Over 3 million copies fo this game have been sold to date, with the scheduled release still two weeks away. And, as is often the case with these blockbuster games, the tie ins will drain gamers’ wallets as well; everything from a 6 part comic book series based on the ‘Ghost’ character to the download-able maps available initially through Xbox online. Headsets, statues, and the $59.99 price tag; to enjoy the ‘full’ experience will set you back considerably.

So the question becomes… Is it worth it? Hard to tell until the actual release, but the indications are good. The franchise name is nearly without fail; it is to first person shooters what Final Fantasy is to RPGs and Madden is to Football games. It hasn’t let gamers down to date, and shows no indication of doing so.

If there is one risk, it is that of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, which have recently hit a creative wall; people are beginning to realize that there is only so much you can do with that particular format. It may be new songs, but it’s still the same old Guitar Hero.

The main difference here is that unlike the Guitar games, the Call of Duty games are carried as much by their intricate story lines as by the in depth game play, which has continued to evolve with each chapter. This time appears to be no different. Here is a sampling:

All initial appearances are that this will be one of those rare games that actually live up to the hype. We’ll keep our fingers crossed…

The first thing that you may notice in the Leaked Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay video is the change in graphics. Though the video is in low quality, anyone with an eye for graphics may be able to spot the small, but noticeable, upgrade in graphics from the original. It’s a welcome upgrade, along with added features each sequel, we expect pumped up graphics as well. Though the game isn’t breath taking in the graphics department, it gets the job done, and gets it done well.

The next thing you might notice is the civilians running around the map. That was something that Infinity Ward briefly touched up on while being interviewed about Modern Warfare 2. Civilians have been placed in maps, which will make you have to think before you squeeze the trigger. Reason being, the civilians may resemble enemies at times, and you may be penalized for killing a civilian. Most likely by failing the mission if you kill too many. I’m sure Inifinity Ward wouldn’t let civilian killing go, because they’d get a lot of criticism for that. This is a welcome addition that makes the game that much more interesting to play, to say the least.

You should also see the return of the acog scope and grenade launcher. Looking great and functioning just as it did before. The fulls cope of weapon modifiers that can be used isn’t known as of now, but you can be sure to see a return of everything from the original Modern Warfare.

For those of you who have been dying for a new Modern Warfare 2 gameplay video, this leaked video is the closest thing you’ll get to it, so enjoy!

Get the Game Early

To beat the best at Modern Warfare 2, you first have to match the best. To do this, you need to pick up MW2 on the day it launches. The best players at Call of Duty will not wait around for you. Waiting until Christmas is too late. You’ll already be almost 2 months behind on the Modern Warfare 2 leaderboards. Get the game the day it comes out, and you can track your progress minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour and day-by-day against the best Modern Warfare 2 players. The earlier you get your hands on the game, the better your chances are of being the best soldier in the newest Call of Duty iteration.

Play to Your Strengths

If you don’t play to your strengths at Modern Warfare 2, you stand no hope of being the best. At COD games, only the most skilled will succeed. In Modern Warfare 2, you need to find the class you are best at and play solely as that class. If you find that your best class simply can’t get enough kills to advance quickly, you’ll need to find a new class and hone your skills. But, as Modern Warfare 2 waits for no man, you’ll need to train up quickly. Once you develop a winning strategy at Modern Warfare 2, you’ll find a way to stick with the best players from COD4 and COD5.

Dedicate Yourself

The best players at Call of Duty games are never casual players. It will take full dedication to be the best. If you don’t have to work or attend classes, you will have an advantage over many, but not all, soldiers in Modern Warfare 2. If you do have work or classes, you’ll need to play long into the morning. You won’t get much sleep if you want to be the best, but the best at any COD game rarely do. Remember, you are only as good as the effort you put in. Modern Warfare 2 is yours for the taking. The question is, can you embrace your destiny?

This new version has backdrop locations like Russia, Berlin and the deadly Jungles of the Pacific and offers features that were available only in the multi player games so far. This game can have up to four players where they can take full advantage of their ranks, perks and online stats. There is also a new lot of weapons available like the flame thrower and other vehicle based weapons. The enemies are ruthless more than ever before and they use kamikazes, snipers and swampy ambushes. The players are US marine and the Russians and they battle against Japanese and German soldiers in airborne or vehicle missions in various locations in the Europe and Pacific. Winning against the enemies was never so difficult till now.

