Review: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare – Beta Week 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (COD:MW) is Infinity Ward’s upcoming first-person shooter (FPS) that will work as a “soft reboot” to the iconic Modern Warfare franchise.

The game is scheduled for release on 10/25/2019. However, it had a pair of scheduled Beta tests these past couple of weekends where the publisher, Activision, got to show off some of the game’s newest features, and online multiplayer.

After a weekend of getting to play the Beta of the game’s online multiplayer on my PS4, and keeping in mind it’s not the game’s finished version, here are my thoughts:

The gunplay and mechanics for COD:MW have been enhanced, and they were probably already the best in the industry. But the biggest thing this title brings to the table is the cross-platform multiplayer. Meaning that gamers on the PS4 can compete freely against COD:MW gamers on PCs and the Xbox One. More importantly, it does it almost seamlessly, without lag, or complications. This is a game changer that will have to become an industry standard, or at least it will for any online multiplayer game that wishes to stay competitive.

The game in many ways returns to the franchise’s basics, but greatly improves upon it. Adding features like: Being able to lean slightly out of cover, or mounting your weapon on surfaces you are using for cover. It shows you that COD’s developers are keeping an eye on what has made other FPS’s popular, and wanted to bring it into COD:MW.

There were a few multiplayer game modes that were shown off during the Beta. The biggest, literally, was “Ground War.” This is COD’s version of a large-scale, Battlefield-like encounter on a huge map with usable vehicles, between two teams of 32 players each. Meaning 64 players total, however Activision is promising it will be 100 at launch.

“Ground War” is not perfect yet, it still has a few bugs to clean up. But overall it was a very enjoyable, new experience for the franchise. It brings in elements from other large-scale “Battle Royale,” but still manages to keep the same COD feel that’s made the franchise so popular. It’s a great step in the direction of what the gaming community’s clamoring for, but their doing it under their own terms.

Another new multiplayer mode that was introduced was “Gunfight.” Which is a 2v2 fast-paced, round based gunfight where, if you’re killed, you have to wait until the end of the round before you can respawn. This mode brings a nice change of pace from the other modes, because it heightens the stakes of every life, and brings you into an intimate partnered setting.

My favorite multiplayer mode however, was “Realism Mode.” This type of gameplay leaves you without a HUD display, no hit markers, kill indicators, and it’s easier for you to get killed. This leads to a very unique, and amazing experience that strips down COD to it’s most basic elements, and shows that the incredible game/gunplay are what’s made this franchise great. My only knock on it is that you still get “killcam” after you’re killed. Which is a feature that I’ve always hated, especially when you play as a sniper, because it gives up your location.

Check out my video review below!

Overall, the game looks to be a great new step for the franchise. Enhancing the game/gunplay that’s made the series iconic, bringing in a bevy of new features, and possibly setting up a new industry standard for cross-platform play. COD:MW looks to be the franchise’s best game yet.