2009 video game
2009 video game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward🌧️ and published by Activision. It is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel to🌧️ Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox🌧️ 360. A separate version for the Nintendo DS, titled Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was also released on the same day. A🌧️ version for OS X was developed by Aspyr and released in May 2014, and the Xbox 360 version was made🌧️ backward compatible for the Xbox One in 2024.
The game's campaign follows Task Force 141, a multinational special forces unit commanded🌧️ by Captain Soap MacTavish as they hunt Vladimir Makarov, leader of the Russian Ultranationalist party, and United States Army Rangers🌧️ from the 1st Ranger Battalion who are defending the Washington, D.C. area from a Russian invasion. The game's main playable🌧️ characters are Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, of the 141, and Private James Ramirez, of the Army Rangers, with Captain MacTavish🌧️ becoming playable later in the campaign. The multiplayer mode was expanded upon from the previous game, with several new features🌧️ and modes.
Development for the game began in 2008, when it was still known as Call of Duty 6. It uses🌧️ the IW 4.0 engine, an improved version of Call of Duty 4's IW 3.0. Infinity Ward was inspired by real-life🌧️ conflicts when developing the campaign mode. They initially tested the multiplayer mode by playing an in-house beta version of the🌧️ game. Modern Warfare 2 was officially announced in February 2009. Teasing of the game began in March, with short trailers🌧️ being released for the game and, eventually, a full reveal trailer. The multiplayer mode was revealed shortly after. Two downloadable🌧️ content packs were released for it post-release, each containing five new multiplayer maps, with some being remastered maps from Call🌧️ of Duty 4.
Modern Warfare 2 received universal acclaim, with praise for its campaign, multiplayer, and amount of content, although it🌧️ received some criticism for its short length and a lack of innovation. Within 24 hours of release, the game sold🌧️ approximately 4.7 million copies in North America and the United Kingdom ending as the best-selling video game in 2009 in🌧️ the USA. As of 2013, the game had sold 22.7 million copies becoming one of the best-selling PlayStation 3 video🌧️ games and best-selling Xbox 360 video games. In addition to its release, a comic book series based on character Simon🌧️ "Ghost" Riley was also produced, titled Modern Warfare 2: Ghost. Despite the game's success, it was subject to some controversies,🌧️ with one surrounding a playable level that had the player carry out a terrorist attack on an airport. A sequel,🌧️ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, was released in 2011 and finishes the original Modern Warfare storyline. A remaster of🌧️ the game's campaign, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, was released on the PlayStation 4 in March 2024🌧️ and April 2024 for Windows and Xbox One.
Gameplay
Players engaging in a gunfight in a multiplayer match. A mini-map is visible🌧️ in the top left, and match progress in the bottom left.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first person🌧️ shooter, and its gameplay revolves around fast-paced gunfights against enemy combatants.[2] The player controls a soldier who can perform several🌧️ actions, including jump, sprint, crouch, lay prone, and aim down their gun's iron sights. When the player is shot by🌧️ an enemy, blood will splatter their heads-up display (HUD), denoting that they have taken damage; if the player avoids gunfire🌧️ by taking cover, their health will recover. The HUD also displays other information, such as a compass, a mini-map, and🌧️ the player's current ammunition count. The game features traditional guns, including assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, and sniper rifles. The player🌧️ will be given specific guns at the beginning of each level, but may switch them out with another gun they🌧️ find. Some guns have attachments, such as suppressors, and heartbeat sensors.[7] The player can use grenades and flashbangs when faced🌧️ with a large group of enemies, as well as a knife for close quarters combat. In some levels, the player🌧️ will be given special equipment, such as night vision goggles, or a laser designator.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has🌧️ three different game modes: Campaign, Spec Ops, and Multiplayer.[10] Campaign is a single-player mode where the player completes eighteen levels🌧️ connected by an overarching plot. Each level features a series of objectives to fulfill, and the player will often switch🌧️ characters between levels.[10][12] If the player dies during a level, they will respawn at the most recent checkpoint. Levels can🌧️ be played on one of four difficulties, and each level can be replayed after it has been completed. Spec Ops🌧️ mode features twenty-three additional levels that can be played individually or cooperatively with a partner. These levels provide specific challenges,🌧️ such as defusing three bombs within a short period of time.[15] If one player is shot down while playing cooperatively,🌧️ they will begin crawling, and can shoot enemies with a handgun. If they are not revived by the other player,🌧️ then they will die and fail the level.[15] There are five tiers of Spec Ops levels, with each tier harder🌧️ than the previous. Only the first tier is available from the beginning, as later tiers can be unlocked with enough🌧️ stars. The player earns stars by completing the levels on one of three difficulties, with the number of stars earned🌧️ corresponding to the difficulty chosen.[15]
