Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,842 out of 3152
  2. Mixed: 448 out of 3152
  3. Negative: 862 out of 3152
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  1. 15CharactersMax
    Nov 13, 2013
    10
    COD designers have said they think a lot of players didn't like the choke points of the map and it made it hard for players to adapt to the style of play they gave, however unlike previous installments of the series the maps followed a formula of choke points on most (not all) maps. The major downfall of the online experience was initially boosting where players boost their stats or forCOD designers have said they think a lot of players didn't like the choke points of the map and it made it hard for players to adapt to the style of play they gave, however unlike previous installments of the series the maps followed a formula of choke points on most (not all) maps. The major downfall of the online experience was initially boosting where players boost their stats or for titles, and not everyone was able to catch on to common hiding spots. However, the multiplayer experience gave players a wide range of unique ways to play the game through its perks and weapons. Campaign was on the edge of good but is still mediocre. The main focus of this game is its online play, the ability to have kill streaks count toward another and level up and complete challenges that gave you tags and boards that showed publicly between games in lobbies was fun. From a personal standpoint playing search and destroy on a map with choke points was very fun because you had to strategize with your team on how to capture/defend the objectives. This in combination with choosing different styles of playing the game (yes.. including noobtubes w/ D close) forced players to have to use a competitive mind set to be aware of their position while occasionally rewarded skilled players who could beat the enemy to the trigger made for hours of fresh play.… Expand
  2. oDjento
    Feb 1, 2015
    10
    This is - in my opinion - where the franchise peaked. The campaign was pretty solid, and although it may not have been as good as MW1 it was still executed well. I didn't even mind the ending was a QTE pretty much, it did what it needed to and it was satisfying. Then, we go to multiplayer. Oh wow. One of the best multiplayer experiences i've ever had. I enjoyed so many of these maps, thereThis is - in my opinion - where the franchise peaked. The campaign was pretty solid, and although it may not have been as good as MW1 it was still executed well. I didn't even mind the ending was a QTE pretty much, it did what it needed to and it was satisfying. Then, we go to multiplayer. Oh wow. One of the best multiplayer experiences i've ever had. I enjoyed so many of these maps, there were so many brilliant maps to play on, a few of my favourite being; Karachi, Favela, Rust, Underpass, afghan, skidrow, quarry, highrise, invasion, estate, scrapyard, sub base, terminal and fuel. Now how many games have the majority of their maps being brilliant. And to those who complain about the multiplayer beinf overpowered with its weapons and killstreaks, you guys speak so much rubbish. The multiplayer was addictively fun, the funnest multiplayer experience i've ever had. It didn't have to be balanced, it just had to be fun, that's what video games are made for. Then additionally there was spec ops which was a bit of extra fun but not too much could be said about that. Overall, easily one of the best fps's ever. It just beats MW1 (not story wise) due to it's extremely addictinf multiplayer that i lost months in playing. I wish cod could come back to making games like this. Every game after this i have not enjoyed. However, i have found advanced warfare going in the right direction, being a little bit more fresh. Great game this.… Expand
  3. GTArocks
    Jan 31, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very good single player. A bit short but good. Despite the airport massacre mission. Spec Ops has lots of nice missions. Graphics are very good for 2009 but acceptable as of today. Multiplayer is as addictive as other games. Forget about the negative reviews and Ghosts! Go and buy this!… Expand
  4. CoDMw2
    Jan 17, 2014
    10
    Cannot criticise this game at all, completely enjoy all the game modes and guns. Really easy to understand how to customise classes and I enjoyed the campaign even though it was a bit short. The multiplayer is absolutely outstanding and I bloody love it. Best Call of Duty game so far!
  5. GregTheGr8gamr
    Mar 30, 2014
    10
    I just got this game and I will admit I am VERY impressed. but there are some bad things if you are a semi good gamer like me you should not play online the players there are EXCELLENT. unless you are an awesome gamer do not play Xbox live. But campaign is fantastic: snowmobile chases, ice climbing. turret manning. sniper missions. It will never get old I think MW 2 is the best COD gameI just got this game and I will admit I am VERY impressed. but there are some bad things if you are a semi good gamer like me you should not play online the players there are EXCELLENT. unless you are an awesome gamer do not play Xbox live. But campaign is fantastic: snowmobile chases, ice climbing. turret manning. sniper missions. It will never get old I think MW 2 is the best COD game ever beside BO2… Expand
  6. Swatriotcntrl
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    Great story, relatable characters, incredible voice acting feels like you are actually there it like cod 4 but with everything done better visually and smoother movement
  7. EzioA88
    Oct 23, 2014
    10
    9.5 out of 10 (rounded up to 10).

