Over the last six months, the Call of Duty franchise has been on a release streak. At the end of October, Activision and Infinity Ward released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Then on March 10th, 2020, Activision released a free-to-play multiplayer experience called Call of Duty: Warzone. On March 20th, 2020, Activision announced that Warzone had surpassed 30 million downloads. What shocked the world the most was the leak of a remastered campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. On March 31st, 2020, not even a month after Warzone dropped, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered was released on PlayStation 4 as a timed exclusive.
Full disclosure, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was my least favorite installment in the original Modern Warfare trilogy. In fact, it was the Call of Duty that I got rid of the most. The first copy was given to me as a Christmas present but I ended up selling it after becoming frustrated with the multiplayer. This was just the first copy that I disposed of.
Following Frustration
A few months later, I was asked to buy the game again and fell in love with Spec Ops and played the first few chapters of the campaign. I had hoped that a few months away from the multiplayer would have reinvigorated me and any balancing issues would probably be fixed. Instead, I came back to Akimbo weapons paired with riot shields and explosive weapons with Danger Close and One Man Army. Because of these two annoying builds, I became so enraged that I snapped the disc in half. The final copy of Modern Warfare 2 that I played was a copy borrowed from a friend a few weeks later. Not long after playing the anger returned and I had the urge to break it. Instead of destroying yet another game, I put the game back in its case, walked over to my neighbor’s house, and put the game in the mailbox.
Prior to playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, I held MW2 as one of the worst Call of Duties ever made rivaling even Call of Duty: Ghosts. Since playing the MW2 remastered campaign, my opinion of the game has changed slightly. Let’s go over some details of what changed my mind.
Gameplay
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is strictly the remastered campaign of Modern Warfare 2 with updated graphics. The newest features include an interesting history museum and game modifiers. The history museum allows the players to interact with different exhibits, try out different weapons, and admire the artwork of each level. The new modifiers can be unlocked by gathering Intel throughout the different campaign missions.
Once the player collects enough Intel, three new modifier categories are unlocked: Challenges, Fun Time, and Visual. One key modifier from the challenge category is the Bombshell modifier. Bombshell will cause enemies to drop grenades when they die. This could be a benefit for long-range combat, but a death sentence for close-quarters. The second category focuses on the fun attribute as the name describes. Two key modifiers in this category are Birthday Surprise, similar to Halo‘s Grunt’s Birthday Party, and Cluster Bombs, throw a grenade and let the good times roll. The final category is the Visual one. One option is a COD Noir modifier that makes the game feel like an old Noir movie.
There were a few texture issues where we were unable to move because we glitched into different objects. The answer was to either reload or drop a grenade between my boots.
Visually Updated
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered makes the adventure bigger and better than ever. The game has definitely received a graphical overall that makes combat feel smoother. The campaign is divided into three acts. The first act focuses on the tension that builds up between the USA and Russia. The second act focuses on the Russian invasion. The final chapter focuses on the game’s big betrayal. Without giving spoilers, we definitely got thrown for a loop with the plot twist.
For a first time playthrough of the campaign, the story was exhilarating but the damage in the game felt unbalanced. The damage felt realistic if on veteran but on normal it seemed to be overkill. Because of updated textures combat was smoother and you are able to see enemies more clearly; although with the updated textures, Activision has giving enemies extended shooting ranges. The far off shots can make things unfair when playing on the regular PlayStation 4, instead of the PS4 Pro.
All the attachments that were popular in the prior game have returned including the akimbo weapons, riot shield, heartbeat sensor, and thermal scope.
Controls
The controls of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered are the same as the original game. This means no wall running, combat sliding, or mantle kicking. The grenade toss feature seems to be more reactive than in prior games. The pop-shot function of quick tapping the aim button definitely has been improved to aim quicker between targets. This feature is definitely helpful when dealing with long-range enemies that are difficult to see. If you have ever played a Call of Duty then you probably know the controller layout by heart.
Graphics
The graphics of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is definitely a big improvement over the original. The textures on each character, the clothing, the weapons are vastly improved and even noticeable on the basic PlayStation 4. As previously stated, the improved graphics has improved combat while also making it a bit more difficult. When the player is damaged blood no longer splatters across the screen but instead causes a slight disorientation. The player is now able to shoot down trees while gunning through enemies. Finally, bullet fire can be clearly seen rather than flared muzzle flashes.
The textures on characters and the environment are vastly improved with each character receiving a high texture of detail. The clothing is well defined where you can see the individual fabric strands in the character’s clothing. The environment has now been updated so that you can see the individual footprints in the snow and mud. The snowflakes can be individually seen as the snow falls around you. The difference is certainly noticeable.
Music/Sound
The music and sound quality of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered has also been improved. Some of the key improvements are character voice lines, sound effects, and vehicle rumbles. Each character’s voice lines are crisper and clearer to understand. In the original game, some of the voice lines were barely audible and you couldn’t always hear enemies talk. Now the player is able to hear some enemies before entering combat or the target’s range. Explosions in the game sound more realistic. An example of this is hearing a grenade roll across the floor and the ignition of the explosion occurring. Individual bullets being fired can also be heard. This definitely is the most immersive sound in a Call of Duty to date.
Replay Value
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered’s replay value is definitely on the lower end of the scale; there are three reasons why it has a low score. The first reason is the fact that the game is a remastering. Many of the game’s players have already played the campaign and are playing it for the sake of nostalgia. The second reason is once the campaign is beat, all you can do is go for Intel, trophies, and achievements. Once nostalgia and trophies are out of the way, speed-running or goofy modifiers come into play.
Conclusion
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered definitely brings back nostalgic memories without any of the toxicity. For $19.99 USD, you can relive the shocking campaign. Going into the campaign blindly actually felt better than coming in with a sense of nostalgia. The game threw me for a wild ride that I was not expecting, especially with the former loathing involved. The improvement of the game’s visual textures and audio creates an immersive experience and the addition of the game modifiers are a great add-on for a comedic or challenging spin but they offer little other substance.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is currently available digitally in the PlayStation Store for $19.99 USD. The Xbox One and PC versions are scheduled to be released on May 1st. $19.99 for a remastered campaign is not bad when you compare other games doing the same exact thing for $39.99 or even $59.99. This is one Call of Duty I would actually say is worth the retail price. If this goes on sale before 2021, it will definitely be a steal.
More information can be found on the official website. A digital PS4 copy was provided for the purpose of review.
For a playthrough of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered you can watch the first section down below.
