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Denver, 10:45 PM
Wed Nov 11
65 posts in the last 24 hours
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06:20 PM
Apart from the whole G.A.Y.S thing, obviously... #modernwarfare2
06:12 PM
Oh well. More meat for the hammer and knife. #modernwarfare2combatwirelessheadset
05:40 PM
The biggest problem is that despite the fact that I loved playing through these levels and was genuinely draw into the action, in retrospect, the level design feels like watered down versions of the first MW. Which is particularly weird because going through the levels it felt at least as good as MW.
Training was pretty much taken straight from the first MW, you do some target practise, run a gauntlet and then select your difficulty. In the first MW, you were a new recruit so it made sense, and there was the added bonus that the gauntlet you ran had the same layout as the start of the next mission, making it feel like preparation and not just something random. This time they justify it by having you demonstrate to Afghani troops and then run the gauntlet to impress a higher up.
It didn’t really establish anything, just gave you the basic tools so that you could move on to the actual game, unlike the first MW where it helped introduce Price and Gaz (and made me really prefer the SAS guys from the start).
Moving through the village in the Hummer was interesting, on Veteran there was a bit of difficulty trying to find the enemies before they could take you out, but it wasn’t necessarily difficult, I have a feeling that you can probably cruise through without really worrying about the guys in the alleys and rooftops. Once the Hummer gets toppled over though, we move straight into the gameplay that I loved from the first MW. Clear a section, move to the next bit of cover, clear the section, next bit of cover. The school was linear, but it felt very solid.
Actually, that section in particular felt like it could have slotted easily into the first MW.
Finally, we hit the Cliffhanger section. The climbing bit was nice and cinematic to give you a break from the tension of tearing through the Afghan village. Infiltrating the base was very much like All Ghillied Up, but by having incredibly low visibility, a heartbeat monitor, less enemies and a much shorter distance to travel it felt like a much different experience. A little too easy, because I did love All Ghillied Up, but the escape section was nice and solid. Being utterly exposed meant that I had to run to what little cover I could find, then run again until I was safe. Again, the main issue with this level was it was too easy, escaping was a matter of getting to the snow mobiles (a very very short distance) and then it wasn’t too hard to get to da choppah.
All in all, the level design and story was weaker than the start of MW1 at this point, but something I haven’t really mentioned was the music, which was utterly fantastic, and the squad’s voice acting and AI made it seem like you were actually in a squad of people and not just a bunch of anonymous soldiers that are only there as scenery.
I really want to see what the rest of the game is like, because I have notice that the level design improved a fair bit in the Rio de Janeiro level (what little of it I could play before my 360 died) and if they can at least maintain this standard it will be a great experience. #kotakugameclub
04:53 PM
03:58 PM
where is the Nintendo Wii Closet®?
where am i supposed to put all this stuff? #wii
03:56 PM
2. This level was tense at some times, but otherwise poorly done. My suspension of disbelief was completely eliminated when I jumped into the truck. They put me in charge of the turret, and I just started firing blindly and nonstop at my teammates. Instead of getting in trouble/attracting trouble/anything, I got a canned loop of "What are you firing at? Stop Firing!"
No matter what I did, they kept going along that little route, putting up canned and scripted enemies. As it went along, I realized this was the same Call of Duty that's been around since the original, and nothing's really changed.
3. This was the first level that I was actually impressed by. The climbing the ice was cheesy, but fun. There was more creativity present, and the options available to you were greater. This is how the whole game should have been- unabashedly fun an absurd. #kotakugameclub
05:06 PM
Are you serious? The game is supposed to react realistically to actions that if you are in that situation you would never realistically do? aka firing at your squad mates?! And you think the game should what? Repremand you somehow? How exactly? Realistically, your squad mates would kill you... Game over. Wow, fun. #kotakugameclub
05:13 PM
To say nothing of the fact that I died several times for shooting my targets in a heavy combat situation, instead of subduing them.
