Customer Reviews
DO NOT BUY!
Do not buy this game. It is a
total waste of your hard earned money. Just read some of the reviews
and you will see this is nothing more than a gimped console port.
Everything that makes this game a PC game is missing.
I would
recommend waiting for Battlefield Bad Company 2 for the PC instead. It
retains much of what is still desirable in a PC game.
Here is a
break down of the differences between Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare and
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Take notice that almost everything is a
downgrade for a higher price.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Networking:
Client/Server
Avg Ping: 25-40ms
Console Commands: Yes
Lean:
Yes
Custom Maps: Yes
Number of Players: up to 64
Competitive
Mods: Yes
Mod Tools: Yes
Ability to Record: Yes
Kick/Ban
Hackers Immediately: Yes
Profiles Saved Online: No
Manually Select
Server to Join: Yes
Control Bad Language: Yes
0 ping Advantage
for Host: No
Lan Play: Yes
Free Demo: Yes
Price: $50
Call
of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Networking: Peer 2 Peer (downgrade)
Avg
Ping: 100ms+ (downgrade)
Console Commands: No (downgrade)
Lean:
No (downgrade)
Custom Maps: No (downgrade)
Number of Players: up
to 18 (downgrade)
Competitive Mods: No (downgrade)
Mod Tools: No
(downgrade)
Ability to Record: No (downgrade)
Kick/Ban Hackers
Immediately: No (downgrade)
Profiles Saved Online: Yes
Manually
Select Server to Join: No (downgrade)
Control Bad Language: No
(downgrade)
0 ping Advantage for Host: Yes (downgrade)
Lan Play:
Yes
Free Demo: No (downgrade)
Price: $60 (downgrade)
Disappointing
The perks of buying the PC
version according to Infinity Ward (IW):
1. Text chatting. Now
you can text chat to your buddies in-game while online, what fantastic
innovation.
2. Adjustable graphics setting -- gotta give them
points for adding that feature, while console users are stuck with their
720/1080 resolution, you can max it up all the way depending on your
hardware. Amazing stuff...although every game has had this feature since
the beginning of PC gaming.
3. The ability to use your mouse and
keyboard. Now you can unplug your xbox controller and use your computer
accessories for a more accurate FPS experience(!).
4. You'll
have a fantastic smooth time connecting to IWNet; its so perfect, it'll
even give you XBox Live error messages.
Now, the negatives:
1.
You're paying more for an inferior product. $60 vs $50. The consoles
have a valid excuse for charging more -- $10.00 goes to the console
manufacturer (Sony or Microsoft), Activision is just being greedy here;
really quite unacceptable, especially in today's economy.
2.
Dedicated servers removed -- don't even get me started; I'm sure you've
heard of the petition which is nearing 200,000 signatures to re-include
dedicated servers. We're left with a terrible online experience. I
played the first Modern Warfare (MW) on the PS3 which had peer to peer
online play and it was disastrous. Expect drop outs and poor
performance. The host of the game will always have the advantage because
they have the better latency.
3. No mods. This is surprising
because so many other popular games were developed from mods including
-- Counterstrike, Team-fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead. The only reason I can
think of why IW/Activision would want to do such a thing would be to
charge for content later on. I remember paying for 3 maps for the first
MW -- and to tell you the truth, it really wasn't worth it.
4.
Steam required. When you install the game you are required to install
the Steam platform and link it to an e-mail address, and your Steam
username. This makes reselling the game next to impossible.
5.
Feels and plays more like a Modern Warfare 1.5 then a Modern Warfare
2.0; the graphics are alright for todays standard, but I was expecting a
lot more from IW for a two year development cycle.
6. Short
single player. Since they've gimped the multiplayer aspect, and the
single player can roughly be finished in 6-7 hours, I suggest you rent
this on the console if you have one.
7. Multiplayer only allows 9
vs 9 (18 player) matches. MW1 allows up to 64 -- does more mean more
enjoyable? No, not necessarily, but at least there is choice and server
admins were able to set it to their liking.
Infinity Ward have
really let their fans down. The multi-player made the original
spectacular; with the removal of dedicated servers, competitive and fair
play is dead.
Business schools should take note because this
would make a wonderful case study on how a company has ruined one of the
most anticipated franchise in such a short amount of time. MW2 was
literally a license to print money for Activison/IW. With such a
terrible management decision, reinstating dedicated servers will be the
only hope to redeem themselves in the eyes of their consumers -- however
I think this fiasco will not be easily forgotten.
*** Update
11/18/09
Theres hope yet! Hackers have released a patch so you
can start/join a dedicated server; its disgusting that this has to come
from the underground scene and not Activision/IW. It seems that the
hacked copies "freely" available over the Internet is now the superior
version.
Hackers have also found hidden modes via the console --
Global Thermonuclear War, One Flag CTF and VIP mode -- future
downloadable content already in the game? How low you've fallen
Activision/IW.