Multiplayer mode allows players to compete against each other in team-based and deathmatch-based game types on🌧️ various maps. Each game type has an objective that requires unique strategies to complete. If the player kills three or🌧️ more players in a row without dying, they achieve a "killstreak", which gives the player a tactical advantage during a🌧️ match. These include a Predator missile,[17] a sentry gun, and a tactical nuke.[19] Alternatively, if the player dies several times🌧️ without a kill, they will be rewarded with a "deathstreak" bonus, which evens the match for the player.[19] A match🌧️ ends when either a team or player has reached a predefined number of points, or the allotted time expires in🌧️ which case the team or player with the most points wins. The player's performance in multiplayer is tracked with experience🌧️ points, which can be earned by killing opposing players, completing objectives, or by completing a match.[21] As the player gains🌧️ experience, they advance in level, unlocking new weapons. The player will also unlock perks, which modify gameplay elements such as🌧️ unlimited sprint and increased bullet damage.
Plot
Characters and setting
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes place five years after the events🌧️ of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. During the single-player campaign, the player controls five different characters from a first-person🌧️ perspective. The player primarily controls Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, a British member of an international special forces unit named Task🌧️ Force 141. In addition to Roach, the player will also assume control of Private First Class Joseph Allen and James🌧️ Ramirez of the 1st Ranger Battalion. The now Captain John "Soap" MacTavish serves as a senior member of Task Force🌧️ 141, acting as Roach's superior officer, and becomes the playable character in the final three missions of the game. Lastly,🌧️ the player briefly assumes the role of an astronaut stationed on the International Space Station during the height of the🌧️ war between the United States and Russia.
The game's non-playable characters (NPCs) feature prominently in the story. For Task Force 141,🌧️ Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley, a British operator who conceals his face with a skull print balaclava, serves as Soap's second-in-command.🌧️ For the US Army Rangers, Sergeant Foley, along with his subordinate, Corporal Dunn, is initially Joseph Allen's squad leader, and🌧️ becomes James Ramirez's squad leader later in the story. Lieutenant General Shepherd is the commander of the Army Rangers and🌧️ Task Force 141. Other supporting characters returning from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare include Captain John Price, MacTavish's former🌧️ commanding officer in the British Special Air Service, and Russian informant turned mercenary pilot "Nikolai." Locations featured in the game🌧️ include Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Brazil, the United States, Georgia, and outer space.
Story
Despite the events of the previous game preventing a🌧️ nuclear war, the Ultranationalists ultimately seize control of Russia and Imran Zakhaev becomes a martyr. Diplomatic relations with the United🌧️ States plummet as a result, while Vladimir Makarov, an Ultranationalist extremist and Zakhaev's protege, commits to a campaign of vengeance🌧️ against the West with acts of terrorism. In 2024, Private First Class Joseph Allen impresses US Army Lieutenant General Shepherd🌧️ with his acts with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan, and is subsequently inducted into Task Force 141. He is then🌧️ embedded with the CIA and adopts a secret identity to infiltrate Makarov's terrorist cell, leading to him participating in a🌧️ mass shooting at an airport in Moscow, killing hundreds of Russian civilians. Makarov, aware of Allen's true identity, kills the🌧️ American, leaving his body behind to implicate the United States in the attack.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson is sent with🌧️ Captain John "Soap" MacTavish to secure an Attack Characterization System (ACS) module from a downed American satellite that has been🌧️ retrieved by Russian forces and held at an airbase in the Tian Shan range of Kazakhstan. In the aftermath of🌧️ the airport massacre, Soap, Roach, Ghost, and several other members of Task Force 141 are sent to Rio de Janeiro🌧️ to capture Alejandro Rojas, Makarov's arms dealer, and succeed after an intense pursuit through a favela. In retaliation for the🌧️ airport massacre, Russia launches a surprise invasion of the United States East Coast, facilitated by their earlier capture of the🌧️ ACS module, which allowed them to disable American satellites over North America, leaving NORAD blind to their attack.
