Modern Warfare Blitz

[mmosu]

So I've decided to catch up on the hallowed "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" series, despite my past policy of avoiding hyped-up franchises that tend to overly attract casual (read: brain-dead non-connoisseur) type gamers . . . not that I'm judging 

I have completed Modern Warfare 2, and I must say, I'm now a little embarassed that it took me so long to jump on the bandwagon.  The game was a flippin' fantastic shot of adrenaline straignt into my brain that had my smiling until the last pull of the trigger.  Now I've gone back in time a few years and am working through the solo campaign of Call of Duty 4, the first game of the series.  It has aged a little more roughly than it's successor, and while the visuals and gameplay are a little less polished, it's still fun and interesting to compare the two titles and note just how much MW2 actually improved on the original, which itself soared beyond solid and landed smack-dab on amazing (for it's day). 
Now I'm not the typical MP monkey that plays these games . . . again, not that I'm judging . . . but I at least enjoy a good story.  While the MW storyline has always been criticized for being on the ambiguous/rediculous side, I like it  :-X  It's to the point without bogging you down with too many details that would only serve to break the enormous momentum generated by such a fast-paced franchise.  Hey, I'm smart enough to fill in the blanks anyway, so back off MP monkeys (. . . not that I'm judging . . . :-())

So from here, I'm going to finish COD4, take another spin through MW2, and then hopefully pick up a used copy of MW3 and catch up to the rest of the world later on this week.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson and won't be such a jaded, high-brow hipster in the future when the next big blockbuster hits the shelves and every other meat-head on earth pounces on it (not that I'm . . . ah, screw it, I'm judging - get over yourselves!! . . .  ;)

SITREP forthcoming, oscar mike, out. 

[Art Blade]

 :-()

[Fiach]

iirc the story arc starts in CoD WaW, haven't played it myself (though I have the game), I just never know what weapons to pick up.

[mmosu]

Put CoD4 to rest last night so now I'm officially filled in on what went on before the start of MW2.  While it was very enjoyable, MW2 was a vastly superior experience in every way.  Of particular note I felt was the difference in AI between the two - in CoD4 you're constantly getting stuck on your NPC's, or pushed out of the way by them, or they stupidly pop up in front of your sights right when you're about to send one down-range  :D  One instance that stood out occurred when MacMillen pushed me out of cover in Pripyat, solidly blowing our cover and then blaming me for it!  In contrast this barely happened in MW2, as the AI seemed to have "alternate routes" programmed in that they could take if you were standing in a spot where they normally take cover, instead of stupidly running in to you and causing all sorts of havoc that disrupts the experience.  On to MW3 . . .

[Fiach]

LOL I remember that used to happen in Chernobyl, it annoyed the crap out of me :)

[fragger]

I liked that bit in MW2 where the fight takes you right through the Oval Office - or what's left of it at that juncture. I almost expected to find Obama hiding under the desk...

I know just what you mean about the dopey AI in CoD4. They got me killed a couple of times. In the mission through that village to find Al-Salad or whatever his name is, a couple of my "buddies" entered a house right when I did and bracketed me in a hallway so that I couldn't go forwards or backwards right when a grenade came through the window. I couldn't reach it to chuck it back and I couldn't move and I was screaming "Getoutofthewaygetoutofthewaygetoutofthew-" when we all got fricasseed. Gee, thanks fellas... ::)

I like Captain Price, he's good value :-X

Looking forward to hearing your impressions of MW3, mmosu :)

[JRD]

I found myself about to push the "Purchase" button on the MW series a few times everytime I see a significant price drop. I know any of the titles should take only a few hours to complete and I'm not into MP so I always give up on the last minute. I also know that the adrenalyn shot should be a blast and one day I plan to take the plunge and go through as many titles as there are available out there on a rainy weekend!

So good luck, mate, I hope you enjoy it... 75,000,000 brain-dead non-connoisseur type gamers can't be wrong!  ;D

[fragger]

JRD, part of MW2 is set in your part of the world - actually in your town. There's a fight through the Favela with Sugarloaf Mountain in the background and Christ the Redeemer looking on (and probably not liking what he's seeing...). I'll try and get a screenie or two if I can - as usual there's no screenshot function in this CoD game so I'll have to try and do it "manually".

[JRD]

I read about the level in the favela in the local news website... as usual people take videogames too seriously and get offended too easily. Same happened when one episode of The Simpson where they come to Brazil went on here. People freraked out!  :D

[fragger]

Those touchy-feely politically-correct types are such bores, honestly ::) I'm sure they could find something to whinge about in Thomas the Tank Engine...

I was going to get you some pics last night but when I went to play I remembered that it was paused partway through a Steam update and I can't play it until the update completes. So I resumed the update, which restarted at 97%. Half an hour later it clicked up to 98%... an hour later, still at 98%... it was still updating (hadn't locked up) but was just so flipping slow. As I had things I wanted to do with the PC I gave up and paused the update again. When I've got a spare couple of hours I'll get the rest of it down :D Unfortunately this update started before I realised that you can turn automatic updating off for individual games (I've got them all set to "off" now).

[mmosu]

MW2 was certainly no stranger to controversy - the "No Russian" mission nearly caused an international incident if you believe the mainstream media! (I don't  )
Now, after multiple throughs of all three MW games, I can still honestly say that MW2 has the best SP campaign.  Don't get me wrong, MW3 is spectacular in it's own right.  The scenarios are creative, well executed, the visuals and sound effects are indeed dazzling and the overall hopelessness of the world it paints tugs the heartstrings at times.  But MW2 still beats it out, with the sum of it's individually inferior parts somehow still adding up to a better experience than MW3 provides.  I feel it's a matter of pacing and character development - the tempo of MW2 is impecable, with the perfect amount of "slow and stealthy" to make the "fast and furious" all that more intense and meaningful.  Combine that with the best character set in the series and the palpable commraderie and well-oiled teamwork between the members of task force 141, and you have something much more satisfying and believable than the somewhat disjointed plot-tool that is MW3's Yuri thrown in with the now gutted and disavowed remnant of the 141. 
Again though, none of this is to say that MW3 doesn't shine - it does, oh man, it does - it just didn't surprise and delight on the same level that it's predecessor did.  I guess it is understandable, it is probably getting pretty hard for Infinity Ward to keep coming up with a whole game full of mind-blowing moments without recycling certain elements, and I definitely felt MW3 did this quite a bit, but in it's defense it makes an honorable effort to disguise the fact that some of this is happening.  Still though, I was going to scream if I had to climb out of one more flipped-over vehicle with my ears ringing after being ambushed by an RPG team  .  But lets keep it all in perspective - I'm complaining about a game being too action packed!    If that's the title's greatest sin - that it's a break-neck thrill ride with no time to pause to appreciate the approaching fight - then I guess that's not so bad!  One member of the series stands out, but overall it's a great and enjoyable body of w@&k  :-X