Call of the duty: World at War has been able to deliver such amazing visual effects by making use of cutting edge technology, highly detailed characters and special effects. The battlefields are larger than life and quite real and the attention to detail to even the smaller things like the spreading of fire adds to the high quality gaming experience.

Here are a few changes that the producers have made from Shi No Numa

Perks

The perks are still the same – no new ones were added nor were any taken away.  They are also the same point value as previous maps as well.  However, unlike Shi No Numa, Der Riese features these perk machines in a very fixed location – they aren’t random like Shi No Numa.  And once you unlock about 4 doors, you can have all 4 perks.  Other than a fixed location, there isn’t too much to tell about these.

Pack a Punch Machine and Teleporters

This machine is activated by linking the 3 teleporters, which are scattered across the map, to the “mainframe” – the initial spawn point.  You basically have to unlock all the doors except for 2 to get to all these teleporters, which can cost a couple thousand points.  However, the reward is well worth it.  The teleporters can also be used to teleport to the main spawn point for 1000 points if you get overwhelmed by zombies (back to the pack a punch machine)

The Pack a Punch machine will take your weapon and upgrade it for 5000 points.  Think that’s a lot of points?  It’s not.  By levels 15+ you’ll be getting around 2000 – 3000 points per level!  But how good does it make your weapons?

The effectiveness upgrade depends on what your weapon is- the Gewehr becomes an automatic rifle and does more damage.  The MG-42 gets turned into a nazi zombie destroying beast, while the ray gun (yes you can upgrade the ray gun) turns into a fiery bolts shooter that destroys any who get in its way.

Bowie Knife

This knife costs 3000 points.  However, it is a one-hit kill on anything up to level 18 or so.  One other advantage of this knife is that it no longer lunges forward when you use it.  The old knife made you lunge forwards occasionally when you used it, which meant that you couldn’t retreat from the zombie if you didn’t kill it, meaning you would die.

This beast of a knife, however, is fast and dangerous.  It is costly, but well worth it.

Monkey Bomb

The clapping monkey machine will entrance all zombies, causing them to gather around it.  The bomb will then explode, killing a few of the zombies.  This little guy is helpful for getting away when you are about to be overwhelmed by crowds of zombies, or if you just want a laugh.  These are restored by a max ammo drop, so be sure to use them often!

In all, Der Riese offers a variety of new and exiting features that takes nazi zombie strategy to a whole ‘nother level.  A great map, well designed, and well executed.

This Strategy is for any combination of players, although it was designed by playing it with 2 players.

Beginning Levels (1-4):

When you first start out on Der Riese, you will notice a machine behind you.  If you look closely, you will notice it is the pack-a-punch machine (PaP from here on out).  This machine, when activated, upgrades your guns, making them hold more ammo, do more damage, etc.  But more on this later.

As usual, there are 4 windows you must guard – 3 above ground and 1 in a subway-like stair entrance.  There isn’t too much to tell about these levels.  The gewehr is on the center stage (where the PaP is) wall, near one of the doors you must open.  For these levels, just get a gewehr or a karsk98k, whichever you prefer.  Try to rack up as much money as you can- you’ll need it for later levels.

After level 4 ends you should go open one of the two doors.  I prefer the door on the right (on the right when you are standing with your back to the PaP machine) – the one where you have to go up the set of stairs to open.  Continue through the door, going straight until you reach another door.  Open that up and go buy a Thompson.  Go up the stairs and open the last blocked entrance way.  Run and jump down to the area where the mystery box is and turn on the power next to the power machine.

Middle Levels (4-10):

For most of these levels you will be camping with your backs to the door that is in the original mystery box room.  I suggest that you buy speed cola ASAP, because hordes of zombies will be running at you.  Speed cola is through the left hand archway when you are facing away from the closed door in the mystery box area.  Just save up your money, as you will need it to get to all the teleporters to activate the PaP machine.  After you have a good amount of money (6000 +) make a crawler by throwing a grenade.  Now run around, opening all the doors, and activating the teleporters.