    When did Call of Duty become the ultimate cash cow franchise? Many claim it was with the original Modern Warfare, but the dud that came in the next year, World At War, proved that the series may have just been a one hit wonder. Then came MW2. This series wasn't going to hold back just because it hadn't made it as big on one entry. Modern Warfare 2 is    9.5 out of 10 (rounded up to 10).

    When did Call of Duty become the ultimate cash cow franchise? Many claim it was with the original Modern Warfare, but the dud that came in the next year, World At War, proved that the series may have just been a one hit wonder. Then came MW2. This series wasn't going to hold back just because it hadn't made it as big on one entry. Modern Warfare 2 is the ideal sequel. It has better graphics, a better story, better set pieces, better gunplay and of course, better multiplayer. While it isn't a massive step forward for the series and is content to rest on its laurels in some spots, this is simply because it was so far ahead of any competition at the time.

    The thing that makes Call of Duty so popular is its accessibility. At almost any time, you can just pick up a controller and start playing. The gunplay is easy to get the hang of, but incredibly difficult to master. No two guns feel the same and no matter if you're hip firing or looking through a sight, it just reacts quickly and plays smoothly. The movement handles in the right way and while there isn't a sticky cover system like in Gears of War, crouching and returning fire is just as satisfying. Melee an enemy and while the impact is unrealistic, the quick stab is perfect if you want to end things quickly. COD may be lacklustre nowadays, but its gameplay is still as smooth and polished as possible.

    But while we can talk all we want about the controls and the shooting, what about the actual content? The campaign itself is no longer than that of the original and while it may not have the complexity or originality of the first game, it certainly ratchets up the tension with shocking twists, crazy set pieces and cool new characters. It continues directly on from the original game, except now a new enemy has arisen. Makarov is undoubtedly one of the scariest villains in all of gaming and the lengths he will go to to attain what he wants makes this as much a thriller as it is a shooter. One oof the first few levels in this game firmly makes that point stick in your mind, as you are forced to watch hundreds of innocent civilians get mowed down. The infamous "No Russian" level still holds up and is still difficult to get through. While you may have played GTA, that series is based around the point of going out and killing plenty of people in crazy ways. The realistic terrorism themes at the heart of COD make this more controversial than it needs to be. That level aside, the game is truly amazing and the story is blistering and action-packed. While no level may ever reach the heights of "All Ghillied Up", a certain few come close here and the set pieces range from an attack on the white house, to a stealth level in the snow to a final showdown on jet skis. This is action at its absolute best and not many series do explosions and shootouts better than Call of Duty.

    There is certainly a large amount of replayability to the game, what with the multiple collectibles, the many difficulty levels and the Epilogue level in a Call of Duty museum, but one mode takes replayability to its extremes. Spec Ops consists of a series of mini objectives that have a score and ranking system. Every challenge can be completed in co-op and a select few make teaming up with a buddy essential. There are even a few Spec Ops missions that recall the original game's sniper level and this is even better when played with a buddy. You can easily put as much, if not more time, into this mode as you do in the single player campaign. It's a bonus that most of these are really fun and endlessly enjoyable.

    But I can't put it off any longer- it's time to talk about multiplayer. The best part of COD gets even better in MW2, with a range of new modes, unlockables and maps, including some instant classics such as the rather large "Terminal". In all, the new features aren't a massive step forward, but the Create A Class system is a large enhancement and the range of perks and scorestreaks is impressive. Sniping is one of the strengths online and learning how to handle a scoped rifle may be key to your success. However, you really do have multiple options when it comes to fighting. You can run and gun, pick off enemies at long range or (if you're a really annoying player) camp. The options open are vast and while you may run into some fairly rage worthy situations, the game is consistently entertaining. The RPG like levelling system is still well handles and the offline levelling means that you can enjoy your split screen even more.

