Modern Warfare 2 all campaign first impression

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is undoubtedly the most hyped game in the franchise's history. While it is set to be released on October 28, the promising reboot of fan-favorite Modern Warfare 2 is making fans clamor evermore.

Before the Worldwide reveal trailer, Infinity Ward shared an extended look at the forthcoming iteration of Modern Warfare 2's campaigns, gameplay, multiplayer and an in-depth look at the title.

I got the opportunity to attend the Modern Warfare 2 pre-reveal event hosted by Infinity Ward. From what was showcased at the event, there are a lot of proceedings going on for the forthcoming campaign.

The gameplay features a plethora of new mechanics, underwater fights, vehicle missions and more. While Infinity Ward only gave details regarding the multiplayer (not gameplay), they showcased a handsome amount of raw campaign footage at the event.

Modern Warfare 2 all campaign details so far

Let's dive deep into the details of what was shown and what the game has to offer for the much-awaited campaign release.

These characters will play pivotal roles in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign

Upcoming characaters in MW 2 (image via Activision)

The most important part of Call of Duty's campaign is its rich storytelling. The gripping moral conflict that they produce over and over again makes it more tethered to the real world.

From what was presented at the event, some of the major characters are returning to the franchise in Modern Warfare 2, including SGT. John "Soap" Mactavish and the fan-favorite LT. Simon "Ghost" Riley. The story picks up from where it left off in the last Modern Warfare (2019).

The Head Writer of Infinity Ward, Brian Bloom, explained that for the last three years, Task Force 141 went on multiple missions after their announcement in the MW (2019) post-credit scene.

All of the other characters in the previous game are also reprising their roles, including CPT. John Price, SGT. Kyle "Gaz" Garrick and CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell. The two new characters making prominent appearances are as follows: COL. Allejandro Vargas and CDR. Phillip Graves.

A simple outline of the story, as stated by the Narrative Director of Infinity Ward, Jeff Negus, states:

"When the US airstrike kills a hostile foreign general, revenge is promised...unless Task Force 141 and Mexican Special Forces can stop them."

'Nightwar' brings back memories of 'Fog of War'

'Nightwar' campaign in MW 2 (image via Activision)

Coming to the campaign missions, the first one shown to us at the event was the "Nightwar". Taking a simple overview of the mission, Laswell got some intel about major Hassan, who is hiding somewhere in a fictional country. The mission will take you on a nightcrawling adventure.

What i picked up from the footage is the improvement of cinematic and color gradients. While the previous MW segment was one of the most graphically improved elements at the time, Modern Warfare 2 has worked a little bit harder to make it more vibrant and rich.

Visibility is not an issue as the player will start the mission wearing a night vision goggle. However, the mission brought back a lot of memories of 'Fog of War' in Modern Warfare (2019). There are a lot of air strikes around the sky, which is pretty cool to see at a first glance.

The next important part is the way the character breaches a building. As stated later, the developer put extra effort into making AIs in the game as realistic as possible., So their movements and response seemed like a real player, which was impressive to see as a spectator.

As for the movement mechanics, everything is a bit different from the previous installment. Players need to get used to it, but without a doubt, I can say that the depiction of reality and the attention to detail are probably some of the best we've seen in a Call of Duty title.

Another important note that fans would love to hear is that the AK-47 is making a return to Modern Warfare 2.

'Wet Work' features underwater fights, stealth and more

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Zied Rieke, Director of Gameplay at Infinity Ward, showed us the second mission at the event, which is a rather interesting and unique one in Modern Warfare 2. The coolest aspect of the campaign was the water levels and stealth. This campaign reminded me of the much-celebrated Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell missions.

The mission is called "Wet Work". The visual fidelity of the water was completely mesmerizing. The mission starts with Captain Price and Gaz in the dock in Amsterdam. The mission includes a lot of swimming, stealth, throwing knife sequences and a lot more. Zied Rieke delved in:

"It's a mission that I've been wanting to make for a really long time."

The devs had stated later that water is a very important part of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer and campaign. They've done their best to create the most realistic atmosphere possible.

While not giving out anymore spoilers regarding the mission, what I can say is that the mission needs to be played a lot more carefully than the other one. The amount of stealth work that needs to be done can be nerve wrecking at certain times.

Furthermore, the coolest part of the mission is that players can shoot outside from beneath the water. However, bullet ballistics would work differently. The same goes for enemies who would shoot underwater, and the bullets would get slower with the water medium.

What the devs had stated regarding the swimming mechanics and water at the event is that the players won't be able to use any guns except pistols underwater. However, all melee weapons are accessible.

'Tower' would be an interesting addition to the game

The third mission that was presented to us was the 'Tower'. This one is the definition of when devs emphasized that Modern Warfare 2 will have more variety than the franchise has ever seen.

Here, the mission starts on the terrace of a highrise and players need to breach the building from the outside. The trick is to fight enemies while you are upside down.

Zied Rieke explained that players need to understand the gun mechanics to play the mission. There are a few tweaks to the firing style when one is toed down. Players really need to understand the physics of aiming and shooting. The footage was shorter compared to the other two, so I could not pick anything else up, but the mission is going to be a fun one to play.

'Convoy' will be the first vehicle driving mission in Call of Duty

Another mission that was showcased was the "Convoy" in Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty has done a lot of vehicle missions before this one. However, what's special here is that this one's a vehicle driving mission.

Players will engage in massive gunfights while driving cars. The tracks are dusty and the setting is possibly in a desert. The new vehicle mechanisms from the devs will play a pivotal role in this scenario.

Finally, what I feel is groundbreaking is the mission they showed at the end of the campaign presentation.

ShipAF "Dark Water", the most intriguing mission I've seen so far

ShipAF mission in MW 2 (image via Activision)

ShipAF is a mission set in the ocean. The dark, stormy atmosphere makes this mission probably the best I've seen at the event. Enemies have control over a missile in an oil rig, and the commands are in a nearby ship. Soap and the 'Shadow Company' will infiltrate the place to disarm it.

As the devs have stated that they are putting a lot of effort into making Modern Warfare 2 as realistic as possible, this mission is the perfect example. The ragdoll physics shown in the raw footage is quite impressive and authentic.

Players will experience huge waves, making the ship unstable. Therefore, fighting on it will be a bit difficult. Players need to be as precise as possible to win gunfights.

The container on the ship will create obstacles, The physics behind it has made the containers jump around the place whenever a wave hits.

This mission is probably the coolest one I've seen in the presentation. The water flowing on the ship's deck, along with the atmosphere, made it look like the most engaging and immersive experience so far.

Devs stated that all the footage shown in the presentation was from the Alpha stage. So improvements are to be made. What I gathered is that Infinity Ward is trying to make a vast shift which will allow players to enjoy Modern Warfare 2 in multiple ways.

For those who love different playstyles, this addition is a big step up. The missions shown were obviously far from representing the whole narrative. From the brief overview, I'm pretty excited to hop onto the game and see what Infinity Ward has to offer for Modern Wafare 2.