September 16, 2009

Hollywood was buzzing Tuesday night, but it wasn’t about some big theatrical blockbuster with a red carpet and a parade of stars. In the unsuspecting Siren Studios on Sunset a more intimate gathering was taking place, and of course by “intimate” I mean about 100 fanatical members of the gaming press - from all over the world judging by the accents and foreign dialects. This west coast assembly was here to see and play just one thing – the much anticipated and long awaited Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

But even before Activision and Infinity Ward could open the doors to the impressive game room, everyone assembled into a secondary chamber where Xbox Live’s Major Nelson unveiled a major surprise, the Xbox 360 "Modern Warfare 2" Limited Edition Console, available today for preorder for the sweet sum of $399. With recent price drops in the rest of the 360 hardware line you might wonder just why you should spend $400 on a system you probably already own.

Well, $400 is going to get you a custom rig with Modern Warfare 2 artwork, not skins and not just a faceplate (although there is a faceplate), but the entire rig is covered in cool digital camo and Call of Duty insignia with a stylish blue-gray military theme. Toss in a whopping 250GB hard drive, two wireless controllers, and a copy of Modern Warfare 2 and it’s not such a bad deal after all, especially for diehard fans of the franchise wishing to express their loyalty.

Despite the poor sales of past game-inspired bundles (like Halo and Resident Evil) I have a pretty good feeling about this one, mostly because I have this craving to place my order for one of these systems even though I have no need or reason to do so.

After Major Nelson dropped his bomb Infinity Ward’s lead multiplayer designer Todd Alderman and community manager Robert Bowling took the stage to highlight a few of the new additions to Modern Warfare’s multiplayer game design such as Call Signs and the newly expanded Kill Streaks.

Fans of the original Modern Warfare will find their original kill streak favorites intact but now when you pass level 10 you can unlock new rewards when you exceed that three-kill mark. Four kills in a row earns you an air-dropped Care Package. Toss out some smoke and a chopper swoops in with a box of goodies, ammo, or some other random reward. Things get really hot when you nail that fifth kill and can launch a Predator Missile then steer it toward your opponents using a nose-cam view. Also worth mentioning are the automated Sentry Gun, perfect for defending your flag in CTF, and a jamming system used to counteract the enemy UAV signal protecting your secrecy.

On the other end of the spectrum are Death Streaks, which are rewarding when you continually die with no kills. This is a great system that gives newcomers a small reward when they find themselves outmatched, and it is not nearly as easy to abuse as the old Martyrdom system from the original Modern Warfare. Copycat is the primary reward after three deaths and no kills. This allows you to play with all the weapons and perks of the character who just killed you, even if you haven’t earned those rewards for yourself. Painkiller gives you a 10-second boost to your health after you spawn back into the game just in case the enemy is waiting for you.

Most of my questions about Perks and Prestige levels were met with “No comment” but what I did learn is that there are new perks, more perks, and upgradeable perks. As you complete the various challenges for each perk you will unlock the Pro version of that perk. Only a few new perks were on display or talked about and those included; Bling – the ability to add two attachments to a single weapon, Commando – extend your range for knife and melee attacks, and Scavenger – pick up ammo from dead soldiers.

The weapons arsenal is expanded, as is your ability to wield new secondary weapons like shotguns, machine pistols, and the more powerful rocket and missile launchers. You can tweak these weapons with various new attachments like a thermal scope, heartbeat sensor, or even skills like dual wielding or rapid fire. Stealth players will certainly enjoy the ability to finally add a silencer to their sniper rifle or even a shotgun.

You can customize further with specialized equipment like the new riot shield. This replaces your primary weapons and prevents you from attacking, but when you combine your efforts with another player you can become a fast-moving tank, and shields are a great way to defend your flag carriers when you make the dash back to your base. And even if you aren’t using the shield, just having it on your back gives you a nice little armor boost.

Your grenade slot has been expanded to hold more than the explosive pineapple - how about sticky grenades, throwing knives, a face shield, or my personal favorite, Tactical Insertion? Tactical insertion is basically a marker that dictates your next spawn point. Keep throwing it down as you make your dash for the enemy flag and if you die you spawn that much closer to your objective – provided the enemy hasn’t found and destroyed your marker in the meantime.

The one thing that really impressed me with all these additions is just how well they are balanced. Every new perk and gadget has a counterpart and even tactics are rewarded, so if you choose to take on the role of support, you can still earn XP and bonuses for playing defensively. The game really encourages team play without going into specific classes and forcing you into roles like a medic or engineer.

While questions about Avatar equipment rewards and gamertag pics were also met with “no comment” I did learn about Call Signs; the new way to brag about your success. Since nearly everything you do in this game earns you some sort of kudos you can attach your own custom plaque that you design with your name, insignia, gamertag, and rank. There are hundreds of call sign components you can unlock through gameplay allowing infinite call sign designs, so get creative.

“No Comment” was the response when asking about maps, both locations and quantity. I had access to three maps at this particular event. Afghan takes place in the desert where a jet has crashed. Favela is a busted up town with large streets and narrow alleys, and lots of dilapidated buildings perfecting for sniping. Highrise is one of the cooler levels taking place in and on the roof of a skyscraper still under construction. Battles can rage on the roof or in any of two large office spaces or the passages that connect them. All three levels were perfectly balanced for matches of six players and the large 18-player games I got to play.

While the multiplayer has been given a serious overhaul not much was discussed about the single-player campaign other than it picks up almost immediately after the events of the first Modern Warfare. As always, game length will be based on your skill and which difficulty you choose to play. Veteran mode has been pushed up a notch so expect a real challenge here.

A new Spec Ops mode allows for split-screen co-op or full two-player co-op over Xbox Live in a variety of quick scenarios, time trials, and objective-based missions. Missions include highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and all new, exclusive missions. Spec Ops doesn’t support perks or custom equipment but they are still a nice challenge and a fun way to team-up with a friend for something more casual than the full online versus modes.

From a presentation perspective, I found the graphics almost too colorful, at least in the levels I got to play. Nothing seemed as “real”, certainly not as photorealistic as the original Modern Warfare, but then again, I only saw a very small slice of the entire pie and this game is still more than a month from release. The one thing that did impress me was the new damage splatter system that basically splashes the screen with realistic blood rather than just turning it all red. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the splatter was coming from the direction you were being hit.

The sound effects are off the charts, both in realism and quality. Every weapon has been recorded and reproduced with perfect authenticity. While I only got to play with headphones, I’m sure when this game hits your multi-channel home theater you will be transported into the war. And nothing can prepare you for the epic score that Hans Zimmer has created for the single player campaign.

Modern Warfare 2 offers you many ways to play the game, and Activision offers you many ways to purchase it including the aforementioned Limited Edition Bundle, a Prestige Edition, a Hardened Edition, or just the stand-alone copy. Here are the details for each package:

XBOX 360™ MODERN WARFARE® 2 LIMITED EDITION CONSOLE
The special Modern Warfare 2 Elite console features an exclusive Modern Warfare 2 high-speed, low-drag design, inspired by the epic thriller.

• 250GB hard drive
• Xbox 360 Headset
• Two wireless controllers
• Standard Edition copy of Modern Warfare 2
• Available in limited quantities for a limited time at select retailers

• Night Vision Goggles, up to 50 feet in absolute darkness
• Individually numbered “Soap MacTavish” night vision goggles collector’s stand
• Token to download Call of Duty Classic
• Limited edition SteelBook™ case
• “Behind the Lines” collector’s art book

• Token to download Call of Duty Classic
• Limited edition SteelBook™ case
• “Behind the Lines” collector’s art book