This second opus following the MW reboot (2019) of the original 2007 Modern Warfare has big shoes to fill. Especially since those original games made Infinity Ward the favorite Call of Duty developer of many fans. So does it even come close to filling those shoes?

Modern Warfare Reboot Universe?

So where does this campaign take us? It’s simple. The original MW (2007) and its sequel MW2 (2009) were set in their own ‘universe’ with a killer story and rock solid multiplayer that set the ground for the next decade. In 2019 we were treated to the reboot in a new separate ‘universe’ with the same characters. You can read our review here. Now we’re in 2022 (same year as the in-game universe as hinted in the CCTV-footage in a stealth mission) and this year’s MWII is a direct sequel to the 2019 reboot. Once you keep these 2 universes separate it all makes sense and it’s not just a next-gen version of the old game, it is a completely new story within the MW universe with our beloved characters like Gaz, Ghost, Cpt. Price and Soap.

I don’t want to go into spoiler territory but I will highlight some of my favorite and less enjoyable moments from the story in this review. Even though I feel like there’s not much to spoil anymore. Having the campaign playable a week before the official release as a pre-order bonus sure feels weird. The internet is already full of spoilers and gameplay videos and I think everyone saw those amazing clips from the almost real-life Amsterdam streets. But back to the story!

The game puts you straight into the action during a nighttime covert mission where I felt a vibe unlike the raid on Bin Laden back in the day. But stopping an arms deal from the Iranians in Al Mazrah quickly reveals that there’s a bigger threat behind the scenes. Going from a blend of real-life and in-game locations such as Chicago and Urzikstan really makes the story feel like a real-life event that could unveil right now in 2022. The oil rig raid mission from the reveal earlier this year was one of my favorites together with Amsterdam. We follow the diverse cast in the story and are introduced to fan favorites in a nice and sometimes surprising way.

The dialogue and immersive cutscenes really flesh out the story and its characters and seeing our beloved cast in true next-gen adds to the story immersion. As the story unfolds the different factions and groups culminate into an endgame where all of our heroes fight side by side. It was a magical moment that gave me Avengers Endgame chills!

Leaving the rollercoaster formula behind?

Modern Warfare II breaks with the run-and-gun formula and forces you to take cover or even experiment with its core conventions. Whereas older COD games have you run around like some invincible super soldier with magical plot armor, MWII will have you take cover behind every rock and crate you’ll find. Enemies don’t shy away from headshots, even on ‘Regular’!

Difficulty levels range from:

• Recruit
• Regular
• Hardened
• Veteran
• Realistic
• Specialist

So no more plot armor… What you will find however are loads of armored enemies. Even to the point where it’s sometimes annoyingly exaggerated. I had filled an enemy’s plate with four 50cal sniper bullets and he was standing with that smug look on his face. Of course, this does add some challenge and it has you developing tactics like flanking or relying more on smokes or other support grenades. As a player yourself you’ll only gain the plating ability late into the story campaign. On the other hand, having the plating system built into the campaign will surely bake in some of that sweet sweet Warzone 2.0 feel for once we go multiplayer later today.

One of my least favorite levels has you rely on guerrilla tactics and makeshift weapons. Somehow it sounds great on paper but this was a very hard level and the pacing was very very slow if you don’t know exactly where to go. I felt like the slow ‘KGB HQ’ mission from Cold War was better scripted and felt a bit more exciting as a slower gameplay level. Furthermore the forced crafting system in this level was maybe a bit too much for me. However I really like that they’re experimenting with other ways to play within the story as the CCTV mission with Ghost and Soap added a whole new strategic form of playing and that one was a fresh take that worked for me!

Artificial Intelligence will surely kill us!

If real-life AI develops the skills of that from MWII we’re all doomed. The AI isn’t dumb, that’s for sure but in some areas and levels, it seemed telepathic to my whereabouts! I rigged a mine to a door of a cafe and somehow the enemies ran straight toward me while I was 2 blocks away from the blast. I understand that this was a stealth mission and that I had to outrun the foes to stay alive but why add the entire crafting of mines if it’ll give away my position? It wasn’t game-breaking to me but it had me restart that checkpoint multiple times.

