DoctorFinger
09-16-2009, 08:19 AM
Yesterday in LA Infinity Ward held an event to take some of the wraps off of Modern Warfare 2's competitively multiplayer modes. From all accounts the gameplay which made Infinity Ward's last title - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - one of the most popular multiplayer games of this generation is back in the sequel. You still create a custom loadout for your character. You still gain experience and in doing so unlock new equipment and perks. But then there's the new stuff we all really care about.
- Custom Killstreaks: We've known about these for a while now, but more of them have come to light, including the "Care Package" which drops ammo, weapons or even random killstreak bonuses on you. You have a loadout of 3 killstreaks, each with a different value, so you can take 3 low number but weaker perks, or go heavy with a trio of high number perks.
- Death Streaks: The opposite of killstreaks, these are bonuses you get if you die three or more times without making a kill. These include a triple health boost and 'Copycat' which gives you the loadout of the player who killed you. It appears that each of these selectable bonuses only last until your next death.
- Custom Callsigns: Little customizable tags which pop up when you kill or die. You choose your title and emblem while the game adds little bits about your play style to the Callsign.
- Prestige bonuses: IW was coy about exactly what they are, but they confirmed that there would be in-game benefits to Prestige Mode this time around.
- Secondary Weapons: You no longer have to take a sidearm - although if you do you can dual wield them. Instead you can simply take another regular weapon, complete with add-ons.
- Frag grenades replaced with "equipment": You can still take frag grenades, but instead you can also take semtex, throwing knives, and the tactical insertion flare, which lets you respawn where you dropped it.
In addition to to all the new toys there are a ton of smaller refinements. Squads now have tactical leaders who are highlighted on the squad's map. Bullet impacts in game are more visceral; when you or someone around you is hit, you'll know it. The maps themselves also tend to be brighter with a more varied color palette than on MW1.
It's a lot of info to digest, but Infinity Ward is still keeping a lot under wraps, including many details of the co-op Special Forces mode.
Modern Warfare 2 will be released for the 360, PS3 and PC on November 10.
Sources - Giant Bomb (http://www.giantbomb.com/news/hands-on-with-modern-warfare-2s-multiplayer/1685/); Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5360481/modern-warfare-2-multiplayer-hands+on-impressions-no-buzzkills); Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/modern-warfare-2-hands-on).
- Custom Killstreaks: We've known about these for a while now, but more of them have come to light, including the "Care Package" which drops ammo, weapons or even random killstreak bonuses on you. You have a loadout of 3 killstreaks, each with a different value, so you can take 3 low number but weaker perks, or go heavy with a trio of high number perks.
- Death Streaks: The opposite of killstreaks, these are bonuses you get if you die three or more times without making a kill. These include a triple health boost and 'Copycat' which gives you the loadout of the player who killed you. It appears that each of these selectable bonuses only last until your next death.
- Custom Callsigns: Little customizable tags which pop up when you kill or die. You choose your title and emblem while the game adds little bits about your play style to the Callsign.
- Prestige bonuses: IW was coy about exactly what they are, but they confirmed that there would be in-game benefits to Prestige Mode this time around.
- Secondary Weapons: You no longer have to take a sidearm - although if you do you can dual wield them. Instead you can simply take another regular weapon, complete with add-ons.
- Frag grenades replaced with "equipment": You can still take frag grenades, but instead you can also take semtex, throwing knives, and the tactical insertion flare, which lets you respawn where you dropped it.
In addition to to all the new toys there are a ton of smaller refinements. Squads now have tactical leaders who are highlighted on the squad's map. Bullet impacts in game are more visceral; when you or someone around you is hit, you'll know it. The maps themselves also tend to be brighter with a more varied color palette than on MW1.
It's a lot of info to digest, but Infinity Ward is still keeping a lot under wraps, including many details of the co-op Special Forces mode.
Modern Warfare 2 will be released for the 360, PS3 and PC on November 10.
Sources - Giant Bomb (http://www.giantbomb.com/news/hands-on-with-modern-warfare-2s-multiplayer/1685/); Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5360481/modern-warfare-2-multiplayer-hands+on-impressions-no-buzzkills); Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/modern-warfare-2-hands-on).