Where were you when Infinity Ward stormed the console shooter scene with Call of Duty 4 and its equally revolutionary successor, Modern Warfare 2? Responders everywhere toured Chernobyl’s seedy theme park in nothing but ghillie suits, stumbled through the radioactive smog of a detonated nuclear warhead, stormed an Antarctic fortress under intense blizzard cover, and saved the world with a single, well-aimed throwing knife.
Seemingly overnight, Modern Warfare established itself as a household name and defined the coming generations of competitive multiplayer experiences and intense single-player campaigns. A recent preview event validated the core principles of Infinity Ward – Accessibility and innovation – no wonder then that one of the best-known and most respected IPs in the industry still finds an enthusiastic audience decades later.
I traveled to LA, walked the trophy-laden halls of Infinity Ward HQ, and got an early glimpse of Modern Warfare II’s story mode, coupled with some juicy multiplayer deets. Here’s an action-packed sampler of what’s in store for returning players and curious newcomers alike.
THE MISSION
What’s a mustachioed SAS captain to do when the world desperately needs a covert squadron of soldiers? Of course, launch an elite task force. Call of Duty veterans will likely remember the colorful members of Task Force 141: Price, Gaz, Ghost and Soap. They are back and more committed than ever as rumors of Russian-led terrorist initiatives grow more concrete. At the end of Infinity Ward’s 2019 adventure, Captain Price and Chief Laswell discuss the gradual rise of Victor Zakhaev (any alarm bells ringing?) and the need for a concrete contingency plan. In Modern Warfare II, this plan has been in effect for three years as the heavily armed heroes are deployed in increasingly dangerous situations that only they can handle.
Head writer Brian Bloom and narrative director Jeff Negus told me that the reimagining of the franchise began with an important question: “How can we most successfully honor and evolve the original game without diminishing both?” The answer lies in the characters, who this time are more elaborate to match Infinity Ward’s commitment to weaving exploits and human stories. The developers handcrafted new faces like Corporal Phillip Graves and, more specifically, Colonel Alejandro Vargas from hours of interviews and extensive research. The story of Modern Warfare II is carefully designed, from the different gameplay options in a specific environment to the overarching storyline. Players will secure war zones around the world, and yes, the various missions will be suitably intense and explosive.
THE WAR THEATER
The pre-alpha material I watched started with an overnight surgery. Ghost and Soap prepare their loads in the passenger bay of a moving helicopter, landing in a field of billowing bent grass. The plane takes off but is quickly shot down by an RPG a few miles away. The vehicle explodes in the distance as the two head toward a nearby building, where the melee that made Clean House so provocative returns. Enemies ambush the player from corners and trapdoors. Others are hidden behind tables in plain sight. With the structure secured, the team repels waves of combatants at the helicopter’s crash site, bullets ricocheting off the metal hull and burning brightly like small firecrackers.
The same gameplay intensity and visual fidelity showed up in the next mission as well. Price and Gaz head to a port in Amsterdam to find an Al-Katala smuggling partner. By approaching enemies underwater, the player can unleash flashy executions with a dagger, or finish them off the traditional way: a few well-aimed shots from a silenced pistol. In Modern Warfare II, however, water affects weapon ballistics, requiring more than a bullet to drive enemies away from beneath the rippling surface. When Price and Gaz reunite on a nearby boat, the narrow corridors and eerily silent rooms (apart from the creaking of floorboards) bring the dynamic to an atmospheric halt. The level design kept me on the edge of my seat, switching from explorable nodes to claustrophobic rooms and back again.
Throughout the presentation, Infinity Ward emphasized the importance of diversity. Short snippets of other dates flashed across the projection screen. In one clip, the player maneuvered from vehicle to vehicle on a Freewayes, drive Climb and jump from numerous military trucks in a really exciting loop. In another instance, the player rappelled down an occupied skyscraper while keeping positioning in mind – should one expose their body for effortless eliminations, or opt for a toe-up approach, exposing less important points but off an inverted position is shot? Bloom and Negus explained that these tactical choices are all about the player’s agency: “We wanted to create an authoring experience, but still leave room for the player to explore what they want to do and feel.”
THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
From a multiplayer perspective, Modern Warfare II receives several innovative changes, such as AI advancements in Warzone 2.0, a gunsmith offering a newfound level of weapon customization, and default classes designed to appeal to a wide range of players. Multiplayer co-design directors Geoffrey Smith and Joe Cecot focused on expanding the outcomes of PvP combat. You have implemented Numerous bodies of water for players to swim in or drive amphibious vehicles through, a diving mechanic to complement classic slide physics, ledge hanging, and more specialized equipment. Tactical cameras allow players to monitor/detect enemy movement, drill HE grenades through surfaces (like Fuze in Rainbow Six Siege), DDOS are miniature EMP devices that can even affect killstreaks, and the inflatable decoy is the perfect one Jumpscare for the unwary foes. With Warzone slated for a mobile release, players will have multiple ways to access and interact with their favorite competitive FPS.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on October 28th. As someone who grew up listening to the original trilogy, I can’t wait to see what plot twists and multiplayer features pop up this fall.
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