ZenSRC

Despite all of the controversy and at the great insistence of my best friend, I bought a copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) for the PC. Let me start by saying that the game is nigh onto being a masterpiece. Despite several shortcomings, of which I will enumerate several below, it is quite the gaming experience. Having missed out on the first Modern Warfare, I can’t really compare it to that cherished title.

Several other places on the web have listed all of the issues dealing with the PC version of MW2. Most of them center around the fact that the multiplayer experience is essentially gimped on the PC. The root of the problem is that most PC first person shooters created in the last decade have allowed users to set up dedicated servers. That model has been perfected because it works for a number of reasons, most important of which, is that it builds strong communities.

For a modern PC gamer, finding a good server where you like to play is a little like finding the mythic bar from Cheers. When you play on the same server for a long amount of time, you get to know the admins, you see and recognize other players, you may get involved in the local clan, and so on. In other words, you build a micro-community around that server. I can appreciate when a developer tries to innovate gaming experiences. In this particular case, within a couple of clicks, you can easily get into a MW2 multiplayer game. The problem is that those games might as well be against AI opponents. There is rarely any team communication, you can never guarantee your gaming experience because hosts are automatically chosen, and most importantly, you never play with the same people more than a few games in a row. Imagine for a moment an alternate history: in addition to the current implementation being available as a “Quick Game” feature, IW released full dedicated servers to users. Within weeks, there are thousands of servers in the world, many of which host local clans. At each one of those servers, micro-communities are created. The communities encourage organized competitive play, and suddenly, you have a market longevity that far outlives the Quick Game.

So, despite these glaring shortcomings, IW has poured a significant amount of love into this game. The single player experience feels like you’re the hero in an action movie. It’s short, but quite gratifying. Concerning multiplayer, there are a plethora of things to like:

• There are many, many types of game modes – all of which are interesting.
• Significant diversity in weapons and weapon modifications, which unlock as you gain levels and use the weapons.
• Games are fast paced, intense, and fun.
• It is easy to find and get into a multiplayer game.
• Graphics and sound are stunning.

Overall, the game is definitely worth buying. I truly hope that IW takes some of these criticisms to heart and releases dedicated servers; but the lack of which isn’t worth you missing out on this title.