A game that doesn't dissapoint, even amongst the hype

Author's Rating:

Pros: ~All three modes are fun
~Good graphics; smooth
~Lagless online

Cons: ~Sometimes it feels like there are too many enemies

The Bottom Line: 
Feels well crafted in all of its modes.

Author's Review
I got this game about a month ago, and have played it overall at least 20 hours by now, in all three modes (beat main single player, most of special ops, and online but ONLY free-for-all mode). Just wanted to show what the review is based on.
The basics: This is a first person shooter, in which the player takes the role of several different soldiers fighting in an enormous war in the very near future.


SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN

Single player campaign mode in this game is quite good, though sometimes very frustrating. As many have stated in other reviews, it is rather short. I took seven and a half hours to beat it on regular difficulty, and if I was rushing, could probably get it done in an hour less. However, in a way it feels much longer, because so much goes on during this time.
The game starts off quickly, like the other Call of Duty games, and immediately puts you into the action. As expected, it is very scripted, with an impressive amount of lines said during the game (great voice acting too). The game takes one to many different locations, felt really unpredictable to me and gave it a lot of variety, which I liked. From the desert to forest, even underwater, the landscapes are beautifully rendered. Without spoiling too much, a couple of the missions even take place in the United States, which (as a US citizen), drew me into the game. The game also introduces civilians, which added to the game by making it feel more hectic, as one now needs not only to shoot the enemies but differentiate between who is an enemy and who is neutral.

Enemy A.I. behaves intelligently, but I can't help but feel the enemies were really just overdone at some points. The enemy’s actions are not scripted, and they will respond to what is happening accordingly. I remember one time I was killed from behind after entering a room, so I turned the other way, but this time the same enemy remained waiting for me in the next room. Still, there were sections where I was outnumbered 10:1 from all sides, and I had to do most of the killing. It isn’t a huge deal, due to the sheer amount of checkpoints the game has, but after a while it becomes tiring. At these points I'd die over, and over, and over again; it felt like when I got through it that it was due to total luck rather than skill! Though my squad members certainly help more than they hinder (there isn’t a problem of getting “stuck” behind an enemy, although they do sometimes block your line of site), I still felt as though I had to do most of the killing. I suppose it makes sense to have the player do most of the work, and have five times the health of a normal player, but I wish friendly troops did a little more. At least this time around the enemies don't respawn, so when an area is cleared, it stays cleared.

You’ll also be able to use an exceptionally diverse range of weapons. There are all the normal types; a sniper rifle, machine guns, assault rifles, pistols, etc. and the slightly more obscure “riot shied” which you can use to block bullets, or a sticky bomb. Each weapon can support a variety of sights or scopes, including some highlights like the thermal scope which has other people show up as white against gray-black surroundings (not exactly realistic in the way it works, but fun). The shooting is spot on, and the controls work perfectly.

The story for the game is interesting (though overblown perhaps), but difficult to follow. I ended up looking up this game on Wikipedia in order to understand exactly what I had done! I don’t wish to go into the story, as I don’t like giving spoilers, but generally it feels “epic” for lack of a better word, though I was sometimes not sure exactly what I was doing, and/or why I was doing it. The ending is certainly satisfying, and there is a little bonus once the campaign is beaten.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS:

This mode consists of many short little missions, which you and a friend work as a two person team, split screen, to beat. The missions are very varied. There are some stealth missions (though we botched all those and ended up just using machine guns...), some where you just have to sweep off wave after wave of enemy, some where you defuse bombs, some where you must gather intelligence, etc. When your partner is hit too many times, he collapses and it is up to you to "revive" him or vice versa before they "bleed out". This makes the sense of teamwork even greater, and for some entertaining experiences if that player happens to be far away. In some missions, the two players even have different roles, such as one player being a helicopter gunner, and another a foot soldier. Weapons are a mix of those appearing in the campaign mode, and can include automatic turrets and RPGs.

For me, so far this has been the most fun part of the game. I suppose it really depends on who you play with, but with my brother this is great fun. Even with the split screen, everything looks very sharp and the game runs just as fluidly as it does in single player. There is an option to play solo, or with another person online, but I think it would be best with a friend.  It was great to be able to collaborate with a team member, as at least in other Xbox games online, and of course single player, there’s not much that can be done but simple commands. Strategy in some of the missions can be vital, and requires both players to do their part.

Some of the later missions I found very difficult, even on the lowest difficulty! It didn't feel frustrating though; we just kept trying the same mission again and again having fun all the time, yelling a dramatic "I'm bleeding!!!" whenever we happened to be "bleeding out."

I'm certain I'll replay some of these missions again.

ONLINE:

As said earlier, all I've played is Free-for-all (when I'm online I like to have it simple, kill whatever moves...) I can give a general review of online though.

