A call to arms with Modern Warfare 2

The Call of Duty series makes a victorious return to the fray when Modern Warfare 2 launches later this month. But what lies in store in this, the most anticipated of wargame sequels...?

Previous Call of Duties have been standalone affairs, each revisiting and reimagining particular events of past conflicts. Not so Modern Warfare 2, which is a direct follow-up to its present day-set predecessor. Bad man Imran Zakhaev was dramatically dispatched at the end of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but worse has arrived in the shape of Vladimir Makarov, an old and coldly psychotic associate with evil intentions and swift vengeance topping his agenda.

As with earlier episodes, the action in MW2 plays out from numerous perspectives – each more cataclysmic (and often noisier) than the last. Series stalwarts will be pleased to welcome Captain ‘Soap’ MacTavish back into the fold, though, this time looking after newboy ‘Roach’. An early encounter with this pair takes in a vertiginous ice-climb that’ll make your palms sweat in spite of the snowy setting. However things heat up considerably when an espionage mission goes awry and Soap is captured, leading to a desperate firefight and an impressively cinematic escape via snowmobile, all the while chased by angry assailants and viciously strafed by attack choppers. Take it from us that James Bond has nothing on this sequence – and this time it’s YOU in the driving seat.

But this is just one of too many heart-stopping segments from a game that not only makes others in its genre seem ploddingly pedestrian in comparison, but shows them up with multiplayer modes to die for – quite literally, if your sharp-shooting skills are not quite up to muster. The action’s truly global too, taking in the claustrophobic Brazilian Favelas, lofty Afghan peaks and even a slick urban cityscape. And nervous players needn’t fight alone, thanks to the game’s brand new online/splitscreen co-operative mode, known, promisingly, as Special Ops.

A brief recce at our new and EXCLUSIVE video should give you all the ammunition you need and is ample assurance of a thrilling experience in prospect. The exhaustive online options will keep you busy long after you’ve completed the single-player game too – Activision is currently talking about additional downloadable content for early 2010. We already can’t wait.

Modern Warfare 2 is scheduled for PC and next-gen consoles on November 10th. Try to maintain order in the ranks outside your local games emporium on launch day, and keep a special lookout for the steelcase-bound ‘Hardened’ edition or the even rarer ‘Prestige’ pack that comes bundled with fully-functioning night-vision goggles. You’ll need deep pockets and a working alarm clock to catch one of those!