Under interrogation, Rojas🌧️ reveals that the only person Makarov hates more than Americans is an individual known only as "Prisoner 627", who is🌧️ currently imprisoned in a gulag in Kamchatka Krai. Intending to use 627 as bait for the terrorist, Task Force 141🌧️ breaks into the prison and rescues the prisoner, who is revealed to be Captain John Price. Price rejoins Task Force🌧️ 141, and in an effort to give American forces a much-needed advantage in repulsing the invasion, boards a Russian nuclear🌧️ submarine and launches an ICBM which detonates above Washington in the upper atmosphere, destroying the International Space Station in the🌧️ process. The blast creates a massive electromagnetic pulse, disabling all Russian equipment and leveling the odds of the ensuing battle🌧️ for the Americans, who launch a counter-attack that saves the White House from a US Air Force bomb run to🌧️ deny the city to the Russians, successfully regaining control over the city.
Task Force 141 are sent to two separate locations🌧️ in search of Makarov—Roach, Ghost, and other members attack a safehouse on the Georgia–Russia border. Although Makarov is not there,🌧️ the team finds a wealth of intelligence, which they download onto a hard drive before reaching the extraction point. Upon🌧️ being rescued, Shepherd suddenly executes Roach and Ghost while members of Shadow Company, a private military company hired by Shepherd,🌧️ wipe out the rest of the team. Simultaneously, Soap and Price are attacked by Shadow Company while searching for Makarov🌧️ at an aircraft boneyard in Afghanistan, but manage to escape with the help of Nikolai. In the face of a🌧️ mutual enemy, Task Force 141 and Makarov forge a temporary truce, and Makarov reveals Shepherd's location to them; Price and🌧️ Soap launch a suicide mission to exact revenge on Shepherd, infiltrating his base in Afghanistan. After a lengthy pursuit, the🌧️ duo manage to corner the general, but Soap is stabbed in the chest. As Shepherd prepares to execute Soap, he🌧️ reveals that he was the commanding officer of the forty thousand men who died to Al-Asad's nuke five years ago.🌧️ Shepherd revealed Allen's true identity to Makarov to start a war with Russia and become a war hero, and betrayed🌧️ Task Force 141 to cover this up. Price then intervenes and engages in a fistfight with Shepherd, giving Soap enough🌧️ time to pull the knife from his chest and throw it at Shepherd, killing him. Nikolai arrives by helicopter and🌧️ evacuates Price and Soap, leading them to a safe place.