My experience with these telepathic soldiers was luckily contained within a few areas of the game and overall AI was decent. As I already wrote before, the armored and riot-shielded enemies have you use other tactics and even then they put up a good fight if you don’t use supporting gear or rank up those headshots.

The AI of your supporting unit is great. On very few occasions Ghost or other supporting members get in the way while you’re lining up a shot and I did shoot Alejandro a few times since he seems to rush forward into enemies way faster than I did. But overall it feels like you’re playing with actual intelligent soldiers. The squad lining up in silent CQB situations with the ‘tapping on the shoulder tactic’ feels immersive and realistic in those missions. The CQB moments in homes are well scripted and enemies will provide some jump-scare moments and you’ll have to be quick and accurate with your trigger around every corner.

Amsterdam baby!

There’s no denying the game looks absolutely gorgeous! Amsterdam during the day looks like Google Streetview and the night mission with Cpt. Price has you looking at all the pretty lights by the port. Where the game truly shines is during the night missions such as on the oil rig and over the Mexican border. The footage we saw in July was not a fake tech demo that was downgraded for the final release. I was pleased to see that all the reflections, puddles and wet surfaces reflecting the light were looking just as pretty in the final game. The lighting in tunnels on the clothing and walls looks fantastic and it casts realistic shadows that add to the immersion the game offers. The mission that takes you over the Mexican border also looked amazing. I really felt like a home invader as I burst into doors and saw these detailed family pictures and those residents protecting their homes while you light up their homes with your flashlights as the red and blue police lights set the mood for this manhunt.

The detailed character models’ faces are filled with emotion and while we still see a major difference between the cutscenes and the actual gameplay we can’t deny that it really takes advantage of the new hardware. It’ll be hard to top these graphics for the next installment even though it technically could, by letting go of the old-gen cross-platform restrictions. The acting is great and the cutscenes are movie worthy!

The game’s score is well-balanced in genre and adds to the build-up of the tension within the story. The ambient sounds are perfect to set the world as an authentic and believable sandbox. The little splashes of water with Cpt. Price during the stealth Amsterdam mission are so immersive and the sound of the Signal 50 sniper rifle is so exhilarating! Where it really came to fruition was on the cargo ship as the containers scrape the metal hull of the ship as they move to potentially crush you. Or even inside homes to pinpoint enemy footsteps. I really advise a good pair of headphones to hear all the intricate details the game delivers, like finally nailing a bullet in through the helmet of an armored enemy, it’s so succulent. Also walking in Amsterdam with a good pair of headphones on is a true testament of how far we’ve come in gaming with this new and immersive 3D audio engine!

The perfect COD?

Almost! Some pacing issues due to the experimental choices made for some missions unnecessarily slow down the gameplay. Which is a shame since the game is excelling in all the other areas. The annoying armored enemies come too often in moments where they just slow down and only lengthen a mission instead. Although they do steer the game away from the run-and-gun formula which was due for a change! AI is sometimes too reactive and knows exactly where you are even if you’re silent and not in the line of sight. Another bold move is the crafting system that might’ve been amazing in a better-scripted mission. A few minor visual bugs, like my crosshairs being projected sideways and stretched out into the mirror part of a cafe, but nothing game-breaking.

But there’s so much good that outweighs the minor negative points of the game’s campaign. A believable story with legendary characters that culminates in a group effort to save the world. That same story that takes us all over the world from deserts and storm-struck oil rigs to crowded city skylines and even on a hunt beyond the Mexican border. A few slower-paced stealth missions with some of the best in-game dialogue that you can actually change depending on your dialogue choice. The acting and cutscenes driven by the all-new 3D audio engine doesn’t fail to immerse us into a game that is not a run-and-gun any longer, but still feels like a Hollywood blockbuster experience! Furthermore, I can happily say that there was no stuttering at all when playing this for many hours on PS5.

We can’t wait for the multiplayer to take advantage of all the good things in the campaign and build further on this very new standard for the Call of Duty series!

Bravo Six, going…ghost!

9/10

Tested on PlayStation 5