*** Update 04/16/10
I've given up on this
game and probably this series for good -- The 'impenetrable' IWNet is
plagued with hacks and cheats. I suggest you all save your money and get
Battlefield Bad Company 2 instead; I've been enjoying the experience so
far, its a game that involves more strategy and not your standard
Modern Warfare, run and gun. Even the NY Times agrees that Bad Company 2
is a better game than Modern Warfare 2. [...]
Fun game, but shame on Activision and Infinity Ward
I actually bought this game
even though it will be the last Infinity Ward game I support by
purchasing. I've been a huge fan of said developer since Call of Duty 1,
a PC exclusive, since day one. I've purchased every single Call of Duty
game developed by Infinity Ward over the years (including the expansion
for CoD1 which wasn't developed by them). I never had a problem
purchasing their products. Until now. This is the first time I've ever
felt like a total tool and a moron for purchasing their "PC game".
The
game IS phenomenal. The graphics are noticeably improved over Modern
Warfare 1, despite using the same graphics engine. The overhaul is
there, but a lot of current gen games have better visuals. Sound design
is great as always. There's a lot of recycled sounds and some new ones.
Multiplayer is more of the same which isn't a bad thing, and the new
co-op mode, from what I've played so far, seems fun. That's where my
positive review ends. So basically you get more of the same, with
slightly upgraded graphics.
Here's where things turn bad. For
starters, Activision is charging $60 for this game, a move that
completely goes against the grain of PC game pricing trends. Why?
Because they can. It's a business move, yes, but it's completely immoral
and greedy. Corporate greed rears its ugly head. Activision are the new
EA. You would think for $10 you would get, oh I don't know, a longer
than average single player campaign right? Well you don't. If you
thought Modern Warfare's campaign was short prepare to get slapped in
the face with a campaign that can easily be completed in one session.
Bigger price, smaller experience.
But most people are probably
buying it for multiplayer anyway, so let's discuss that. Basically it's
all been said before. This is a console port, right down to being
limited to 9v9. Want to get your clan together for some 32 vs. 32? Nope.
16 vs 16? Nope. Oh come on then....at least give me some 12 v 12. Sorry
Charlie. You get 9v9, just like the console. And just like the console
you can't sort servers and pick where you want to play, you can't tweak
game parameters via a developer console (another PC industry standard
that Infinity Ward think's it's too good to implement), and, OH, no
dedicated server support.
Frankly, I'm surprised the PC port even
allowed me to play with a mouse and keyboard....
It's painfully
obvious that Infinity Ward prefer console development at this point
(particularly the 360, which gets exclusive content before anybody else
for the second game in row now), and it's even clearer that Activsion
are greedy jerks.
It was a good run, Infinity Ward, but just like
real life I won't associate with conceited, big-headed people. You
won't get any more of my money. MW2 gets one star for actually being a
fun game, but insulting PC gamers by lying about features that never
made it to the game (dedicated servers, more people per server than the
console versions, etc), and the fact that your publisher is price
gouging, keeps it from scoring higher.
** APPENDED MULTIPLAYER
INFO **
Okay so I've put in a few hours of multiplayer over the
last few days and my worst fears were confirmed consistently. Horrible
latency just ruins the experience. The game measures latency by a 4 bar
system, similar to a mobile phone's signal strength. So rather than
seeing what your latency is as measured by miliseconds, you will see 1-4
bars. Usually 3. Very rarely in my time playing MP did I ever have 4
bars, unless I was hosting the game. I kept a close eye on other
player's latencys(using the TAB button) and probably 70% of the players
had 3 bars as well, with usually just 1 or 2 people having 4 bars - one
of which was the player hosting the game - and a couple unfortunate
fools who were somehow getting by with 2 bars or less. The person who
hosts a game enjoys a SIGNIFICANT advantage over even those with 3 bars.
The killcam proves it. Time after time after time I would get killed
and, through the eyes of my opponent thanks to killcam, notice that
there was about a half second difference between what I saw and what
actually happened. Then I'd hit the TAB button and sure enough, that guy
has 4 bars and I only have 3. Ridiculous. I have a fast enough internet
connection (2 MB up), and don't notice these latency disadvantages with
other shooters, so I have to put the blame solely on IWNET.
It's
really unfortunate and it's just the way it is which is sad as the
multiplayer seems really fun and the levels are well thought out. The
reality is if you want to play Multiplayer you're going to have to put
up with a LOT of frustrating deaths, even if you get the drop on
somebody, because he is enjoying a significant latency advantage.
The
matchmaking is also broken. It's supposed to match you based on latency
(therefore location) and skill, so why was I constantly in matches with
people with 1-2 bars of latency, versus lieutenants and generals when I
was only a lowly specialist?
Bottom line is if you have either
console and a PC, just get the console version because that's all you're
getting on the PC. The PC version has no right disgracing the other
games on your hard drive by pretending to be a PC game itself. This game
fails utterly. I would rate it half a star if I could.
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