeable in gaming yet wanting to enjoy something. People though will still just call it Modern Warfare 2.

The Week of Gaming Madness 2009 Part One: Release date?! Pfft!

Ah yes the most anticipated game of 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming real soon into our boxs of graphical intensity. After Infinity Ward's CoD 4: Modern Warfare was well received from fans of the series as well as people who play the game only because of its popularity, for sure the sequel will be much more popular and infamous than it's engaging predecessor. For a moment, the pre-release buzz of the sequel almost feels like 2004 all over again with Halo 2 with some interesting and controversial additions. It includes the abandonment of PC specific traits such as mods and dedicated servers, the playable airport massacre, and the F.A.G.S. debacle. One thing that stands out that just happened recently is the selling of Modern Warfare 2 before its November 10, 2009 street date.

According to news blogs such as Joystiq and Kotaku, GameStop who is promoting Modern Warfare 2 have stores in the east coast including New York already selling copies in advance to the public. Not to reviewers or whatever but to people who would have been waiting in line on Monday night to actually play the game. It was initially believed that Activision told specific Gamestop stores to sell the game according an employee of a Bowling, Ohio store. Activision later responded that no GameStop had any special permission to sell it in advance.

I feel that there is something missing from what just happened. Was the employee at GameStop lying about it and just selling it for the sake of so? Is Activision lying (and with what's up with Activision it doesn't seem that surprising, but I digress)?

Tens of thousands of people are already playing the game according to the leaderboards. I don't seem to understand why is that so when Activision is trying to follow the release date. Isn't there some sort of fashion of suspending or banning someone who tries to get online before the release date? It raises my suspicion...

For a couple of seconds, I thought of this situation as a leak of sorts but the problem is that it's really not. Leaks are more obvious in what has led to where this advance sale feels like a mystery. Leaks are not being sold to the public for oodles of cash they are just free but in a different context. There was a leak for Modern Warfare 2 and it was free to download but it came at a heavy price especially to the culprit but anyways...

I don't see the point of having a release date for the public to pay when you can just sell it days or probably weeks before. One problem with something like that is the lack of unity and respect for the product that was planned to be only coming out on that day. It might have worked for the Ohio store for probably short term economic reasons but that's stupid when the publisher seemed to want the game to be released on that day, not daty before. In the future we will have Blizzard release Diablo 3 suddenly into the digital distribution market as they finish the product. Another reason is that it's very anti-anticipation based where a majority of gamers who will wait will be jealous and then discouraged when they finally play it when other impatient gamers have already mastered the format.

I don't know what's happening with this hoopla and I am angry that it's very unfair but what can you do with a game that contains the largest pre-order sales at GameStop. What can we do? Nothing really. Still indeed horrible news.

Rise & Fall - Our Circle Is Vicious

Live The Storm

During the last years of World War II, the United States Army and the German Third Reich fought against each other in the cold woods of Bastogne, Belgium. It was a breaking point as it shown the last stand for the German army before their downfall months just after with their moustached chancellor commiting suicide in the country capital of Berlin. Besides Belgium holding what would become an important event in the European theater, the country contains a hardcore band that brings in the chaos to the rest of their world thanks to Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. label. Rise & Fall's Our Circle Is Vicious has been in development for more than a year after their touring in 2008. Being in isolation in their rehersal house in the forest of Chimay to their full production in Kurt Ballou's Godcity Studio at Boston, Massachusettes, it would seem that they are trying to make it awesome as they can. Well it is so.

If you keep on hearing about Rise & Fall but never had the chance to listen to their previous work including Into Oblivion (2007), this new outing is the one you will hear. Being still based on their hardcore roots, they know how to execute their attack throughout no matter the tempo and the approach. Starting from chord strikes and chorus hooks on "Soul Slayer" and the almost chase scene like "Built On Graves" with higher string presence, it goes gutter sludgy with "Harm's Way" and "In Circles." The breakdown elements in the slower songs that help change tempo in the faster songs compliment the dynamics and the varied approaches Rise & Fall go. With the quick bursts on energy it's needed.

