Recently, Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered came out, giving players a chance to relive the classic 2009 first-person shooter. It is also notable for being the last game Vince Zampella and Jason West worked on before their exodus from Activision and Infinity Ward, leading them to create Respawn Entertainment.
Being a remaster, the developers enacted all kinds of changes to update the experience for modern platforms. Most of the adjustments are welcome additions, making the game feel like it was built for the current generation. Unfortunately, a few actually strip away parts of the experience, an understandable but sad trade-off considering its reduced price tag.
10 No Online Competitive Multiplayer
The Modern Warfare titles’ online modes left an impact on the genre that contemporary shooters still try to emulate. Unfortunately, the remaster lacks any online connectivity, chopping off a significant portion of the original experience. “Rust” has already made its way into the new Modern Warfare, so perhaps more popular maps will enter the fray in future seasons. If this is the case, it is difficult to be upset since all the maps and new game modes are added for free.
9 New Motion Capture
The team completely redid the motion capture, breathing new life into classic segments like the Gulag escape or climbing the side of a mountain in Kazakhstan. The animations always looked great, but the updated movements add a new sheen onto already stellar cutscenes.
8 Unlocks For Modern Warfare And Warzone
It is incredible to think Call of Duty has been on top for so long that fans are treated with a reboot of the Modern Warfare series. In 2009, Modern Warfare 2 was the main title in the franchise, so buying it obviously did not unlock bonuses for a bigger game. Since the remaster is a smaller release, the company decided to add a purchase incentive in the form of a bundle for Modern Warfare and Warzone. Fans should be pleased with its contents, too, since it includes the classic Ghost skin, a particularly celebrated character.
7 No More Spec Ops
The original Spec Ops mode blows the new game’s version out of the water. Instead of generic and monotonous objectives, each mission featured unique gameplay mechanics and sometimes asymmetrical co-op. Seeing its absence from the remaster is particularly heartbreaking. Would it have been too much extra work to fit in?
6 HDR Support
When the original game came out, high-definition was the best quality money could buy. More than 10 years later and technology has surpassed what was once considered top-of-the-line.
For capable televisions, Modern Warfare 2: Campaign Remastered offers HDR (high-dynamic-range imaging) capabilities. Explaining what HDR is here would take too many words, but to simplify it, bright and dark areas have greater detail in the image.
5 Yuri In No Russian
Yuri is a character introduced in Modern Warfare 3, where players discover he was at the airport when Makarov committed the heinous terrorist act and framed the United States. He got cold feet and Makarov shot him, as the flashback in the third game shows when he is stumbling out of the elevator. In the remaster, turn around after walking up the first flight of stairs to catch an Easter egg of Yuri stumbling out of the elevator and falling to the ground, a detail missing from the original Modern Warfare 2.
4 No Split-Screen
Not only is online multiplayer stripped out of the product, but players cannot even shoot each other while playing together on the same console. Despite the focus on internet play, the games usually include split-screen too. It is unfortunate that split-screen multiplayer is also not an option. While many of the maps are too big for compelling one-on-one bouts in the first place, maps like “Rust” are perfect for it, and Spec Ops is a joy locally.
3 Higher Resolutions
High-definition was already the norm back in 2009, but the modern platforms allow for even higher resolutions than what was possible when Modern Warfare 2 came out.
On the Xbox 360, the resolution was 1024 x 600, below the standard 720p for other console games at the time. Fortunately, on the new platforms the lowest fidelity offered is 1080p. Additionally, HDTVs are more affordable these days.
2 PS4 Pro And Xbox One X Support
The last generation of consoles did not have a notable leap halfway through its life. Different variations came out but they changed little, if anything, about the actual presentation. With the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, however, players have a leg up with the Modern Warfare 2 remaster. Instead of 1080p, they can play the game with glorious 1620p, or 2880 x 1620.
1 Redone Cutscenes
Not only are the animations new in the cinematics, but the camera work is also different. It is mostly subtle, only noticeable in a side-by-side comparison. Additionally, the depth of field is of a significantly higher quality, giving a more lifelike presentation. All in all, it is clear Beenox has high reverence for the original release, and went above and beyond the standards of remasters when updating the classic.
