After last week’s info blowout, the open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 went live over the weekend, allowing us to get intimate with all the new mechanics and systems for the follow-up to Infinity Ward’s 2019 reboot (and not to be confused with 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, of course). Things were kept intimate when it comes to game modes, too, with a focus on 6v6 stalwarts – as well as a cameo from the returning third-person playlist – which helped underline how different it feels. Does it work? Well opinion is split, so here’s two takes from two very different kinds of Call of Duty players.
Martin: So let’s get this out the way first – I’m a filthy casual when it comes to CoD. I pick up every game on launch, blast through the campaign (or as has been the case in recent years, get bored of it after an hour or two and never pick it up again) then spend a couple of dozen hours or so in the multiplayer, dipping in and out over the year. So I’m not exactly the one to be drilling down into the details. I will say this, though – having blown cold on the series since Infinity Ward’s 2019 brilliant reboot, this has properly sucked me back in, and I was shocked how different it feels to the first Modern Warfare. Or the second one – the one that came out in 2019, that is. Anyway, it’s an amazingly slow take on the Call of Duty formula, and the tense pacing has really caught me by surprise.
Wes: It definitely plays slower, and I think that’s by Infinity Ward’s design. Everything from the slide cancelling nerf to the blisteringly fast time to kill forces you to play more cautious. The mini map isn’t much help at all, and having to wait four or eight minutes into a match to unlock certain perks that make you quieter adds a tactical element to what has been a traditionally fast-paced, run-and-gun 6v6 Call of Duty multiplayer. The footsteps are so loud!