    Modern Warfare 2 is fantastic and is easily the second best COD. It could be said that the series fell into a monotonous rut here, but back in 2009 it was incredibly impressive. In all fairness, it still is and deserves a large amount of recognition.    … Expand
  8. EpicFaceMan09
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    THIS GAME IS EPIC AS BALLS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! The ONLY downside is its a short game... BUT BUY NOW BECAUSE THIS GAME IS THE REASON I PLAY SHOOTERS BUY NOWWWWWWWWW
  9. LatinCritic13
    Oct 30, 2019
    10
    The second long awaited installment of Modern Warfare is back and packs a bigger punch than ever. Safe to say that the campaign, muiliplayer, and the special ops of this game is an excellent all-in-one complimentary package that could remember days to come. Remember No Russian.
  10. WackoDaSniper
    Mar 29, 2016
    10
    The best CoD of all time. The people who disagree are either bad at the game or never played it to begin with. Great campaign and glorious multiplayer.
  11. Termin8ter
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Call of duty: Modern warfare 2 is actually one my favorite Call of duty games. The singleplayer campaign has some of the funnest missions in any Call of duty game, maybe not as fun as Call of duty 4: Modern warfare but still worth playing. The story continued very well from the last Modern warfare game. The multiplayer is the most addictive and fun out of the whole series, you will spendCall of duty: Modern warfare 2 is actually one my favorite Call of duty games. The singleplayer campaign has some of the funnest missions in any Call of duty game, maybe not as fun as Call of duty 4: Modern warfare but still worth playing. The story continued very well from the last Modern warfare game. The multiplayer is the most addictive and fun out of the whole series, you will spend hours playing this. The spec ops mode has some very fun missions you will play with your friends over and over trying to get the best score. If you are a fan of Call of duty, then buy this.… Expand
  12. TrueGameOpinion
    Jul 28, 2015
    10
    TrueGamerOpinion here bringing you the truest opinion a man can count on! Aside from the aftermath of 10th prestige lobbies and hackers galore when the games population went down ... MW2 was a shooting game masterpiece, Almost borrowing everything from the original and implementing some exciting new changes, this is considered by many to be the best COD game to date. The story was dramaticTrueGamerOpinion here bringing you the truest opinion a man can count on! Aside from the aftermath of 10th prestige lobbies and hackers galore when the games population went down ... MW2 was a shooting game masterpiece, Almost borrowing everything from the original and implementing some exciting new changes, this is considered by many to be the best COD game to date. The story was dramatic and believable as well as the multiplayer being extremely addicting and having a very high replay value, this was the perfect recipe to creating a FPS masterpiece. As for balancing goes well that is the beauty of MW2 you're either good at the game or you're not! Plain and simple ... Complaining about high level weapons killing you? Well that's too bad for the skill gap in this game was present immaculately separating the bad from the good, thus the main reason why the online was so ingenious. Mix this with some amazing maps that had areas of outsmarting enemies as if it were real life and you got yourself a well made game indeed!
    Long gone are the days where skill mattered in COD for now we have recycled trash made by the dozen of garbage employees and money hungry corps. that make up the new generation of COD's. A toast to a slice of FPS gaming heaven! This ... Is Call Of Duty:Modern Warfare 2.    … Expand
  13. cish
    Oct 20, 2015
    10
    Hands down the best COD to date. The guns were good and made multiplayer, specifically the competitive scene, very fun and exciting. The addition of more killstreaks was a bit much for me but didn't take away from the online experience. The best part of this game was the maps. Only a few of the maps were either annoying or unbalanced but most were good. There was no "ugh" moment whenHands down the best COD to date. The guns were good and made multiplayer, specifically the competitive scene, very fun and exciting. The addition of more killstreaks was a bit much for me but didn't take away from the online experience. The best part of this game was the maps. Only a few of the maps were either annoying or unbalanced but most were good. There was no "ugh" moment when a map was selected because I liked all of the maps.… Expand
  14. SleepNot
    Apr 1, 2020
    10
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a second part of a best directed action game ever! Very recommended!
  15. Pachuli1981
    Dec 2, 2019
    10
    Un excelente shooter,adelantado a su tiempo y con una campaña espectacular que te quitara el hipo.Chapeau Infinity Ward.
  16. rayslater11
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    The greatest game ever made. Thrilling fast paced campaign, top notch multiplayer and excellent Spec Ops mode. I love this game so much. Soundtrack by Hanz Zimmer is amazing. A must buy.
  17. CarltonBanxx
    May 14, 2017
    10
    Oh. My. God. If a game better than this ever exists, pinch me because I am definitely dreaming. If you haven't played Modern Warfare 2, then get onto gumtree, eBay, whatever and buy yourself a PS3 or an Xbox 360 because even just to play this classic it would be worth it.
  18. Allawi22112
    May 26, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best game jdjdjssjsjjdjsjsshhsshshshshsshshshshنبننبنبترترتتررتتررترتjjdj… Expand
  19. trunks_parallel
    Apr 10, 2020
    10
