Mate, when I get the chance to “FLAME ON” there’s nothing more annoying than sitting there waiting for BLOODY start sequences to run through before getting to click on “Multiplayer”. I’m psyched, I’m ready to rumble, let’s do this thang. You can even click through the white on black background writing at the start. I say ‘white on black background writing’ because I have NO IDEA what it says coz I can click through it!. Genius. “FLAME ON” in less than a minute?: bring it ON.

Let’s get down to why you bought the game: Multiplayer.

On your arrival at the main menu you are greeted with one clear option and two “let’s do those when the missus is online” options. You click “Multiplayer” first time you load up because you stare death in the FACE, and LAUGH. Baptism by fire my friends, is what Modern Warfare 2 is ALL about.

At the pleasing aesthetics of the 'Load Out' menu you choose whatever is at the top because you want to PWN NOOBS, and NOW. You bounce straight in to the sleek search menu you go for “Free for All” because only pussies need team mates and you were ‘always’ in the top half of the room scores in CoD4. You spend 11 seconds waiting for IWNET to find you a game then head for your friends list and pick the first open spot you see. FINALLY, after 1 minute and 45 seconds since slamming the disc in the drive, you’re in!.

Ten minutes later you’re left looking at a score of 3 kills and 26 deaths. Those 3 kills were only because you found yourself behind a bad guy, you got lucky with a ‘spray’, and then managed to lob a grenade within a few feet of someone. This realisation is called “eating humble pie”. This isn’t CoD4, this is something else all together. Time to backtrack.

CoD4 menus were dark and had an ominous vibe about them. These new menus are light and ‘clean’. CoD4 menus felt like a statement, MW2 menus feel ‘professional’ or more sophisticated, or ... less like a statement, and more like what you’ll figure it out to be. THE Modern Warfare Multiplayer GAME.

The ‘Juggernaut’ – ‘cuse the pun – of the Infinity Ward death star releasing this game blasted a hole in the gaming industry this year, and in that hole they planted their flag. Various games were due for release at the same time but IW’s announcement of release made November their own. Even some GREAT games released before November have been swallowed up. We all knew they would.

Do they deserve it?. Well, yes. Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer is a step up from CoD4 on many levels. It seems IW looked at CoD4 and decided to open up every possible combination of gear you could possibly need. Who didn’t want to carry a Snipers rifle and another close combat weapon from the ‘loadout’?. Doesn’t it make sense that you should be able to have an ‘ACOG’ sight and a suppressor on your favourite weapon?. These advances in the game’s concept level the playing field for everyone to be able to excel in a game given the right combination and luck. All these extra ‘perks’ set you up with the perfect load out for you.

Along with the dozens of combinations of perks there’s also the ability to upgrade those perks to ‘pro’. One of the best perks I’ve found is ‘Scavenger’. The Scavenger perk allows your dude to pick up the ammo of the dead you pass over. This means if you keep moving you won’t run out of ammo, but if you camp, you will. This is also great because you only get one single ‘Claymore’ now from ‘loadout’. Same with other types of weapons, but Scavenger will replenish your stocks if depleted. Great for the Javelin too. lol

Probably the greatest addition to the Snipers kit is the ‘Thermal Scope’. This scope lets you see the enemy in bright white. It makes them stand out like dogs nuts and they have no chance over open ground. There’s a perk you can get called ‘Cold Blooded’ that will make you not glow bright white and somewhat harder to spot, but not invisible.

To me, the ACOG sight is a let down in this release. I preferred the ACOG in CoD4. It just looked better. This one looks like a cheapo version and a half arsed attempt. It. Just. Does.

The assault rifles really are all about the same. You can function equally as well with any assault rifle and you’re really better off not having the M-16 just because of that ‘Scavenger’ perk I mentioned. Any other will do. Some are more accurate than others, and some are a fraction more effective than others, but the difference is really only noticeable if you and an enemy pull the trigger on each other at the same time.

There’s some really cool toys released as you progress, but that progression really seems slow to me. If you’re playing it for the unlocks, don’t do it solely on Team Death Match. Do it on Free for All, or Domination, or Flag Runner, or some other where you can easily kill in excess of 50. Be prepared for a death rate of about the same, but that helps you motor through the unlocks.

One could write a book – literally – on the features of Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer and really if you’re reading this to aid in a decision, then just get it. You won’t regret it.

There are 16 different maps that cater for all tastes. Some you’ll hate, like ‘Rust’ – unless you make it to the high spot with LOTS of ammo – and some you’ll love, like ‘Afghan’.

You can really have a blast with the new "Kill Streak" rewards with customization and inclusions such as "Chopper Gunner", "C-130" - which we ALL wanted - "Predator", "Harriers", and much, much more including a culmination of letting a Nuke rip if you get to 25 and 0. Of course you have to unlock them and then select as your choices for "Kill Streak" and kills from these aren't included in kill streak rewards for the next one. You want to get to the next one, you've got to kill them yourself. That's a good thing, trust me. The amount of kills you CAN get from say, the "Stealth Bomber" is ridiculous. Games would be over in a minute flat otherwise.

There are loads of games types and all fairly much the same as the last, except ‘Flag Runner’, They have included also – which I was dubious about  before playing – 3^rd Person game types. After playing 3^rd Person I fell in love with it. It’s just fun. In 1^st Person you still get the same old people and gripes as in CoD4. The dynamics that way have not changed one little bit, but in 3^rd Person you just have a blast. I couldn’t recommend it more for the fun factor, and I’m seriously a 3^rd Person ‘hater’. It has its faults and I wouldn’t buy it as a game in itself because of the camera issues, but the FUN factor is much more than 1^st Person. Try it in "Hard Core", I dare ya.

Negatives:

The problem I’ve found with all the perks and weapon variables is that it’s made Modern Warfare 2 a ‘campers’ paradise. "Tactical Insertion" is a camper's best friend. You’re still not forced to function as a team and still if you’re playing ‘flag runner’ or ‘domination’, for example, you still get players not even attempting to ‘play the game’. They just find a cosy spot and play for themselves taking you out over and over and over while you play by ‘the rules’. To me, this is the problem with small ‘maps’.

IWNET is the much toted – by IW  – game hosting service that Infinity Ward created. It’s supposed to be the answer to all our connection problems down this end of the world where we’re ENDLESSLY finding ourselves handicapped by always having an American host. IWNET was supposed match all us down here with all the others down here where we could game on all happily unaware of Americans elsewhere. The problem is, IT’S WORSE THAN BEFORE. You can have a room full of Australian gamers and when one yank turns up they’ll get host?. Someone work that out for me. Unless they come up with a system that’s as effective as DICE’s Battlefield servers then they need to get dedicated servers down here. Unfortunately that ain’t gonna happen, so we’ve got to deal with it and add as many Aussie and Kiwi friends to your list as you possibly can to play off their games, or create private matches....yeah right. Who’s able to do that every time they ‘jump on’?.

Yes, Modern Warfare 2 will make a billion dollars by Christmas, and yes it’ll win award after award after award, but to me it’s really still just a glorified arcade game  - which isn’t a bad thing – that isn’t going to have the same sort of impact as Call of Duty 4 did on the industry other than with the developers due to the money involved.

Really shouldn’t end this on a negative, but because it’s such a big one for us with a real impact on the enjoyment at this end of the globe, I will.

You can’t please everyone, but really, is it THAT much of a chore to segment the planet into dedicated servers?.

It deserves 4 and a half out of 5, but for the server issues it gets:

Stayed tuned for reviews of Co-op, and Single Player Modern Warfare 2.