Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 builds on the groundbreaking first Modern Warfare and expands its story with a gripping plot full of twists, conspiracy, and global conflict, taking players from snow-covered mountains through Brazilian favelas to the streets and suburbs of Washington itself. The campaign again alternates between the perspectives of multiple characters, including soldiers of the elite Task Force 141 unit and American marines, and became famous for several controversial and extremely emotionally charged missions that, at the time of release, sparked a wide societal debate about the depiction of violence in video games and the limits of interactive storytelling.

In terms of gameplay, the game improves on the previous installment's proven foundation with fast pacing, cinematic scripted sequences, and a wide range of modern military weapons and equipment, from sniper rifles to portable rocket launchers. The multiplayer also drew great attention, introducing an elaborate reward system called killstreaks, allowing players to call in air support, reconnaissance satellites, or other bonuses for a series of kills without dying, which became one of the genre's most influential and most-copied elements for many years to come. Technically, the game ran on an improved version of the series' engine and offered detailed environments and solidly animated characters, complemented by quality sound and dramatic, tense music underscoring the growing chaos of the global conflict.

Modern Warfare 2 became a commercially extremely successful title upon release, breaking sales records of the time, and is still considered one of the most influential entries in the entire series, one that defined the shape of online multiplayer shooters for an entire following generation of consoles and computers. Both its campaign and its multiplayer are still cited today as models for what a modern military action game should look like, and many of its elements, from killstreaks to mission structure and narrative pacing, continue to influence the genre today.

Why play it: For players who want to experience the title that defined the shape of online multiplayer shooters for an entire generation - from killstreaks to narrative pacing, it still influences the genre today.