Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 (2009)

Gameplay overview

Picking up after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, this first-person shooter puts players in the roles of soldiers caught in an escalating international conflict. Its single-player campaign moves through a series of military missions in varied locations.

Campaign missions center on first-person combat, with objectives that can involve stealth, vehicle sequences, and large firefights. The situations and settings shift from mission to mission.

Special Ops offers separate time-trial and objective-based missions for two-player co-op, with more missions unlocked as players rank up. Online multiplayer includes customizable classes, weapons, equipment, perks, and killstreak rewards.

Review themes in more detail

Players often praise the campaign’s story, characters, and memorable missions, with nostalgia and the soundtrack also recurring sources of appreciation. Some enjoy the challenging co-op Spec Ops missions and describe the multiplayer as fast and chaotic. Many reviews warn of serious security vulnerabilities in Steam multiplayer; others report hackers or low activity, and some note that two Spec Ops missions require a partner.