Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Even Better Than First

The chances are you've already played Modern Warfare 2 to death already but here goes my review anyway. Let's start with the single player game. It's short. I breezed through it on Hardened mode in 6 hours but man was that an intense six hours of my life. Played with the surround sound full blast on a big HDTV, this has to be one of the most cinematic games you'll ever play and the game engine has noticeably improved! Throwing you into the action you have to dodge helicopters raining from the skies, ride on speedboats and snowmobiles, emerge from underwater and save a load of hostages on an oil rig and even watch missiles explode from space.

And of course there's that very uncomfortable level in the airport which, although disturbing to play, does give rise to an important plot point to justify Russia's invasion of the US. It's far-fetched and the plot doesn't make that much sense as it's all told using radio chatter and OTT news-style graphics in between levels. The gameplay mechanic is almost exactly the same as the last two COD games too so you should be able to just jump in and get on with it. So, in essence, if you're only in it for the single player mode, I suggest you just rent this one.

However, if you're a multiplayer fan then you simply must get this game as it will keep on giving for months to come. Infinity Ward have expanded ten-fold on what they gave us the last time round. Back again are all the game modes you enjoy with a whole host of new maps set in Afghanistan, a favela, the airport and other levels inspired by the single player game but the sheer amount of perks and extras you can get makes this the most addictive thing you'll ever play. Not only do you get perks for killstreaks which you can now choose, you also get ones that help you out if you're dying a lot. And there's those care packages. Simply drop a flare and a random crate drops from the sky which could be anything from a UAV, UAV jammer or ammo to much bigger things like Predator missiles, airstrikes and even a harrier which deals death from above.

And if you're into two-player co-op the new Spec Ops mode will also give you hours if not days of entertainment as you work through these more arcade-style missions with a friend. I really can't stress enough how good the multiplayer is in Modern Warfare 2. Single player will punch you in the face and you'll enjoy it but, like that afore-mentioned punch, it's over very quickly.