In the rush to cram as much exposition as possible into the first couple of hours, it initially spreads the action relatively thinly. This second reboot once again takes inspiration from well-known source material, but adds even more twists and turns to an already convoluted tale of intrigue and deception. A confusing story carried by excellent actingĪs crystal clear as Modern Warfare II’s graphics may be, the same can’t quite be said for its story. You’ll regularly annoy your squadmates as you listlessly stare at your surroundings–the sheer amount of mission prompt dialogue recorded for each character is a definite reflection of IW’s expectation that players will spend a lot of time gawping at backdrops. Each setting is more believable than the last.

The same can be said for Modern Warfare II’s many other locations: the overcast shores of Spain, neon-lit streets of Mexico, iconic American city skylines, and–like its predecessor–anything in glorious night vision.

Amsterdam is among the most beautifully recreated backdrops in FPS history.

Modern warfare 2 2019