Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) Reviews
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will not convince non-believers to jump into Call of Duty. If you’re a fan, you’ll be buying it. If you’re a relapsed fan, you’ll likely come back. And if you hate Call of Duty, you’ll still hate it. It’s a solid effort with a well-designed campaign that feels like you’re playing a summer blockbuster movie. The multiplayer, although severely lacking some key ingredients such as hardcore, the ability to ping, and crossplay issues, is still quite enjoyable. It’s still Call of Duty multiplayer, but it brings enough fresh tweaks to keep us fans happy.
The return of Task Force 141 brings along with it an unusually topical storyline that lacks the signature Blockbuster appeal of your typical Call of Duty campaign and instead feels like a Direct-to-DVD sequel.
If nothing else, Modern Warfare 2 and its return to the revamped gunplay of its predecessor is an assurance that Call of Duty is firmly within a new era. The relaunch of Warzone will undoubtedly only benefit the already solid package, one which deftly navigates the burgeoning crossplay scene with a slew of network features. Alongside such implementations, though, is a platform primed for its inevitable deep dive into live service monetization, which looks to begin in earnest upon the release date of Warzone 2 and the start of Season 1. The game will surely evolve over the next year or more, but at launch, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a well-made entry in one of gaming's largest franchises, where innovation isn't necessarily expected, but would have certainly been welcome.
If you're eager to get started with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then the campaign will serve you well until the multiplayer and online co-op mode unlocks on Friday. With many missions that break away from the status quo, it's not always just about shooting the bad guys. From high-speed car chases and crafting systems to the turrets of an AC-130, Modern Warfare 2 thoroughly entertains when it's offline.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II brings the core of what makes CoD games great and stays true to Infinity Ward's best efforts in the series. It's big step away in a positive direction from last year's Vanguard disaster. I just wish there was a bit more meat to sink my teeth into. The single player campaign makes no attempt at a commentary but will have you running through a series of competent missions and set pieces. Multiplayer is what you would expect from the series, both with competent gunplay as well as a map playlist that will need to expand over time. The new co-op mode seems a better experience with a friend than queuing with a random from the lobby. All in all there is good game on offer that moves slicker and the shine on your assault rifle looks more gorgeous than the series ever has.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes in as the 19th instalment of the series. It’s easily the best-looking Call of Duty game to date, and the graphics shined on my PS5. The campaign mode is a little lacklustre, but there are plenty of multiplayer modes to explore, even if Infinity Ward hasn’t ironed out all the performance issues just yet.
Modern Warfare II will be easily enjoyed by an average player such as myself. More hardcore fans will be missing exclusions like the titular playlist, but I'm resting assured these will be on the way soon. It's a shame that not even the biggest franchise in the genre can seem to offer up a complete package at launch, but the core is solid and as fun as ever.
As a fan of FPS games and a casual fan of the CoD franchise, it pains me to say Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of my most disliked entries in the series. The campaign is a huge step down from its original namesake, and the multiplayer has disappointed me on many levels. I know Activision loves to get a slice of the CoD pie every single year, but I still think we’d be better off with fewer titles, bigger innovations.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 delivers a good campaign with some action and tense moments. It's good to be back with the good old team. But the multiplayer suffers from multiple defects like SBMM, who affects the game entirely.
Review in French | Read full review
Modern Warfare 2 pours a solid shooter foundation, which is crumbling due to many small mistakes.
Review in German | Read full review
Modern Warfare 2 is the best Call of Duty to date. The new installment of Infinity Ward comes with a realism never seen before, new gameplay for the story mode and new mechanics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 lays the foundations for the future of the series and does so with solid gameplay and a wide and varied gaming offer, since in a single package you can find a good campaign, a cooperative mode not too rich in content but still fun and a multiplayer that will probably be able to entertain for months thanks to post-launch support.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you can, I’d recommend waiting until massive changes come to flesh out this experience and iron out all the bugs. Right now, 2022’s version of Modern Warfare is bigger and slightly better, but going big without proper execution doesn’t translate to a winning formula.
It is a game that remains within the decent, it is not at all the fifth wonder of the world, but neither can it be interpreted as a disaster that will leave users indifferent, especially the most fanatical. The next installment must commit to delivering a product worthy of the new generation of consoles, since it seems that PS4 and Xbox One are limiting in some way.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The shooting is sharp and impactful, and the slow and snipey set pieces feel as slick as they did all the way back in All Ghillied Up, but it feels like the ratio behind this tried-and-true formula is a little off this time. It’s more stop-start than any COD in recent memory, and the highlights are diluted by a few too many drab stealth missions. It’s not one of the best Call of Duty campaigns, but it’s far from a bad one.
You can tell that Infinity Ward has put a lot of thought into creating a varied campaign and in its best moments, MW2 actually comes close to the old trilogy. If you are looking for a solid shooter campaign, and can get over the lengths, Modern Warfare 2 is definitely recommended.
Review in German | Read full review
Overall, this campaign brought me back to the beginning. There’s a deja-vu here, with familiar missions and faces, but that takes you off the beaten path into something more awe-inspiring than it’s ever been. I felt completely immersed in the seven or so hours I spent with Ghost, Price, Soap, and the others I grew up with, riveted to the screen, and I kind of want to do it again. Modern Warfare II is not something you’re going to want to put down, and I get the feeling this is just the start of it.
Call of Duty returns for yet another year, and while the campaign feels a little bit like a case of diminishing returns, the strength of two-player co-op and multiplayer pulls Modern Warfare 2 through.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a video game equivalent of Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s a lot of fun, gunplay feels great, and all of that sounds and looks excellent (it definitely is one of the prettiest games out there). But we still wouldn’t nominate MW2 a game of the year.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Modern Warfare II is exactly what it says on the tin, but this time around it's a different mixture inside said tin. While the game could be accused of continuing series tradition, I believe this game out of all the most recent Call of Duty titles is the most honest of its inspirations and its intention. This is the Call of Duty that tries and succeeds to recapture the spark that lit the gargantuan fire that is the Call of Duty franchise we know today. The original Modern Warfare trilogy started an empire. MW2 has ensured that its fall won't happen for a good while longer, thanks to unparalleled multiplayer action and pure campaign spectacle. While there is always room for improvement and a desire from some sections of the fanbase to try something completely different; Modern Warefare II proves itself to be a spiritual sequel and a rebirth for the series moving forward into this new and exciting console generation.