    This is by far one of the greatest video games of all time. Absolutely biblical. The killstreaks are amazing, the killstreak system is amazing. The game ending nuke is absolutely amazing. By far the greatest first person shooter game of all time. Thank you Vince Zampella, Jason West and the original infinity ward for this masterpiece. The Hit detection on the game is amazing and the timeThis is by far one of the greatest video games of all time. Absolutely biblical. The killstreaks are amazing, the killstreak system is amazing. The game ending nuke is absolutely amazing. By far the greatest first person shooter game of all time. Thank you Vince Zampella, Jason West and the original infinity ward for this masterpiece. The Hit detection on the game is amazing and the time to kill is fast, but not too fast as to promote camping. Running and gunning is great in this game. The only problem is the one man army noobtubes and the quickscoping. Ground war domination is the most fun you can have in a video game. If you want to get the nuke, run the 7-11-25 killstreaks (6-10-24 with the hardline perk). The perks are amazing and provide a huge difference to the game. All in all, a masterpiece. Again , a big Thank you to Vince Zampella and the original infinity ward team :) .… Expand
  20. AlesioBako
    Oct 25, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's FANTASTIC. The soundtrack is awesome and now you can enjoy it on XBOX ONE by Xbox backward compatible game... THE BEST COD I EVER PLAYED… Expand
  21. eggmanjames
    Apr 1, 2020
    10
    Now then, 2020 review, i played this game when i was younger in 2013, it was by far nothing that had ever hit the market in terms of multiplayer, the customisation, the maps, every aspect of it, in terms of campaign, i'm sorry but COD 4 MW beat it, but there's nothing that will EVER beat that, this game is a necessity to have, you have NOT received a true gaming experience until you haveNow then, 2020 review, i played this game when i was younger in 2013, it was by far nothing that had ever hit the market in terms of multiplayer, the customisation, the maps, every aspect of it, in terms of campaign, i'm sorry but COD 4 MW beat it, but there's nothing that will EVER beat that, this game is a necessity to have, you have NOT received a true gaming experience until you have played this game.… Expand
  22. Patocampo34
    Sep 1, 2020
    10
    Este es el mejor titulo de Call of Duty por lejos, la secuela del original modern warfare realmente es digna de admiración y, me pongo de pie para aplaudir una obra de arte. La campaña es excepcional, memorable, asombrosa y maravillosa, no lo sentí denso al juego. Los controles son casi similares al 1 (atacas cuerpo a cuerpo con circulo, y con R3 te agachas), las misiones sonEste es el mejor titulo de Call of Duty por lejos, la secuela del original modern warfare realmente es digna de admiración y, me pongo de pie para aplaudir una obra de arte. La campaña es excepcional, memorable, asombrosa y maravillosa, no lo sentí denso al juego. Los controles son casi similares al 1 (atacas cuerpo a cuerpo con circulo, y con R3 te agachas), las misiones son espectaculares y divertidas, el desarrollo de personajes está bien, no profundizaron lo cual tampoco hacía falta.
    Hay momentos emocionantes y tristes durante el juego, mas por el hecho de que los personajes hacen lo necesario para ser recordados. Recomiendo al 100% este juego, no tan solo por la jugabilidad y las misiones, sino por el valor sentimental y afectivo que tiene. Por ultimo y, no deja de ser importante, la banda sonora es magnifica realizada por el mismísimo Hans Zimmer, lo cual no hace falta describir sus habilidades por lo buenas que son.    … Expand
  23. EA_sports
    Apr 27, 2020
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, I don’t have much else to say besides mw3 is absolute garbage.
  24. PartII
    Nov 7, 2020
    10
    The best game ever, it was perfectly done, campaign godtier, multiplayer was god like, and spec ops was great, truly the best cod ever.
  25. DzmitryBoston
    Jul 30, 2020
    10
    Definitely one of the best first-person shooter games and the best trilogy ever. All three games are a must-play for a complete experience.
  26. lesiuML
    Jan 21, 2022
    10
    Mw2 combined with mw1 is absolutely best call of duty experience. Vivid characters engaging sory and so many epic locations. Campaign of 2 is not better than first mw but multiplayer in mw2 is brilliant and spec ops are awesome as well. Must play! After mw1 of course.
  27. Htank2518
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    an amazing game the multiplayer but even more so the campaign, by far the best call of duty story ever
  28. Lukey12
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    Love, love, love this game. Easily the best call of duty ever. Absolute best multiplayer and campaign.
  29. ehtaco
    Aug 12, 2022
    10
    One of my favorite story modes in an FPS game, a stupidly complete & fun online mode, this is just prime COD.
  30. ChunkDump
    Dec 25, 2020
    10
    if there was any type of Oscar award thats beyond the game awards award, this game deserves just that. the story its self was such a masterpiece. the voice acting was on par with the intensity of the plot. guns felt just right at the time. it started an era of online gaming. multiplayer started youtube careers and ended a few too. clans, crews and toxic lobbies galore. this is a staple in gaming.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 100 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 100 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 100
  3. Negative: 0 out of 100
  1. Telegraph
    100
    Modern Warfare 2 crosses into the must-have category of video games effortlessly. It offers an unmatched shooter experience, a compelling story mode, a slick package of mini missions and a multiplayer which is pretty much unparalleled in depth.
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  2. Cynamite
    100
    Modern Warfare 2 offers epic gameplay, a stunning Spec-Ops mode and a huge amount of adrenaline.
    Read full review
  3. GamesRadar+
    100
    Anyone who already has issues with the single-player ‘style’ of IW’s games will still find fault with the scripted, linear experience, but in terms of sheer drama and show-stopping set-pieces accompanied by laser sharp FPS controls, Modern Warfare 2 is your daddy. And that’s without Spec Ops and Multiplayer.
    Read full review
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