You deserve to listen to this because these cats are what will bring modern hardcore forward while still looking back at what made them build the beast. It will grow and grow.

8/10

Our Circle Is Vicious is available now on Deathwish Inc.!

Official MySpace

Converge - Axe To Fall

This time they are built for war

Being active since the 1990s but gaining prominence not just from the hardcore scenes but the metal scenes all around the world during the new millennium with 2001's mathcore monster Jane Doe, Converge knows what they want in a new record and we all love it every time. The only thing we can do about it when we wait is just never expect anything and enjoy everything during initial listen. It's been the case when Converge signed on to Epitaph Records where mostly constructed of punk. With You Fail Me (2004) and No Heroes (2006), they treaded different grounds with left turns including the AmRep/NeurIsis induced You Fail Me title track and the doom and thrashtastic "To The Lions" from No Heroes.

Seven albums later and almost two decades long of intensity and traveling the world, Converge has something new out for us to drool over. A recent case just weeks before the release (or the full stream at the band's own MySpace) the review watermarked copy of Axe To Fall was leaked onto the internet for a lot of people to keelhaul over. Even if downloaded by the masses, Converge finally made something that not only make the owning of the album well worth it but made the most engaging record I have heard this year.

Official music video, probably NSFW

I can safely say that if you have listened to past Converge albums, you can say it's an amalgamation of them and then some. Combining the technicality and unpredictability of Jane Doe, the ferocity of You Fail Me, and the extreme metal tendencies of No Heroes (along with nuances of 1998's When Forever Come Crashing), they wisely balanced their use of what they have learned in the past to make an effective product while still following their of tradition of following experimental paths. Odd that some of these songs sound similar to songs on their previous two albums. The benefit of this is that these songs feel more developed than their older pieces. It includes the out-slayered Slayer-esque "Cutter" ("Vengeance","No Heroes" and "Black Cloud"), the grooved up "Slave Driver" ("Lonewolves"), and the fast "Losing Battle" ("Heartless").

Besides some great familiarities, the album continues to take different directions outside the main sound spectrum. If you have listened to the stronger bands on singer Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. label, you can hear some pure influences of Disfear and label alumni Trap Them on "Wishing Well;" death' n' roll more bastardized. Apparently enough the differed songs consists of the more slower tempoed epic tracks than usual to balance out the overall heaviness to create a more varied and open album. "Cruel Bloom" brings a folkpocalypse sound with seemingly distanced brooding/depressing piano and acoustic guitar while providing an almost ethreal like feeling with the guest vocals including Neurosis' Steve Von Till. The finale "Wretched World" tries to set the listener on a ethreal (it even sound like a credits song to an epic RPG that was cut for not being overcompressed J-Pop or some obvious reason) journey of layers upon layers of drums, vocals, and guitar helped by members of Genghis Tron, The Red Chord, and Cave In.

The most intriguing thing about Axe To Fall is the high amount of guests that contributed to the album. They range from just doing backing vocals for one line (Himsa's John Pettibone on "Cutter") to almost full contribution to writing the song (ex. 3/4 of Cave In on "Effigy"). Besides people of metal/hardcore bands such as Tim Cohen of 108 and Blacklisted's George Hirsch, Converge brings in members of indie rock groups including Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and lone female anagramed musician "The Rodeo" which even if unexpected is exciting that Converge will try someone else that doesn't shout for once.

With each Converge album, production gets better and better. Maybe No Heroes is a bit less just with the weird inaudibility of guitars and bass in places but it's good that Converge learned their lesson with this new outing. Being produced, engineered, and mixed by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his own studio, he makes the album powerful and as well as dirty. Guitars are now audible with cutting riffs and shiny leads, bass can give hope to conventional metal production that the instrument still matters and the drums have a very loud scooped feel while steps back in terms of giving the other instruments a chance. Vocals are just harsh as usual with Jacob's incomprehensible barks of destruction which says to any new listener that it's not about trying to understand what he is saying but to understand the feeling of his performance. Mastered by Alan Douches give a good amount of loudness to the intense album but at occasion passes the distortion mark which makes me question his skills.

