Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the sixth installment of the Call of Duty series, and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, continuing along the same storyline. It is one of the most highly anticipated FPS games since Call of Duty 4 took the computer gaming world by storm.
SonyStyle retail locations will have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 available for play November 9th, the day before the game’s release. To sweeten the deal, if you pre-order the game at SonyStyle you will get $5 off the regular price. You must be 18 years or over to participate. Game will not be available for retail sale until November 10th, 2009. Discount available on pre-orders taken on November 9th, 2009 only.
Modern Warfare 2 will be released in four different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard, Hardened, Veteran, and Prestige. The standard version consists of the game and instructional manual, and will be the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform.The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual packaged in a steel book case, an art book, and a token to download the original Call of Duty from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store. The Prestige Edition contains all of the elements of the Hardened Edition, but will also include fully-functioning night vision goggles, imprinted with the Modern Warfare 2 logo and a stand modeled after the head of character “Soap” MacTavish.
In response to questions about the length of the single-player campaign, Infinity Ward CCO Jason West stated that Modern Warfare 2 would not be longer than the 6-10 hour-long campaign of Call of Duty 4. Mission settings in the game will include Russia, a military base in Kazakhstan, a desert area in Afghanistan, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Modern Warfare 2 is set several years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4. The radical Russian Ultranationalist organization has returned to prominence under the leadership of Vladimir Makarov, a former associate of Imran Zakhaev with his own ambitions. Makarov has publicized Zakhaev’s death as an act of martyrdom to garner support for his cause, enabling him to build a strong power base in Russia over the years. Fearful of Makarov’s growing influence, the global community established Task Force 141 to counter the threat posed by the resurgent Ultranationalists.
The online multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 retains the same experience points and unlockable reward system of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but also introduces several new features. We found a video (above) that shows all of the weapons and unlocks. Aside from new weapons and equipment, 15 different kill streak rewards can be unlocked and selected by the player. Among these is the ability to receive a supply drop after four kills, a predator missile strike after five kills, and to call in a strike by an AC-130 gunship after achieving 11 enemy kills in a row.
It is also now possible to upgrade perks to a “pro version”. Another new addition to online multiplayer, is in-game host migration, which means that if the match host leaves the game, players will remain (instead of being reset to the game lobby like in Call of Duty 4) while a new host is selected and the game resumes. There has also been the addition of a new 3rd person mode which can be used in certain game types for multiplayer.
Game modes include Free-For-All, Search & Destroy, Demolition, Domination, Team Deathmatch, and Capture The Flag. For the PC version, Infinity Ward decided to implement a matchmaking service similar to what console versions have: the IWNET working through Steam. This system however takes away the dedicated servers which means there will be no more mods or community made maps. Also, since the multiplayer runs with Steam, the PunkBuster anti-cheat system has been replaced by VAC.