Development
Modern Warfare 2 was originally announced as Call of Duty 6.[23]🌧️ The game was first announced under the title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Activision on December 3, 2008.[24]🌧️ Activision subsequently retracted its announcement, stating that any information about an upcoming Call of Duty game was "speculative."[25] Infinity Ward🌧️ then asserted that it had not officially confirmed its latest project at that time.[26] On February 11, 2009, Activision officially🌧️ announced Modern Warfare 2 and set a tentative release date for "Holiday 2009."[27] The game was tested in an internal🌧️ beta by the development team. While both Call of Duty 4 and Call of Duty: World at War had been🌧️ preceded by public multiplayer betas, no such beta was released for Modern Warfare 2 because it was determined that, according🌧️ to Community Manager Robert Bowling, no public beta was needed unless the internal beta did not provide adequate feedback.[28] While🌧️ Treyarch was able to port Modern Warfare to the Wii and release it on the same day Modern Warfare 2🌧️ was released, Infinity Ward declined to make a Wii version of the sequel. According to Bowling, Infinity Ward determined that🌧️ the Wii's technical limitations made it impossible to deliver the same cinematic experience that the sequel aspired to present.[29]
Infinity Ward🌧️ announced in October 2009 that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 would not support the use of user-run dedicated🌧️ servers or in-game console commands. This announcement was received poorly by some members of the PC community,[30] eventually instigating a🌧️ response from Infinity Ward in an attempt to put the community at ease.[31][32] During brainstorming sessions, an idea came forth🌧️ on what if the ending of Modern Warfare was a loss, leading to the sequel.[33] In an interview with Jesse🌧️ Stern, he talked to producers of Infinity Ward with ideas such as "outbreaks, viruses, chemical warfare, and even outlandish things🌧️ such as aliens and the living dead."[34] Stern mentioned having the game based on real-life conflicts before they halted further🌧️ planning at first due to events in the 2008 South Ossetia war and in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.[34]
Game engine
The game🌧️ utilizes the in-house IW 4.0 game engine, which is claimed to be a generation beyond the capabilities of the engine🌧️ used in Call of Duty 4.[35] Although proprietary, the game is based on an unspecified id Tech engine, and can🌧️ accommodate larger worlds, enhanced graphic detail, and more efficient rendering.[36] Infinity Ward has addressed the issue of enemies that continually🌧️ respawn at different points of a level.[37] The developer demonstrated that the game engine uses a "dynamic AI", which has🌧️ replaced the infinite respawn system and allows enemies to act more independently. These "smarter" enemies are designed to actively seek🌧️ out and drive the player forward through a level, and can break away from set behaviors such as following a🌧️ designated route in order to attack. The player cannot depend on enemies to be found in the same locations as🌧️ a previous play-through because enemies will behave differently each time a level is played.[38]
Audio
On August 20, 2009, Robert Bowling revealed🌧️ through Twitter that Kevin McKidd, Craig Fairbrass, Barry Pepper, Keith David, and Glenn Morshower were confirmed voice actors for the🌧️ game.[39] It was later confirmed that McKidd would voice the protagonist, "Soap" MacTavish.[40] Fairbrass, who voiced Gaz in Call of🌧️ Duty 4, provided voice work for "Ghost". Billy Murray reprised his role as Captain Price from Call of Duty 4.[41]🌧️ Rapper 50 Cent provided voice work for the Special Ops and multiplayer modes, portraying "one of the squad [member] voices."[42][43]🌧️ The main theme of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was provided by Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer,[44] while the rest🌧️ of the score was composed by Lorne Balfe.[45] The soundtrack was released on June 1, 2010.[46] The iTunes page for🌧️ the soundtrack incorrectly lists Zimmer as the soundtrack's only composer.[46]
Marketing and release
On March 25, 2009, a teaser trailer for the🌧️ game was revealed at the Game Developer Choice Awards ceremony in San Francisco. The teaser was posted on Infinity Ward's🌧️ website,[47] and released on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network a short time later.[48] A second teaser was🌧️ released on May 10, 2009, and showed gameplay features such as snowmobile driving and underwater actions. The teaser announced that🌧️ the game would be "revealed" on TNT during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 24, 2009.[49] The "reveal" was🌧️ the first full-length trailer, which debuted extended sequences of actual in-game scenes and combat; the trailer was subsequently made available🌧️ on the Modern Warfare 2 official website, which was kept updated for the occasion.[50] A fourth trailer was released on🌧️ July 27, 2009, and showed the first footage of the game's multiplayer mode.[51] On October 4, 2009, a second full-length🌧️ cinematic trailer was released and revealed that part of the game would take place in a war-torn Washington, D.C.[52]
On July🌧️ 21, 2009, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling revealed through Twitter that a Modern Warfare 2 controller was in the works.[53] Peripherals🌧️ manufacturer Mad Catz was contracted by Activision to create a line of Modern Warfare 2 controllers and accessories for all🌧️ platforms that the game would be available on.[54] Activision stated, in its quarterly earnings report, that pre-orders for the game🌧️ had broken a company record; more copies of Modern Warfare 2 had been pre-ordered than any other game that the🌧️ company had published before.[55] In September 2009, Monster Energy teamed up with Activision to bring special redeemable codes on the🌧️ Monster Energy website,[56] where people may submit codes included in Monster Energy packs to redeem items such as Xbox 360🌧️ Premium Themes and a Modern Warfare 2 Map Pack code.[57]
