“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is the highly anticipated sequel to Infinity Ward’s 2019 installment, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” and an homage to the game of the same name which was released in 2009. It features state of the art gameplay and graphics that convince me that “Call of Duty” has never looked better. 

“Modern Warfare 2” had big shoes to fill, being a remake of one the series most beloved titles in history.  Gamers needed a shooter with an optimized feel, following the release of the previous two games which garnered little critical acclaim. “Black Ops: Cold War” and “Call of Duty Vanguard” are two games where it is obvious to tell that the developers’ hearts were not in it. They feel like sluggish, unpolished cash grabs and finally we got a release that makes people want to pick the game up again after 20 minutes. 

“Call of Duty” takes advantage of multiple studios of developers which take turns producing each game cyclically. The reason for the huge jump in quality is most likely due to the fact that Infinity Ward directed this title, unlike Treyarch with Cold War and Sledgehammer Games with Vanguard. Infinity Ward directed Call of Duty’s last highly rated title, Modern Warfare 2019. They have a signature knack for creating a realistic, boots on the ground, silky gaming experience, unlike the other studios which usually pay more mind to the arcade-like side of the franchise.

With technology at an all time high, the possibility for this game to set the bar high for first-person gun feel was there. Infinity Ward hit the nail on the head. It is obvious that throughout the 15 years of iterations, the formula has been perfected and polished. The movement is the slowest out of the recent years, and time-to-kill is so fast that it really lets gunfights play out as the best man wins. It is a wonderful experience to have a more tactical title than any of its recent predecessors, and feel like it’s finally worth it to use your head when moving around the battlefield.

I have a few gripes with the game, one being many (and I mean many) bugs and glitches which can often take you out of your game mid-battle or even close your entire application. Such is to be expected, however, with so many people playing at once. The $69.99 price point came as a surprise to me as well, as normally all games you see on the shelves sell for $60. If you have the cash to shell out for the title, however, I greatly recommend you do so and see for yourself.