Modern Warfare 2’s campaign is like a Call of Duty greatest hits album

Infinity Ward is trying to bring Call of Duty’s brand of blockbuster action back to Modern Warfare. Unveiled: The studio Modern Warfare 2: Call of Duty’s story campaign on Wednesday with a trailer that introduces the game’s main squad of operators and its primary threat. But the real draw is a move away from the self-serious tone of 2019’s Modern Warfare and a return to the huge shootouts, skyscraper infiltrations, and stealth raids that Call of Duty’s campaigns are famous for.

While the trailer didn’t shed much light on the game’s actual missions, Polygon had a chance to check out an in-person preview of the campaign that included several levels. Infinity Ward claims that the studio approached them. Modern Warfare 2’s campaign by trying to put a fresh spin on the Call of Duty franchise’s best levels and level types while adding new archetypes as well.

Image: Infinity Ward/Activision

[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)’s campaign.]

The newest Call of Duty entry is a sequel to Infinity Ward’s previous game, Modern Warfare: Call of Duty. It follows Task Force 141, an elite international team of operatives that includes returning characters Captain John Price, Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley, and Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish; a few new faces, like Colonel Alejandro Vargas and Corporal Phillip Graves; and CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell, who is going from an overwatch role to a more active role in combat this time around.

It takes place after the U.S. army kills a hostile general. This creates a threat to retaliation which Task Force 141 cannot stop. Infinity Ward has a wide range of locations that allow them to perform classic Call of Duty missions.

Image: Infinity Ward/Activision

The first mission we saw during the studio’s presentation was set at nighttime, which should feel familiar if you’ve ever put on a pair of night vision goggles in a Call of Duty game. Though this mission takes place on a larger scale than previous night missions have, it’s still all about sneaking through the darkness, taking out unsuspecting enemies, then laying on the trigger when all hell breaks loose.

A second mission that we saw was on top of Chicago’s skyscraper. Players have to enter it. To gain tactical advantage over their enemies, soldiers descend from the top of the building using ropes. Infinity Ward explained that the mission was Modern Warfare 2’s take on a traditional Call of Duty rappel level, like Ghosts’ “Federation Day” mission. Infinity Ward also discussed, but didn’t show, an Infinity Ward stealth level that Price uses for long-range sniping.

The newer mission involves swimming around Amsterdam’s quiet marina and taking out each guard with a knife. This Call of Duty swimming game features a more sophisticated and elaborate feature than ever. It allows the player to dive and obscure the vision of enemies and affects the trajectory of bullets. It is actually quite the opposite. Modern Warfare 2 game director Jack O’Hara said he hopes that one day people will think of water missions as another type of classic Call of Duty level.

Image: Infinity Ward/Activision

Part of the reason for his optimism is that water was a huge focus of Infinity Ward’s for Modern Warfare 2. According to the studio it was meticulous in making waves behave correctly and calibrating damage so that swimming and moving around water were enjoyable and not frustrating. Swimming and large bodies of water such as rivers can now be enjoyed with this extra care. Modern Warfare 2’s modes, including multiplayer and the Warzone successor, whenever that’s released.

An additional newly improved mechanic can be found here Modern Warfare 2Driving, which was featured in an additional level that we were shown. The mission sees players take part in a high speed chase, which soon turns into an intense shootout. Players can now use new maneuvering tools to help against an army of enemies. They are able to swap cars quickly and stand on top of their vehicles to jump into another vehicle.

Image by Infinity Ward/Acitvison

If some of these levels sound a little sillier or more over-the-top than what appeared in 2019’s Modern Warfare; that’s definitely on purpose. According to Infinity Ward, the studio wanted the sequel to be more “entertaining” than the previous game, focusing on maintaining realism but mixing in more exciting moments, rather than staying tied to the grittiness of Modern Warfare.

All these levels are already teased so it appears that Modern Warfare 2 The single-player campaign will offer a wide range of options. Plus, with several months left before the game’s Oct. 28 release date, it’s possible that Infinity Ward has a few more surprises left to reveal.