In October 2009, Infinity Ward posted a video titled "Fight Against🌧️ Grenade Spam" on YouTube. In the video, professional baseball player Cole Hamels delivers a public service announcement that advocates against🌧️ the use of grenade spam. Hamels uses profanity in the video, calling grenade spam "for pussies", and says "what the🌧️ fuck" when he is blown up with grenades.[58][59] Multiple game journalists, including Phillip Kollar of Game Informer, criticized the title's🌧️ acronym, F.A.G.S. (a pejorative term for gay people) as condoning the use of homophobic slurs.[60][61] Infinity Ward community manager Robert🌧️ Bowling claimed the video was intended as a social commentary joke about the "gamer" stereotype, but ultimately decided to remove🌧️ the video from YouTube after being convinced the joke went too far.[62]
Title
The original teaser trailer confirmed that the game's title🌧️ of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was officially shortened to just Modern Warfare 2.[63] After photographs of the official🌧️ retail boxes were posted by Robert Bowling, Activision confirmed that the standard-edition Modern Warfare 2 packaging would feature the Call🌧️ of Duty brand logo in order to reflect the game's association with the Call of Duty franchise.[38] It is speculated🌧️ that the decision was influenced by findings that brand awareness for the game was significantly lower without the Call of🌧️ Duty logo.[65] However, the developers still prefer to simply call the game Modern Warfare 2 as they consider it a🌧️ new IP.[66] The menus in the game also refer to the title as simply Modern Warfare 2.
Retail versions
Modern Warfare 2🌧️ was released in four different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard, Hardened, Veteran, and Prestige.🌧️ The standard version consists of the game and an instructional manual, and is the only version available for the Windows🌧️ platform.[67] The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual (which are packaged in a steel book case), an art🌧️ book, and a token that allows one to download Call of Duty Classic, a hi-definition version of the original Call🌧️ of Duty game, from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store (Classic was released individually on December 2, 2009). The🌧️ Prestige Edition contains all the elements of the Hardened Edition as well as a set of fully functioning night vision🌧️ goggles imprinted with the Modern Warfare 2 logo and a stand modeled after the head of the character "Soap" MacTavish.[68]🌧️ The goggles are powered by five AA batteries[69] and can see up to 50 feet in absolute darkness.[70]
On September 15,🌧️ 2009, Activision and Microsoft jointly announced a special, limited Modern Warfare 2 version of the Xbox 360 with a 250🌧️ GB hard disk. The unit is highlighted by special game product branding and includes two black wireless controllers, a black🌧️ wired headset, an ethernet cable, a standard definition composite A/V cable, and the standard edition version of the game. This🌧️ is the first Xbox 360 to come with a 250 GB hard drive.[71] On September 18, UK and rep of🌧️ Ireland retailer GAME announced a Veteran Edition of Modern Warfare 2 would be exclusive to rep of Ireland and UK.🌧️ It will come with a 12-inch (30 cm) statue of "Soap" MacTavish with interchangeable arms and weapons and has the🌧️ same contents as the Hardened Edition.[72] In September 2009, a Veteran Statue Bundle of Modern Warfare 2 was posted on🌧️ the EB Games website and is available for all platforms.[73]
Modern Warfare 2 was ported to the Nintendo DS with the🌧️ title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized and a different storyline, released on November 10, 2009.[74] It was also ported🌧️ to OS X by Aspyr years after the game's original release. This version was released on May 20, 2014, alongside🌧️ the OS X port for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.[75] The Xbox 360 version of Modern Warfare 2 was🌧️ made backward compatible with the Xbox One on August 28, 2024.[76]
Downloadable content
Activision announced that two downloadable map packs would be🌧️ released for Modern Warfare 2.[77] At E3 2009, Microsoft stated that these map packs would first be made available for🌧️ the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live before they would be released for other platforms.[78] Robert Bowling stated that the community🌧️ response to the game and the first ten downloadable map packs would be used in designing other potential map packs.[79]
The🌧️ first map pack, titled the "Stimulus Package" was released first for Xbox Live on March 30, 2010[80] and for PlayStation🌧️ Network and PC on May 4, 2010, in North America.[81][82] The pack contains five maps: reincarnations of the Crash and🌧️ Overgrown maps from Call of Duty 4, and three new maps: Bailout, a multi-level apartment complex; Storm, an industrial park🌧️ littered with heavy machinery; and Salvage, an abandoned car junkyard in the middle of the snow.[83] Within 24 hours of🌧️ its release, it was downloaded over one million times. Within the first week it had been downloaded 2.5 million times,🌧️ breaking Xbox Live DLC records.[84] In addition to integrating the maps into all existing game types, the Stimulus Package adds🌧️ two new game modes, randomizing the built-in game types in either normal or hardcore mode.