They can put in stuff like that, but they can't create any sort of realistic response for my actions? #kotakugameclub
06:01 PM
03:48 PM
03:47 PM
The second level set a great tone, and when the panic kicks in at on the humvee ride, it got way too chaotic for me to know what was going on. In terms of representing what it's like to be in that situation, I can only imagine it evoked the chaos well. But after dieing 7 times in a row, I had to turn down the difficulty to figure out how to get through. Minor gameplay gripe I suppose. Also after the first level, my wife had no idea how to aim the grenade launcher. I think it may have been too trial and error too soon in the game, with targets too far away, who were also very good aims.
My wife had a VERY hard time with the tone of the second level in the game. She has played a lot of shooters, loves the bloody mess perk in Fallout 3, but her eyes were starting to tear up by the time she got to the school section of the level. It was hard to disassociate herself with what she was immersed in compared to what thousands of soldiers have gone through, and are still going through. She is curious as to how overwhelming imagery can be for soldiers with PTSD.
I was surprised when she went back to the game today, but I was not surprised she loved level 3, as did I. It was a great blend of stealth and action, with great moment to moment and a killer climax.
05:13 PM
06:03 PM
03:29 PM
07:50 PM
03:05 PM
03:10 PM
03:10 PM
I actually prefer it to your peripheral vision going blurry and red. I find this new method more distressing and for me at least, it increases the urgency to find cover and wait for the blood to be cleaned by the invisible FPS pixel fairies.(lol) #kotakugameclub
03:21 PM
I find it interesting that a lot of people are saying that MW2 campaign is easier, but I found it to be far more frustrating (not difficulty wise, just gameplay wise) than MW1 was, and that's not ignoring MW1's endless spawns. Just thinking about that Rio level...ugh #kotakugameclub
03:21 PM
Sure it looks cool, but if I"m shot and can't see a damn thing, how am I supposed to find cover? I'm also finding myself getting shot from seemingly out of nowhere, and god forbid I want to go even a few feet off the rails(because really, that's what this games SP mode is, an on rails game) and try something different from what the developers expect you to do.
The graphics are wonderful, and the settings are fresh and unique. But this game has some issues, and I hate to say it, but the whole IW charm is starting to show itself as being a little stale. There just isn't anything new being introduced.
Great game--I recommend playing it, but it's not worth the hype. #kotakugameclub
03:27 PM
03:27 PM
03:28 PM
Special Ops is where it's at. I agree that IW may be getting a little big for their britches, but Special Ops is worth it. #kotakugameclub
03:30 PM
After the first 3 levels breezed by, I had to stop because I was worried about finishing the campaign on day 1! #kotakugameclub
03:36 PM
03:01 PM
Good comments and thoughts, everyone! #kotakugameclub
02:48 PM
I wonder.... how much did people try to play "off-script"?
I shot the Afghan troops I was training in the first level and was scolded for friendly fire, forcing a checkpoint re-start. #kotakugameclub
02:54 PM
03:01 PM
03:11 PM
02:41 PM
02:43 PM
03:21 PM
Do what all average humans do: throw it away, wasting resources, and further polluting our planet!
Rinse and repeat. #wii
02:38 PM
I am reading this and they look like fresh meat to these kind of comments. #wii
03:08 PM
03:27 PM
03:38 PM
So, I wonder, who here will ultimately be the one to propagate a stereotype? #wii
03:49 PM
If your intention was to turn this on me, do you think the one nicely requesting the matter will contradict them self? really? #wii
03:58 PM
And, no, I don't expect you to change your stance, and it doesn't matter as the cat is already out of the bag, so to speak. I merely thought it would be worthy of consideration for the future.
And I'm still wondering what your last words to Ken mean. He didn't think of something until you mentioned it. You think he's going to have to fight to bite his tongue now that it's been pointed out? Of course, I'll freely admit that I may be misunderstanding your use of the phrase "verbal discernment". #wii
08:34 PM
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02:50 PM