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Hutz
11-11-2009, 04:50 PM
Before going to details, here's the gist of it: I'll replay MW1's campaign when I need a shooter fix, and not touch MW2 ever again, except for Spec Ops.

MW2 feels soulless, like a hollow shell of what CoD2/MW1's campaigns were.

The story is a fractured mess and makes no fucking sense. The other Call of Duty games had several points of view, but in MW2 all the missions just seem completely random, with the plot thinly strung together with easy-to-miss or outright implied explanations. I grew attached to the major characters in the other CoD games, but not for this one. How am I supposed to get attached to some guy who never shows his face to me, instead wearing that silly balaclava with the skull drawn on it? Is that supposed to look cool or something?

At the risk of offending Hans Zimmer fans, I think he ruined the music. CoD2 and 4 had music that perfectly fit each battle. The music in those games contributed to their balls-to-the-wall atmosphere. The music in MW2 is Hollywood-produced overly dramatic trash that has no place in a shooter. Save that shit for an overly dramatic war movie that I won't be entertained by. This is the thing that most ruined the game for me.

There are a few missions I really enjoyed, but many of the missions consist of a ton of non-interactive or barely-interactive segments, especially in the final stretch of the game. You also rarely take point during missions (instead following someone with a "Follow" marker over their head), and your superiors constantly yell at you to do whatever it is the level designers think you should be doing to have fun. Stop telling me to use a predator missile ffs, I haven't already forgotten how to use it...

The story arc just doesn't do it for me. We're shooting Russians who are invading over what is essentially a misunderstanding, or worse, something that is actually America's fault? How am I supposed to get pumped about that? MW1 had you shooting Russian ultranationalists who are using nukes to start a civil war, and CoD2 had you shooting nazis. Why does this game have to make me question the shooting of enemies?

The end of MW1's campaign (not the extra mission afterwards) was awesome. The end of MW2's campaign is clearly trying to be more like a movie, in that it looks cool but isn't really interactive. It's practically a series of quick-time events (mash F to not die, etc).

Infinity Ward has officially lost it. Anything good about their level design is overshadowed by their insistence on making MW2 a movie instead of a game. It's strange considering how they used to be awesome at putting together cohesive, fun games, instead of overly dramatic, barely interactive trash that is trying to be a movie but fails at being a movie and a game.

I was hyped about MW2's campaign as much as I was 2 years ago for MW1. MW1 delivered. This one was incredibly disappointing. At least we have spec-ops...

Mr_Peepers
11-11-2009, 07:40 PM
just finished the campaign, i feel about the same...hit me up for spec ops

f00d4tehg0dz
11-11-2009, 09:34 PM
damn, well i'm 4 hours left from downloading the singleplayer campaign. I was excited to play that mission that is "disturbing". Upsetting to hear that though hutz. :/

Hutz
11-12-2009, 12:20 AM
I can't emphasize enough how horrible I found most of the music. The atmospheres of CoD2/4 were amazing, and what I considered to be part of the one-two punch that IW had going (slick gameplay and testosterone-filled atmosphere). MW2's atmosphere doesn't make me want to fight, as it feels depressing and hopeless instead of action-packed. There's only one tune I liked, the one where you're storming the Russian gulag. If only the rest of the music got my blood pumping...

Maybe Hans Zimmer should have studied how to make game music instead of churning out generic war movie compositions.

Also, IW saw fit to only include a master volume slider. No turning off the music without also turning off the sound effects. What a joke.

f00d4tehg0dz
11-12-2009, 04:24 AM
Wow... master volume slider and thats it? Arg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its funny too, IW was talking up Hans so well for this game. Saying he churned up some of the greatest music ever... What happened to Allen anyways. I thought u were coming back for MW2 allen!

Mr_Peepers
11-12-2009, 04:58 AM
yeah, the master volume's going to be a problem in MP and co-op, seeing that while yes it's fun having your 5.1 surround, but it's also nice to hear your friend telling you where to shoot.

I for one food didn't seem to have that big of a deal with the music, that's most likely because I was ignoring it seeing that I was really intent on getting through the entire experience as fast as possible.

The "shocking" scene however for me was amazing. Having not known about it since I intentionally kept myself in the dark, my jaw was open that entire mission.

it's sad though that with such a good launch point for a story they just mud it up in stuff I can't even explain because frankly the story didn't make a whole lot of sense.

think of MW2 like you would Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen....turn your brain off and it's a fun time. critically think about what is actually happening and you won't have much fun at all.

the analogy also applies to MW2's breach sequences and Transformers slow motion scenes...honestly, i've seen it 5 times already, do I really have to go through it again? (but they are still kinda fun, not going to lie)

f00d4tehg0dz
11-12-2009, 06:22 AM
alright, 4 missions already into the game, and I'm getting tired of seeing the same dark skinned guy with curly short hair in suspenders in every corner, couldn't they have made more than like 3 general terrorists?
And that disturbing map was lame

Oh i love how they didn't bother to update and make new DOORS, or cars!!!. Thats my review so far....

Hutz
11-12-2009, 06:20 PM
On a separate note, Spec Ops is pretty good. The stealth missions are great fun when you're in vent with the other guy, and the other types of missions are solid co-op shooting. Big Brother is fucking amazing.

Still, to me it's just an excuse for IW to not bother with a co-op campaign, which is what I really want.

And f00d, there's no doubt that the music is great... but definitely not in the context of this game. In games, the music's job is to contribute to the atmosphere you're going for, and in this game it's not conducive to being an action hero like in the other Call of Duty's.

Mr_Peepers
11-12-2009, 07:58 PM
hutz i need some co-op in my life so next time we're both on steam let's go for it