Activision released the second downloadable map🌧️ pack, titled the "Resurgence Package", exclusively for Xbox Live on June 3, 2010, in North America. This release was followed🌧️ by the PlayStation Network and PC versions on July 6 in North America and on July 7 worldwide.[85] The package🌧️ includes five new multiplayer maps: reincarnations of the Strike and Vacant maps from Call of Duty 4, and three new🌧️ maps: Carnival, a desolated amusement park; Trailer Park, a mobile home park; and Fuel, an oil refinery.[86] Both of the🌧️ map packs were made available for purchase on OS X on May 20, 2014, when the OS X port of🌧️ the game was released.[75]
Comic
A six-part comic book mini-series related to the game has also been produced. Announced by Robert Bowling🌧️ on August 17, 2009, Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is focused on the backstory of the character Ghost, who appears in🌧️ the video game as a member of Task Force 141. The series is published by WildStorm. The first issue of🌧️ the series debuted on November 11, 2009.[87][88]
Short film
A fan-made prequel to Modern Warfare 2, entitled Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish, premiered🌧️ at Call of Duty: XP 2011. The video was produced by We Can Pretend, visual effects by The Junction, and🌧️ was endorsed by Activision. The first film, Find Makarov, was a non-canon fan made film. Activision contacted We Can Pretend🌧️ about the video and helped produce a second canon short film, Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish.[89] The prequel tells the story🌧️ of how Task Force 141 first tried to capture Vladimir Makarov, who was known then as Kingfish. It also tells🌧️ how Soap got his facial scars, and how Price was captured and incarcerated in a gulag.
Reception
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare🌧️ 2 received "universal acclaim" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, and "generally positive" reviews for the PC version,🌧️ according to review aggregator Metacritic.[90][91][92] Reviewers praised the in-depth story mode, mini missions, and multiplayer.[123]
1UP stated "Mixing real-world locations with🌧️ bombastic set-pieces MW2 continues the guided, thrill-ride experiences of its predecessor, and adds even more depth to its multiplayer offerings.🌧️ It might not have fixed all the problems from the first game, but there's just so much quality content packed🌧️ into this game that it will almost certainly be one of the most-played games in your library for a long🌧️ time to come".[93] Game Informer noted praised the game for its polish and iteration on the series, as well as🌧️ its strong presentation and wealth of playable content.[124] IGN called it a "no-brainer purchase", thanks to its online multiplayer, its🌧️ co-op mode, and its campaign.[104] GameTrailers stated "The air of unpredictability and the care that was paid to each separate🌧️ element puts it in lofty company. The multiplayer hasn't received an overhaul, but considering most shooters are still playing catch-up🌧️ with Call of Duty 4, the tweaks and twists make it the best multiplayer shooting experience in the industry. Few🌧️ games manage to meet such high expectations".[103] Computer and Video Games called the game "Loud, epic and incredibly polished, [and]🌧️ this year's biggest must-have shooter".[94]
Criticism of the game focused on the short length of the single player campaign. IGN's Mark🌧️ Bozon remarks that the single-player of "Modern Warfare 2 is surprisingly short, and doesn't live up to the standard set🌧️ by previous Call of Duty games."[104] In addition, many reviewers have complained about the lack of innovation to the formula🌧️ of the series.[125][126][127]
The game's Windows version was also criticized for lacking dedicated servers and being powered by IWNet.[128] Infinity Ward🌧️ went on to state that it would lack console commands, not support larger than 18 player multiplayer matches, or allow🌧️ players to ban cheaters.[129] Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica commented that, "at launch, this will be one of the most🌧️ locked-down, inflexible, and gamer-unfriendly games ever created",[129] and an online petition for dedicated servers surpassed 150,000 signatures in ten days.[130]🌧️ Nevertheless, in response, Mike Griffiths, CEO of Activision, claimed that the omission of dedicated servers would offer an "easier multiplayer🌧️ experience".[131] While only 3% of the game's sales came from the Windows version in the UK, it still outsold the🌧️ Windows version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in its first week.[132]
