Modern Warfare2 is more than just a game. It signifies the
emergence of video games as a true competitor to movies, having one of the
biggest entertainment launches in history raking in half a billion dollars in
its first week. To put this in perspective, The Dark Knight grossed $160 million in its first week, and only reached half a billion at the end of its
run in cinemas.
And the game's had its fair share of controversy, too. There are claims it glorifies terrorism due to
the mission called 'Remember No Russian', where you play as a
terrorist and gun down civilians in an airport. So let's make a few things clear: yes, 'Remember No Russian' is confronting, but the mission is important to the story, and it gives later
missions greater emotional impact. What's more, the game gives you three chances to
skip the mission. You don't get points for killing civilians. And most
importantly, you don't even have to shoot any civilians.
While the single-player portion of the game is short and the
story full of holes (if thoroughly enjoyable), the real strength of
the game is multiplayer. The matches are fast and furious and generally time-lag
free, although newbies may find it a bit daunting. As with its predecessor, you
level up as you fight, unlocking access to a greater number of weapons and
skills. Sure, the old adage "if it ain't broke..." applies here, but Modern Warfare 2 still offers hours of fun.
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