Call of Duty Modern Warfare II Campaign (PC) Review – A Worthy Sequel to an Iconic Blockbuster

Call of Duty is back with a new premium in the form of Modern Warfare II. Activision left no stone unturned in making the latest offering their most trending and talked-about title of 2022. The game did end up gaining huge momentum as well, thanks to all the creative and amazing promotional tactics by the makers, leading up to the ultimate reveal.

But the biggest question is: was it all worth it? Is Call of Duty Modern Warfare II the sequel every die-hard franchise lover was waiting for for the last few months? Does it deliver on all fronts?

It looks like the team of Infinity Ward has succeeded in answering all the above questions, in a commendable manner. But it wasn’t an easy task at all!

Call of Duty Modern Warfare II review – Compelling story and characters with a touch of added conversations

Without a doubt, the returning faces such as Captain Price, Gaz, and Ghost are good as ever. But the revelation of Alejandro makes the campaign of this year’s Call of Duty even more interesting. His persona instantly catches your attention with his love for the fictional city of Las Almas. He can go to extreme lengths in order to protect his home.

What makes 2022’s Modern Warfare II even better than 2019’s predecessor is the story that can be aptly described as a roller-coaster ride. Because you witness some really unexpected twists and betrayals. Shadow Company is shown to be a very supportive ally initially, but their motives change completely, led by Graves. His character adds a solid flavor of evilness in the main plot as it progresses.

During the survival mission titled ‘Alone’, Graves and his Shadow Company wreak havoc on civilians, showing how cruel they can be in order to reach their goals and fulfill their motives.

Modern Warfare II: Important details to know

• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Publisher: Activision
• Price: $69.99 USD
• Release Date: October 28, 2022 (October 20 for Campaign Early Access)
• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net and Steam

Then there’s El Sin Nombre, aka, Valeria. During the interrogation sequence, where the player is portrayed by Soap, she proves why everyone needs to take her seriously in order to stay away from her wrath. One mistake, and you will end up getting killed by her in a snap, if you are caught lying!

During most of the missions, the player also faces situations where there are optional dialogue choices. They make the overall experience more relatable in terms of humanizing the characters, for example, Gaz getting the chance to chat with Kate.

There are also other moments like this, such as Soap getting the option to talk more interactively with Ghost, and receiving numerous side questions when trying to survive in a dangerous area, invaded by Shadow Company.

Modern Warfare II Campaign offers the most realistic Call of Duty to-date!

If there has to be anything that is inevitable in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, it’s the graphics. The difference is highly noticeable, coming from 2019’s MW (even though that game is still impressive in itself). 2022’s single-player experience looks and feels as spectacular as it can get, all thanks to Infinity Ward’s efforts with the unified engine.

READ MORE: Call of Duty Fans Need Not Worry as Modern Warfare II System Requirements Won’t Scare Them

Throughout the seventeen missions, you won’t find a single moment lacking realism. From iconic places to fictional maps, everything in Modern Warfare II looks breathtaking. Some honorable mentions include the city of Amsterdam, including Gaz, Kate Laswell, and Captain Price. Apart from the quest itself, the visuals in this specific mission appear to be identical to the actual city in The Netherlands.

Then there is the Dark Water mission, where the water physics is presented in a smooth manner. Overall as well, the water movement in this game feels as real as one can witness in a video game. Due to that, 2022’s Call of Duty presents one of the best aquatic combat movements for players who are avid lovers of such features.

Guns, weapons, vehicle maneuvering, and sound effects are on point when trying out different options in situations that demand a fresh tactical approach. And yes, the addition of backpack and crafting techniques are also worth mentioning. With Warzone 2.0‘s DMZ rumored to include such changes, players are in for a fun ride to say the least.

Modern Warfare II Campaign – The cameo of bugs and glitches

While the entire campaign (that can be finished in roughly six to seven hours) is a fun ride, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II has its fair share of problems as well. Despite running on recommended settings, the title kept stuttering in several moments, especially transitioning from cinematic cut scenes to actual gameplay.

Although Infinity Ward did provide a substantial update soon after the release of the Early Access for the Campaign, the picture didn’t change much. Many instances during the quests ended up making characters appearing in a glitched style, sometimes through the walls.

Another significant issue is the lack of optimization in the entirety of the single-player experience. It looks like Modern Warfare II is yet to achieve its stability. Hopefully, it will receive it upon the official launch on October 28th, 2022.

Modern Warfare II single-player campaign verdict

Coming three years after the insane success of the first installment, in a rebooted sub-series, Modern Warfare II had big shoes to fill. Although the game is not fully optimized, with annoying bugs, Activision and Infinity Ward have managed to accomplish a desired result.

Simply put, Call of Duty 2022 delivers on its promise of being an exciting, fun, and adventurous extravaganza. The Campaign, in all its glory, leaves a strong impact once the credits roll in. For the story, characters, and an intense action-filled ride, this is a worthy sequel to an iconic blockbuster. After all, blending nostalgia with a superior production level is not an easy job.

Rating: 9/10

The full-fledged title comes out this Friday across the globe. It will be available on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net and Steam.

Reviewed on PC

WATCH THIS STORY: Top 5 Call of Duty Games of All Time