Some game journalists accused the developers of cultural🌧️ insensitivity, citing the use of Arabic rather than Urdu on signs and banners in the Karachi multiplayer map, based on🌧️ the real-life city of Karachi in Pakistan.[133][134] An Easter egg in the game's tutorial level in which one soldier asks🌧️ another soldier about his sexuality, and then remarks "don't ask, don't tell", led to further criticism, though some journalists considered🌧️ the reaction to the line overblown.[135][136]
Famitsu named Modern Warfare 2 as the number one game on the top 10 video🌧️ games sold in 2009, beating games such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Halo 3 and Grand🌧️ Theft Auto IV.[137] It also gave the game a score of 39/40, being one of the few Western games released🌧️ in Japan to have the same score as Grand Theft Auto IV.[138] In 2011, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's🌧️ Edition voted Simon "Ghost" Riley as the 40th-top video game character of all time.[139]
Sales and revenue
According to preliminary sales figures🌧️ from Activision, Modern Warfare 2 sold approximately 4.7 million units in the United States and the UK combined in the🌧️ first 24 hours of its release.[140] The total revenue from first day sales in the U.S. and the UK wasR$310🌧️ million, making Modern Warfare 2 the biggest entertainment launch in history at the time, surpassing in revenue its previous record🌧️ holder, Grand Theft Auto IV,[141][142] as well as items from other media types.[143][144] After five days of sales, the game🌧️ had earned revenue figures ofR$550 million worldwide.[145] As of 13 January 2010 , it has taken overR$1 billion in sales.[146]🌧️ Activision also claims that Modern Warfare 2 had 8 million players online within the first five days, constituting the largest🌧️ 'army' of players in the world.[147] On March 8, 2010, Robert Bowling announced that the game had amassed 25 million🌧️ unique players.[148] In June 2010, Activision's CFO Thomas Tippl revealed that the game had sold 20 million copies.[149] In August🌧️ 2011, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg revealed that the game had sold 22 million copies.[150] A month later in September🌧️ 2011, Modern Warfare 3 producer Mark Rubin, said that the game's number (not confirmed as players or sales) was between🌧️ 28 and 29 million.[151] In November 2013, IGN put the game's sales at 22.7 million.[152]
According to the NPD Group, Modern🌧️ Warfare 2 sold approximately 4.2 million units for the Xbox 360 and 1.87 million units for the PlayStation 3 in🌧️ the U.S. during the month of November 2009.[153] In Japan, Modern Warfare 2 sold 64,000 copies for the PlayStation 3🌧️ and 42,000 copies for the Xbox 360 in its first week of sales.[154] The game later sold 117,000 copies on🌧️ the PlayStation 3 and 61,000 on the Xbox 360.[155] Anita Frazier of the NPD Group reported in March 2010 that🌧️ the game had sold slightly under 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.[156][157] The game had also become the second🌧️ best-selling game of all time in both the UK and the U.S.[156][158][159]
After it became backward compatible with the Xbox One,🌧️ the NPD Group reported that Modern Warfare 2 was the eighth-best selling video game in the United States during August🌧️ 2024. It had sold more copies in that month than the then-most recent entry in the series, Call of Duty:🌧️ WWII, which came out in November 2024. During the previous month, before becoming backward compatible, Modern Warfare 2 was at🌧️ only number 321 on the best sellers list.[160]
Awards