Although with a minor fault, it's very small when compared to the larger than life sound that fills this album. I can say indeed that Converge's Axe To Fall is one of the albums to listen to of 2009. Fun for everybody because it's plain awesome. Don't waste your time downloading it from a blogspot, go freaking buy it!

10/10

Axe To Fall is available now!

Official Converge Website
Official Converge MySpace

Baroness - Blue Record

Color Me Blue

The Georgian sludge metal scene has gained some prominence within extreme metal. Built up from the NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) influences of Eyehategod, England's doomy Black Sabbath and even New York's Swans, the Georgian scene has turned into a characteristic entity while still praising the evil yet Southern rock grooves. Throughout the second half of the decade, there were lauded releases from bands like Atlanta's Withered (Foile Circulare, 2008), Savannah's Kylesa (Static Tensions, 2009), and most notably Atlanta's Mastodon (Crack the Skye, 2009). It's though not all perfect in the world of downtuned drugged bastard music. Some including me thought Mastodon's over-ambition for an almost pure progressive sound has caused them to stray away from their roots too obviously (which I felt made the record good yet very underwhelming). Is it because of their rise to major labels (Relapse Records to Reprise Records) to appeal to less metal nurtured audiences or just want to separate from being pidgeonholed in a scene? Who knows?

One band who recently had some press in magazines such as Spin and most commonly being the cover story on US extreme metal mag Decibel (November 2009) is Savannah's Baroness. Rising to prominence with their First (2004) and Second (2005) EPs and as well as a split album with Unpersons (2007) and being praised with the debut LP Red Album (2007). Their mix of progressive rock and sludge metal can make a first time listener question Mastodon clone but by multiple listens of their previous work and their latest LP Blue Record, Baroness makes excellent strides in creating what they are.

Jake Leg

With a gaze of the beautiful cover art by guitarist/vocalist John Dyer Baizley, you can expect a great and wondrous journey. Starting from the beginning of "Bullhead's Psalm" to the end of "Bullhead's Lament," they deliver their A game to the best of their ability with every song. For fans of the group, Blue can be considered simply a very well refined Red Album; although not a reiteration of their 2007 debut. The most obvious difference from the previous work is how Baroness keeps momentum on making hook after hook after hook throughout the 45 minutes without droning out on being boring. They provide a sound that can be appreciated to a larger audience but they do it so well and effectively that the "sold out" issue is nonexistent.

Guitarist/vocalist Pete Adams replaced former guitarist Brian Bickle a couple of months back and I questioned if Baroness can still do it without it's former lead guitarist. By listen of Blue Album, I had my question answered with a yes. Pete contributes so much harmony vocals especially in "The Sweetest Curse" and the folk acoustic "Steel That Sleeps The Eye" where it's better to have both John and Pete sing/shout at the same time instead of just having one doing the responsibilities. Besides his voice, he can make very good clashes with John on twin leads with very noticeable support by bassist Summer Welch and drummer of Brian Bickle, Allen. When the album is best as is when all the elements are crunched up into one five or so minute song. The spectacular results are well established in the "The Birthing"-esque "Jake Leg" and the mid-paced galloping rhythms of "A Horse Name Golgotha."

A Horse Called Golgotha

Even with an outro, the penultimate song (The Gnashing) truly ends the album with great build up to the climax with elegant melodies, rhythm shifts, and well thought out patterns. Everything felt engaging and well made and nothing felt like filler. Is it best metal album ever? Probably not but I can say Baroness' Blue Record is one of the best metal (if not general) records of 2009.

10/10

Blue Record out now on Relapse Records!

Official Baroness MySpace (features Blue Record stream)
Official John Baizley MySpace