First, I will state I like this game online more than Call of Duty 4. It feels more fair to me. I do not know if this was a common experience, but on Call of Duty 4 I would experience very bad lag, which was unnoticable. I'd shoot a guy six times, it would show up as six hits, but he'd live because in "reality" five of those shots missed. This was gone from Modern Warfare 2. When my sights are pointing at the target, it is really pointing at the target. When it shows a hit, it means I really got a hit.

It runs very fluidly online, and only rarely is there a hint of lag. Also if the host leaves a new host is simply chosen, instead of the incredibly annoying automatic exit from the game in the previous Call of Duty.

Although online is quite similar to the previous game, this time around there are lots more maps, and more options. I like most of the maps; only a few of them strike me as really good, but I don't hate any either. Like the previous game, you don't get to pick which map to play on, which is unfortunate. There's a good mix of "city" maps, open maps, cramped maps, etc. One of my favorite maps takes place on the top of a high rise building. Another takes place in a huge open field. Like the single player mode, the variety from game to game keeps it feeling fresh. Like the first game, there is also a variety of modes, such as team based games, one on one matches, or free-for-all, kill everything. I’m sure most can find a niche to fill among all these choices, or jump from mode to mode if one wishes (there is even one mode which features cycles of different game modes within it).

The new "killstreak" rewards for killing a certain number of enemies without dying are maybe the highlight of the game to me. A “killstreak” is obtained when the player kills a set amount of players without dying, which gives the player some advantage such as a UAV to show the location of enemies, a helicopter to automatically gun down enemies, or even a missile controlled by the user during it’s quick decent to earth. The player can choose which rewards he wants to receive- but only three of them. Choosing which rewards to pick takes a little strategy, and some of them require some strategy to use, such as "airdrop" where one must find a good spot to drop a help package without being killed before it is retrieved. It also adds some intensity when there's just one last kill before a particularly difficult killstreak. The opposite of this is the deathstreak, which gives the player a slight advantage (such as higher health) after a certain number of deaths is reached. It is also embarrassing, which I feel is ample compensation for the slight help it gives!

 "Perks" are back, which are chosen to help your character be exceptional at some ability, or do something others can't. For example, making the character able to run indefinitely, or have the bullets count for more damage. These can also be upgraded to a “pro” mode which gives the character yet another ability, such as being able to vault over objects quicker. So far I haven't even changed these once, as there's nothing else that suits my playing style as well as this one, but it does help customization.
Online features a ranking system, in which the player earns a certain amount of points to progress to the next level. These “points” are earned by each kill, or by completing “challenges” which could be difficult like, killing enemies in a certain way, or even ridiculous like falling to ones death from high height. Some bonus points are even available for things like killing from a long distance, or killing an enemy after you died. Progressing to the next level could earn the player a new gun or perk, and keeps the game interesting. Guns are also upgraded. When the gun is first unlocked, it has nothing but the iron sights. With more and more kills and points, attachments such as a red dot sight, holographic sight, ACOG sight, or grip (to reduce recoil) are unlocked. This system adds many hours to the replay value.
One can also visit the “barracks” to see how they are doing. It shows the player’s rankings compared to the rest, and statistics such as accuracy, and the ratio of kills to deaths. You can now also earn seemingly endless titles, such as "Trackstar" earned after my character did a good bit of sprinting! These are a neat add-on. Also, after each game a pop up menu displaying ranking information based on points earned during the match show three “unique” things the player did during the match, such as “most time spent running” or “highest kill to death ratio.”
A last feature to touch on is the “kill cam” which appears every time after you are killed, and shows a replay of how you were killed from the killer’s perspective. Not only is it cool, but it also allows one to learn some techniques in the game they may not have thought of.

I've heard complaints of "campers," players that sit in the same spot (like a corner) and don't move just racking up the kills. I admit, it's annoying being killed by one, but it doesn't ruin the game for me. I mean, technically they aren't cheating or anything, and as a bonus you know exactly where to find them. Getting revenge (and you actually get bonus points for doing so!) feels pretty satisfying.

GRAPHICS/SOUND:

And finally, I thought I should touch on the graphics and sound. As expected, Call of Duty excels here. It doesn't run at true "HD" at 600P, but it's more than adequate. Movement of soldiers, vehicles... really anything that moves is very nice and fluid. Even during intense scenes the frame rate remains smooth. Textures are a bit lacking close up, but acceptable, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. I was blown away by detail to, say, the interiors of the houses in the game.  Some of the more "cinematic" parts of the game also look great.
I am not so great with judging sound, but it sounds good to me, and the game features fitting music for each of its scenes. The gun, explosion, vehicle, and yelling sounds are great, and the voice acting terrific.

OVERALL:

Overall I've enjoyed all the main parts of this game, and it won't be one that I'll be selling. $60, I admit, is no small sum, but I'd say the game was worth it with the lasting appeal of Special Operations and online multiplayer.