2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 stands as one of the finest entries in the long running franchise. What a pleasant surprise, then, to find out Beenox remastered the game for modern platforms, giving fans a chance to relive all the bombastic set pieces, shocking twists, and brilliant missions.
Modern Warfare 2: Campaign Remastered comes with plenty of changes, ten of which are listed below and should be of particular interest to those who have yet to pull the trigger on a purchase. After all, we wish we had known these before jumping into the game ourselves. Ultimately, weighing all the pros and cons still comes to a conclusion that the game is worth the price.
10 No Competitive Multiplayer
Sadly, one of the most popular elements of Call of Duty is stripped away from this remaster. It is sad and curious to see the online multiplayer absent, considering its unprecedented popularity and influence on the genre. One imagines more popular maps from the game will make their way into 2019’s Modern Warfare in future seasons.
9 All The Controversial Content Is Included
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the game was the “No Russian” mission. Players go undercover and commit a terrorist act in an airport, mowing down innocent civilians alongside the game’s antagonist. A warning is present in the beginning asking whether the player wants to play the controversial mission or not. It is good they kept the game intact from ten years ago, while also giving some players the choice to skip if they feel uncomfortable with the mission. A similar option was available in the original release.
8 Graphical Upgrades
Modern Warfare 2: Campaign Remastered comes with a whole slew of graphical upgrades. The game is so pretty, it looks like it could have been built from the ground up for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Comparing the two releases side by side truly brings to light the amount of work Beenox put into updating this classic campaign, going beyond the work done for the first Modern Warfare’s remaster.
7 PS4 Timed Exclusive
If anyone was itching to play the game as fast as possible, they had no choice but to fork over their money to the PSN store. From March 31st to April 30th, the game was exclusive to PS4. Some take umbrage with such a practice, but at least they got their hands on it eventually.
6 The Price
Because of the several elements missing from a traditional full release, the game comes out with a reduced price tag. Instead of sixty dollars, it is twenty. Whether it is worth the price or not ultimately comes down to one’s perspective. The campaign is on the shorter side, between four and six hours, but every moment is nonstop action. Additionally, collectibles and higher difficulty modes add to the replay value.
5 Original Voice Acting, New Motion Capture
The voice acting provided by notable performers like Lance Henriksen and Keith David stayed in the new version, while cinematics were redone with new motion capture and camerawork.
The end result is a renewed cinematic flair. The cutscenes were always gorgeous, but now they border on photorealistic.
4 Unlocks For Modern Warfare And Warzone
Brand synergy is always important. Buying the remastered classic does not simply net the player a phenomenal first-person shooter experience, it also rewards them a bundle for the recently released Modern Warfare and its battle royale component, Warzone. Fans will get a real kick out of it too, since it features the classic Ghost skin, a fan favorite from Modern Warfare 2. Here’s hoping the character returns in the reboot’s follow up.
3 No PS4 Release In Russia
The recent Modern Warfare did not see a release on the PlayStation Network Store in Russia, but was available on other platforms. The Sony branch of the country stated similarly that they would refuse to release this remaster in the territory as well. The “No Russian” mission is the big reason why the company won’t put it on the marketplace. The original release was banned in Russia until the mission was removed in its entirety.
2 No Spec Ops
Lacking any sort of online component is understandable, considering the extra work necessary for making a title ready for network play. However, the lack of the cooperative mode, Spec Ops, stings.
Even if online co-op was unavailable, why not at least let friends play together in split-screen? The missions lack cutscenes, so it probably would not have been too much extra time to include them. It also would have gone a long way towards adding replay value to a short game.
1 PC Advantages
Any gamer will say to go for the PC when wanting the most options, and Modern Warfare 2 does not deviate from the trend. In addition to support for uncapped frame rates, ultra wide capabilities are also available for anybody with the right monitor. There is a disadvantage with the price of a competent rig and the complexities of the machinery versus buying a console, but it is worth it for those seeking the most technologically advanced experience.
