Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 Beta was a blast! Watch the review here: MW2 Beta Review Gameplay Video There’s been a lot of comments on the multitude of changes Infinity Ward has made to the upcoming release. You’re always going to have those people whose only comment is ‘FIX YOUR GAME’ but that’s non-productive. I went into the beta excited for the new release and jumped right in to see what it’s all about. Here’s my take on the beta. Let’s get the needs improvement category out of the way first, remembering this was a BETA. The UI is blocky, clunky, and confusing compared to what Call of Duty players are used to. Slide cancelling is no longer a thing, so brush up on your bunny-hops and jump shots. Skill Based Matchmaking is in full force to the extent of disbanding lobbies to prefer better matches. Dead Silence is now a Field Upgrade instead of a perk, and when activated it actually alerts enemies with the activation sound. Mini-map player firing indicators are gone unless a UAV or Advanced UAV is up which is a major change. Proximity chat is a thing but wasn’t a problem for me. Out of all the matches I was in to level to 30 only 2 had anyone who was using it. I imagine they’re using discord or party chat instead. Now for the good news! Modern Warfare 2 BETA looks good, plays good, sounds good and is a lot of fun to play! You can load up in any match and have a blast. There’s plenty of different modes to choose from. Ground War and Invasion are staples for anyone wanting that Warzone 2.0 feel before it releases in November. The AI bots are even challenging. Search and Destroy isn’t usually my game, but I found myself really enjoying it. 3rd person view take a little getting used to and the cam angles still need some tweaks, but it is enjoyable. Really enjoyed Domination mode. The gunsmith is different, but bringing back the 5 attachment limit and progressing across multiple weapons was a great choice by Infinity Ward. The receiver platforming system, like the UI changes, take a little getting used to at first but it’s definitely a better system overall. If you want to play with an Assault Rifle, a Battle Rifle, SMG, Sniper, Shotgun, LMG, or a Marksman Rifle you have plenty to choose from. It will take a little time to upgrade them fully but there are enough attachments to make them better at each unlock milestone. Snipers are solid, AR’s are well rounded, BR’s are great as sniper support IMO, SMG’s are Run ‘n Gun favorites, LMG’s need the recoil attachments but are good mounted while levelling. Shotguns feel OP right now, but are a good secondary to the SMG’s. Lethal equipment is great, knife throws are fun and natural. You also have your favorites like Frags, Semtex, Claymores, Mines, etc… Tactical you have a fair few to choose from including the new Shock Stix which can make a change in any encounter if timed right. Toxic gas is another favorite on domination maps, plus the flash, decoy and the regulars. Killstreaks are still a great one and include one as a loadout. I also used the field upgrade loadout to replenish and replace my ammo and guns in Ground War and Invasion. I feel like this is going to be useful in Warzone 2.0. Just have a couple of teammates running this to get your loadouts ASAP as I was able to share with my teammates in the BETA. To sum up, I think it’s a great addition to the COD universe and I can’t wait until it launches early so I can run the campaign ahead of the October 28 launch date. Then I’m looking forward to the WarZone 2.0 and DMZ launch on November 16. With new content and information to be released about the Raids throughout the rest of the year, it’s a good time to get in the game!