When you activate the teleporter, you have to run back to the main spawn area to connect it with the PaP machine, or have a friend just stand there and do it for you.  There are 3 teleporters total.  One is behind the door that is in the mystery box area (behind this door is also the 3000 point bowie knife).  After activating all 3 teleporters, the PaP machine will be ready to go.  It costs 5000 to upgrade your weapon, but it is completely worth it.  If you happen to have a Browning or a MG-42, upgrade those -they’re completely beast when upgraded.

Last Levels (10 +)

For these last levels, camp up behind the mystery box area.  There is a metal balcony in the room with a teleporter.  Zombies can only come at you from straight ahead, so it is a very defensible position, especially for 2 people.  If you have the upgraded Browning or MG-42, have fun blasting away (The upgraded Thompson is very good too).  Use a monkey bomb if you start to get overwhelmed.   Watch out at the later levels, dogs start spawning along with the zombies!  Have fun lasting as long as you can!

This guide is supposed to be more of a suggestion than an actual step by step process.  Like I said, I’ve only played it a few times with a friend and this is the most effective strategy we have found (got to level 18 on the 4th time I’ve ever played it).  Enjoy!

Videos

Firstly the very first Trailer, this features a green line that changes with soud into the shapes of people and an Airport. There are all sorts of easter eggs in this video like seeig all sorts of building and vehicles, a Teddy (I’m as curious as you are) and the four, possibly five, perk icons.

Next a Trailer was announced but before that was the teaser to this trailer which was just a 20 or so second segment of the bigger Trialer.

The full Trailer shows off alot of new features in Modern Warfare 2. It shows the snow mission and scenery that so may people asked for, it shows of some really cool environments that could also be multiplayers maps, I especially like the castle on where they are being pulled up the rope that look like it could be a great map. The main thing it does is show of the story mode, and give an insight into to the plot.

At E3 the mission called Cliff Hanger was played through as Infinity Ward’s demonstration. Not alot to say about it apart from it really shows of that stealth will be a big part of the game and the Heartbeat sensor on the side of your gun.

The most recently released video is of the Multiplayer aspect of the game. The biggest change noticeable is the customisable kill Streaks where the AC-130 at an 11 Kill Streak is shown. There will likely be 15 different kill streak options available as that is what the video shows. Another feature shown with the AC-130 is flares; a player fires a Stinger Missile at the AC-130 but, you may not have noticed, it drops flares to throw the missile off course, see the image below:

As you can see the missile is pulled downwards by the heat of the flares so the AC-130 is not hit by the missile. Some cool thing like the exploding water hydrants are shown, these could be used in multiplayer as a substitute for smoke so people can move up out of sight of Sniper, e.t.c. Some challenges are also shown of and the point system seems to be like it is in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which is a good thing. In the greenhouse like building the effort gone in to making the maps seems to be immense with all the destructables there are and how detailed they are.

Story

As I said before the story carries on from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. At the end of Modern Warfare you killed Zakhaev but he was actually keeping another person called Makarov under control so he would not do any terrorist actions. So with Zakhaev now dead Makarov is free to do what he wants using the fact that Zakhaev has been killed as his Martyr to take power. So it is up to Task Force 141 to stop him which is made up of all sorts of soldiers. You play as Sgt. Gary ‘Roach’ Anderson and are lead by your now Captain, John ‘Soap’ MacTavish; who you played as in Call of Duty 4. In the story Makarov has gained a large power in the politically unstable Russia and is threatening Global Security as well. So it is up to Task Force 141 to stop him.

Read about the full story here.

Game

There are going to be three editions of the game regular, hardened or prestige edition on the XBOX 360 and PS3. The hardened edition features the game and special tin case, a graphic book and a code to Download the original Call of Duty off XBOX Live Marketplace or PSN. The prestige edition contains the Hardened edition and a fully functioning set of Night Vision Goggles with with the Infinity Ward and Modern Warfare 2 logos. See the unboxing here. There will only be the standard edition for the PC. The prestige edition is properly limited edition unlike the Halo 3 Legendary Edition, as said by Robert Bowling. Only a certain amount will be sold, no more will be made and each will have a unique code. All of these have almost already been sold three months before the games release and Infinity Ward aren’t complying with GameStop’s commands for more copies. There will also be a DS and Mobile version called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized. There is no version for the Wii but after the good sales for Call of Duty: World at War Treyarch are going to release Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on the Wii.

