The long-rumoredModern Warfare 2has finally been officially confirmed by Activison, much to the delight of fans. The second installment of the recently rebootedModern Warfarefranchise, the hype and expectation surrounding the upcoming title is undoubtedly massive.
Due to its nature as a reboot, it is expected that this new take onModern Warfare 2will deviate from the original source material, as was the case with 2019’sModern Warfare. While these changes are important when it comes to generating a unique identity for the reboot, there are several elements of the originalModern Warfaretrilogy that deserve to be maintained for the upcoming release.
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The Core Details of Modern Warfare 2
While expectations regarding a sequel to 2019’sModern Warfarehave existed within theCall of Dutycommunity for some time,Modern Warfare 2was officially confirmedby Activision very recently. With 2019’sModern Warfarebeing one of the most well receivedCall of Dutytitles in recent memory, it is fair to say that the news of a sequel has generated significant buzz for many fans of the franchise.
Understandably, many of the moreintricate details ofModern Warfare 2are currently unknown, although it has been confirmed that the game is set to release sometime in the “fall of 2022.” With the game also being rumored to run on a completely new game engine, it can be assumed that it will take great inspiration from the successful IW engine that was used inModern Warfare;with a maintained focus on refined visuals and visceral sound design.
Interestingly, it has also been suggested thatModern Warfare 2will launch alongside a new installment of the franchise’s massively popular battle royale,Call of Duty:Warzone. IfMW2is indeedlaunching alongsideWarzone 2, it would be indicative of the intended longevity and scope ofModern Warfare 2that Activision is envisioning. Also being under the development of Infinity Ward, it’s likely thatModern Warfare 2will continue the major plot points and character arcs from the established narratives of 2019’sModern Warfareacross its campaign and multiplayer modes. Despite this, there will be many elements of the originalModern Warfaretrilogy that fans will also be hoping to see.
A More Traditional Spec Ops Mode
One of the largest alluring factors of theCall of Dutyformula that has helped keep fans returning to the franchise with every annual release is the tertiary game modes that each title has. While theBlack Opsgames within theCoDIPthrived due to their popular “Zombies” modes,Modern Warfarethrived with its Spec Ops modes.
Spec Ops was a mode firstintroduced to Call of Duty withModern Warfare 2, which is all the more reason to implement it within the upcoming reboot. Short for “Special Operations,” the mode consisted of brief but highly curated missions that periodically increased with difficulty. Many of these missions were taken from segments ofModern Warfare 2’scampaign, with each mission having a maximum of three stars that could be earned by the player for meeting certain mission requirements.
Ranging from vehicle-based time trials to stealthy base infiltrations to high-octane favela shootouts, Spec Ops provided a serious variety of experiences that were genuinely engaging and challenging for those aiming to get full completion. With the additional benefit of being able to play the vast majority of missions in online two-player co-op, the fact that Spec Ops was alsoimplemented withinModern Warfare 3is a testament to how beloved it was within the player base. With how the often forgotten “Special Ops” mode of 2019’sModern Warfarefell to the wayside due to the repetitive and difficult nature of its small amount of missions, a return to a more curated and intimate mission roster akin to bothMW2andMW3would be a fantastic boon to the upcoming sequel.
The Classic Prestige System
With how utterly iconic the multiplayer of the originalModern Warfare 2was, many long-term fans will fondly remember the game’s online prestige system. InolderCall of Dutytitles, the multiplayer prestige systems were perfect in their simplicity. A player would reach level 70, 50, or another level cap via earning experience, after which they would have the opportunity to “prestige.” This reset their rank to level one while also re-locking any level-capped items that would then have to be re-earned.
As a reward for this sacrifice, players would be awarded a coveted emblem and calling card for that particular prestige, as well as permanent create-a-class slot unlocks. The emblems and calling cards would only grow in detail and appeal as a player rose through the ranks. The system was uniform and easy to decipher, with hardcore dedicated players being much easier to identify than the current prestige system in-place formore recentCall of Dutytitles.
Now, once a player exceeds level 55 inCall of Dutymultiplayer, they enter seasonal ranks that are tied exclusively to the seasons of the game’s multiplayer. With there being 1000 levels for players to attain per season before resetting, the newer system only breeds confusion and lacks the permanence of its predecessor.
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Pro Perks
Another fan-favorite feature of bothModern Warfare 2and3is that of unlockable “pro” versions of create-a-class perks. Within the older multiplayer modes, a specific challenge accompanied each perk, which upon completion would grant an extra beneficial element to the perk in question. This was a core facet of gameplay within these older titles, with the grind to complete a perk’s challenge paying dividends in the way of an invaluable earned perk bonus that could set a player apart from the completion. Withcreate-a-class perkssince becoming one-dimensional and face-value elements of theCoDmeta, a return to pro-perks in the upcomingModern Warfare 2is more than deserved.