Modern Warfare 2 received awards from various gaming sites and publications, it gained🌧️ high praise from some video game magazines. At the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, Modern Warfare 2 received the Best🌧️ Shooter and Best Multiplayer awards.[161] Both GameSpy and GameTrailers gave the game the Best Overall Game of 2009 award[162] and🌧️ received from GameTrailers six awards overall.[163] GameSpot and Metacritic, both gave it the Best Xbox 360 Game award,[164][165] and from🌧️ GameTrailers received the game the Best Multiplayer award[166] including the Best First-Person Shooter award.[167] At the 6th British Academy Games🌧️ Awards, it won the GAME Award which was selected via a public vote.[116] During the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,🌧️ the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Modern Warfare 2 with "Action Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement🌧️ in Online Gameplay", along with receiving nominations for "Game of the Year" and outstanding achievement in "Animation", "Art Direction", "Game🌧️ Design", "Original Music Composition", "Sound Design", and "Visual Engineering".[168]
"No Russian" controversy
Gameplay screenshot of "No Russian", depicting the player character aiming🌧️ at a crowd of civilians
In the campaign's "No Russian" level, the player controls an undercover CIA agent who participates in🌧️ a mass shooting at a Moscow airport to gain the trust of a Russian terrorist group.[169][170] It begins with the🌧️ player walking out of an elevator with four other gunmen, who proceed to open fire on a large group of🌧️ civilians at a security checkpoint.[169] The player then accompanies the gunmen as they walk through the airport, killing any remaining🌧️ civilians. The only legitimate targets are a group of security personnel encountered in waves throughout the airport interior, and a🌧️ more heavily armed gang of riot squad and FSB members deployed on the tarmac. The level is very graphic, as🌧️ screams can be heard throughout, and the injured crawl away leaving blood trails or perch themselves on tables and stands🌧️ as they bleed out.[171] However, the player is never forced to partake in the massacre, and may instead let their🌧️ comrades kill the civilians. If the player does not feel comfortable during the level, they are allowed to skip to🌧️ the next level with no penalties whatsoever.[172]
Prior to the game's release, footage taken from "No Russian" was leaked on the🌧️ Internet.[173] Some journalists decided to wait until they could actually play the level to judge its merits.[171][174][175] After the game's🌧️ release, the level was largely criticized for allowing players to partake in a terrorist attack. Vince Horiuchi of The Salt🌧️ Lake Tribune felt that the level was in poor taste following the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and questioned why its🌧️ content couldn't have been shown in a non-interactive cutscene.[176] Marc Cieslak of BBC News was saddened by "No Russian", as🌧️ he felt it disproved his theory that the video game industry had "grown up".[177] Several prominent British religious leaders condemned🌧️ the level: Alexander Goldberg of the London Jewish Forum was worried that children would play it; Fazan Mohammed of the🌧️ British Muslim Forum described it as an intimate experience of enacting terrorism; and Stephen Lowe, the retired Bishop of Hulme,🌧️ felt that it was "sickening".[178] Due to the level's graphic content, the game was censored in international versions, and the🌧️ level was removed entirely from the Russian version.[179][180]
Remastered version
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, a visually-updated version of🌧️ the original, was released for PlayStation 4 on March 31, 2024,[181][182] and for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows on April🌧️ 30, 2024.[182] It only includes the campaign mode with no multiplayer and Spec Ops components; when purchased players unlock various🌧️ cosmetic items in 2024's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and 2024's Call of Duty: Warzone.[182] The remaster features improved models🌧️ and art along with remade cutscenes with new motion capture, as well as a revamped post-process pipeline and HDR support.[183]🌧️ It was developed on a more advanced version of Sledgehammer Games' engine from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare with modifications🌧️ from Beenox.[184] On Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 and PC versions of the remaster hold a weighted average score of 71🌧️ out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[185][186]
Notes and references
Notes
^ Hans Zimmer composed the main theme. a b As part🌧️ of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered which does not include multiplayer.
References