Special Ops

Remember Mile High Club. Infinity Ward are bringing that back times 10. There is going to be a new mode called Special Ops which is there Co-Operative story. There will be lots of different parts of the main story line made harder to be played in a more tactical way for special ops that wouldn’t really fit the main story line. This will rely of a good co-op partner as you will need to support and possibly even revive each other.

Other

Lots of weapons have been discoverd in the videos shown which you can find by googling for it but here’s my favourite and I’m sure you’ll ove it too. It’s the Kriss Super V:

I’ll just firstly say the rate of fire of a P90 is 900 rounds/minute, so you can compare, and the rate of fire of this weapon is up to 1500 rounds/minute. Wow!

50 Cent has been confirmed as one of the anonymous voices in the game nothing big just a person who says, ‘medic’ or ‘I’m out’ e.t.c.

There is a new knife holding stance. When you have a pistol equipped your knife is held in the hand supporting your pistol, this will probably give you a quicker knifing time than if you were wielding at larger weapon.

At least two map packs have been confirmed for Modern Warfare 2, this was quite obvious after the success of selling 8 million map packs for Call of Duty 4 and with the success Treyarch have had with their three map pack for Call of Duty: World at War

At first the game was just going to be called’ Modern Warfare 2′ having dropped the Call of Duty suffix but they decided to keep it in so the game will be called ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2′.

The latest cover art for the game released is this:

This is the XBOX 360 version as seen on XBOX.com but having changed many times before it could still change as people are complaining the ‘Call of Duty’ looks out of place so this may be changed by Infinity Ward.

1. At the start of the round, you have two choices, A. grab a Kar98k(I think thats what it is) with your starting money, or B. save up a bit to get the carbine, because of the Kar98ks reduced fireing speed it is more useful when playing with more people, but it can be used alone granted you have good aim.
2. The game was made for more than one person and playing alone you will quickly become overwhelmed with the zombies, so if your alone dont even bother opening up new areas, it just lets more zombies in.
3. Always and I mean always aim for the head, not only does it kill them quicker but it gives you more money, this is especialy true for the Kar98k, one headshot will kill any zombie.

Now some tips for playing with other people

1. Have each person guard a specific area, not only is it a better strategy than everyone running around trying to get kills, it also lets you blame someone when you all are killed because the guy decided to go afk in the middle of a match.
2. If you have many people, it be easier to open new areas to get the better weapons such as the Thompson and the Trench Gun.
3. Work together, a simple yet sometimes overlooked thing to do, tell your teamates if a zombie comes in, alert them if a zombie is breaking in, and dont be an asshole.

Image via Wikipedia

HK416

“The M4’s Future Replacement”.  This Assault Rifle fires a speedy 850 RPM (over 14 rounds per second).  It will likely do average damage with it’s 5.56 round.  The HK416 will either have a 20 or 30 round magazine (probably 30).  The gun is basically a slightly improved M4.

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L85A2

This British assault rifle fires the 5.56 round.  The LA85 is a high end rifle.  It has a good rate of fire at 775 RPM, and has excellent accuracy and fairly low recoil.  The LA85 sports a 30 round clip.  It is effective at fairly long range.  Expect this weapon to be one of the more commonly used rifles for online play. 

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C8 Carbine

This assault rifle is used by the Canadian Special Forces.  It’s a quick shooter with firing rates of up to 950 RPM, but suffers from a lower range than most assault rifles.  This gun fires the 5.56 round, so it’ll do average damage per hit.

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FAMAS

The FAMAS is a French assault rifle.  It fires a ridiculously fast 1100 RPM (over 18 rounds per second, which is faster than the P90).  The FAMAS will be the fastest assault rifle, if not the fastest gun, in the game.  It fires the 5.56 round, and has either a 25 or 30 round clip.  The FAMAS will be a fast gun that’s accuracy suffers from recoil.

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FN2000

A German compact assault rifle that is almost more SMG than rifle.  This gun still has very good range (comparable to the M16).  It fires a 5.56 round at 850 RPM.  This gun has a built in scope and a 30 round mag.  It’s small size will make it less powerful than other assault rifles.  The FN2000 will have mid-low recoil.

