The second beta weekend of Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is now over and we feel confident enough to write a first verdict. Always keeping in mind the promises from the developer Infinity Ward to usher in a new era for Call of Duty with a plethora of new features, modes and mechanics. Could the beta already show this? We draw a conclusion.
A first impression
We've been playing Call of Duty since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, so around 2009. So far there have been many good but also many not so good titles in the series. But the latest part could convince us on this point in general. It even seems to us that they have gone back to the roots and that this is really good. At first glance, we rate Call of Duty Modern Warfare II extremely positively.
In general, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is the direct continuation of the predecessor, Modern Warfare from 2019. Back then, the developer already laid the foundation for the new gaming experience of the Call of Duty series.
In 2019, we only had to practice criticism of the rather boring setting of the game. But Call of Duty Modern Warfare II has made this much better. The game world looks brighter, more dynamic and simply better.
The Movement in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
A point that has already caused great discussion in the community are the new movement mechanics. After being used to a very fluid movement in Modern Warfare and especially Warzone, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II first brings you back to ground level.
The movement is much slower and also elements like sliding are different. It looks like they want to go from the slightly over the top and super fast gameplay more towards tactics.
This could especially pick up the players who simply couldn't get anything out of the hyperspeed gameplay of Warzone.
This does not mean that the gameplay is no longer fluid or that you cannot play fast.
The Map Design
In our opinion, the new map design in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II is a big plus for the game. Infinity Ward has brought significantly more coverings into the maps compared to the predecessors. Also, the six maps available in the beta looked much more interesting in terms of map complexity.
During the beta, as mentioned, six maps were available.
- Farm 18
- Valderas Museum
- Mercado Las Almas
- Breenbergh Hotel
- Sa'id
- Sariff Bay
We liked all the maps very much. Especially the two large maps have captivated us as Battlefield lovers. On the maps we had a slight Battlefield 4 feeling, so nostalgia pure. This made us happy on the one hand, but on the other hand, with a view to Battlefield 2042, a little sad.
The AI's in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
This weekend there were also the AI's as opponents. Based on the number of players, we found this rather unnecessary. But here Infinity Ward probably just wanted to test how they are received and how the performance is. We didn't particularly like the computer opponents, though.
Gunsmith 2.0 in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
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Knockout
In this new mode, two teams face off against each other, and a bag of money is placed in the middle of the map. If you walk over it, the bag will be picked up, and the position of the player who has the bag will be revealed.
Players can drop the bag again if they die, then it will be automatically dropped. There are no respawns. Teammates can revive each other, however. The side that holds the bag for 60 seconds or eliminates all opponents wins the round.
Prisoner Rescue
In Prisoner Rescue, there are two teams, attackers and defenders. The latter have a prisoner near their spawn. The team's goal is to protect the prisoner from being kidnapped by the enemy. The goal of the attacking team is to bring the prisoner from the enemy spawn area to the extraction point.
The prisoner does not take damage from enemy shots. The player carrying the prisoner is slowed down and restricted in his movement. He can neither crouch nor crawl on his stomach. In addition, he only has a pistol in his hand to defend himself. This strongly reminds us of Counter Strike Global Offensive.
Third-Person Mode in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
This is probably one of the unexpected new features in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II - the third-person mode. So far, Call of Duty has always been a pure FPS, but here Infinity Ward has gone a new way. At the beginning it is really unusual and also the switch between running in 3rd person and aiming in 1st person feels weird. Over time you get used to it and it reminds us slightly of titles like The Division. Whether the mode also has fans in the long run we do not know yet, but it could also bring players to Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, which otherwise play pure 3rd-person shooters.
Invasion in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
From the most unusual new feature to the almost already biggest new feature. At least in terms of game modes, Invasion is the biggest new feature. Basically, the Invasion mode plays like a huge team deathmatch (20 vs. 20). Both teams fight for the victory and thus the number of kills. The AI colleagues
Recoil of the weapons
This is something a Call of Duty player will notice right away - the recoil of the weapons is much stronger. This is not as easy to control as before. We don't know if this is the final state.
Audio in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
We immediately noticed that the footsteps in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II are too loud. It makes it much too easy for campers to hear opponents from a long distance. But until the final release in October, Infinity Ward will definitely make optimizations here.
Our conclusion about Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
The article should have conveyed this already. Call of Duty Modern Warfare II has been a lot of fun for us so far and we think Infinity Ward has done a lot right here already. The criticism is manageable and the advantages are all the more. It seems as if we will be spared a disastrous release like Battlefield 2042 had.