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AK103

This is one of the more modern AK assault rifles.  This Russian rifle will be one of the more damaging weapons in the game with is 7.72 round.  This gun will suffer from bad recoil and mediocre accuracy.  It has a slower rate of fire at around 600 RPM.  The AK103 will be similar to the AK 47, but with some improvements.

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M240

A new LMG added to the game.  This gun is often used by gunners on M1 Abrams tanks.  This LMG has good range, average rate of fire, and average damage with it’s 7.62 round.  As do the other LMGs it will likely sport a 100 round mag, and poor accuracy.

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UMP45

This SMG hits hard.  That’s one of the only things going for it though.  It’s 600 RPM firing rate is nothing spectacular, and neither is it’s 25 round mag.  This will be one of the most deadly close quarters weapons, but will be less successful when there is mid-long distance between the shooter and his target (which is pretty standard for SMGs).

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TDI Vector

I predict this Swiss gun to be the best SMG in Modern Warfare 2.  It fires the same punishing .45 calibre round as the UMP, but somewhere between 800 and 1500 RPM (no, that is not a typo).  This tiny weapon may possibly suffer from poor range, and will either have a 13 or 30 round clip.  The TDI Vector has remarkably low recoil and muzzle climb.

• If Infinity Ward gives this gun the 1500 RPM rate of fire, and the 13 round clip, you will empty the clip in 0.52 seconds

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AUG

The Steyr AUG is a Swiss assault rifle.  It will feature average damage (5.56 round), and low-average rate of fire (~700 RPM), and a shorter range than most rifles in the game.  It has a built in 1.5x scope.  This assault rifle will have either a 30 or 42 round magazine.  The AUG will likely have poor accuracy when firing full auto.  Generally not a gun to look forward to, there are much better options.

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SR-25

This semi auto sniper rifle is used by the US Armed Forces.  It will have either a 10 or 20 round magazine, which I believe is larger than anything in the first game.  This gun will basically be a direct replacement of the M21.

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Other Stuff

• Many of CoD4’s weapons will return to the sequel, (including the .50 cal sniper, Yay)
• It has been hinted that there will be laser sights available for pistols
• There will be a new red dot sight attachment for guns
• There may be multiple new grenade luanchers, sights and silencers to choose from

• Always Aim For the Upper Body:

Bullets to the head, neck, and chest area do significantly more damage than shots to the arms, legs, and stomach.  This might seem self explanatory, but a large number of players just shoot at whatever their cursor ends up.

• Use the High Ground

More elevation give the player a better view of the battle field.  Finding a building with a good vantage point is a great way to pick of enemy crossing open ground, while remaining safe.  This is vital for any snipers.

• Stay to the Perimeter

Crossing being in the center of the map is a death trap.  You will get shot at from all angles.  Try to stay to the outside and keep the action in front of you.

• Use your special grenades

This is especially important when entering a room that could potentially have enemies waiting for you.  When your opponent is blind or stunned, you have a much much much greater chance of killing them. 

• Have Your Guard Up

When turning corners or entering rooms, you should already be aiming down the sights of your gun.  Don’t sprint around the map like an maniac.  Do this because if an enemy is waiting for you, you have a chance to take them out first.

• Use Your Teammates

Don’t be a hot dog.  Back up your team mates.  Taking on an enemy with 2 friendlies is amazingly easier that taking him 1 on 1.  This benefits everyone, since you’re keeping your team from dying too.

• Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge

When squaring off against an opponent one on one, especially at close range, keep moving!  Make yourself difficult to kill by doing whatever you can to make their bullets miss.  One of the best things to do in a 1 on 1 gun fight is to dive on the ground.  Your enemy will shoot right over as you take him out.

• Use the Right Tool for the Job

Use the type of weapon best suited for the map you are on.  If you are going to be in a lot of close quarters combat, bring an SMG or shotgun.  On large, more open maps, try an assault rifle or sniper.  Don’t try to use your sniper on a map like shipment, you will just be repeatedly killed.

• KNIFE!

A knife equals an instant kill.  If someone is right in your face, do not try to gun them down.  Your knife is a very useful tool.  Don’t forget you have it.

• Experiment With Different Class Setups

Find a weapon and perks that work for you.  Don’t try to snipe if you suck at it.  Keep trying new things out.  Once you find a setup that you are comfortable with, keep practice with it.  Before you know it you will be pro material.