Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Hardened Edition)

"Modern Warfare 2 offers epic gameplay, a stunning Spec-Ops mode and a huge amount of adrenaline.  Cynamite.com
"It's hard to see the majority of people wanting to play any other multiplayer shooter until the next CoD is released, such is the quality of what's on offer here.  Tom Orry, VideoGamer.com
"Modern Warfare 2 crosses into the must-have category of video games effortlessly.  Nick Cowen, Telegraph.com

IGN.com 9 of 10
Over the years the Call of Duty series has set the bar for immersive, action-packed, cinematic FPS gaming, and no matter what camp you're from there's no denying the franchise's influence on the industry. When Infinity Ward moved from the classic World War II setting and blazed new ground with Modern Warfare we saw the first obvious split within the world of Call of Duty. The series dropped its historic focus, created a new cast of characters, and began treading on new ground by taking the first-person shooter genre to new locales, and pushing the boundaries of what military games are willing to show. With Modern Warfare 2, the sheer amount of hype has been practically inescapable, with preorders alone setting it up as one of the biggest selling games of all time, the addition of even more multiplayer modes and features, and the game's new Special Operations mode has set Infinity Ward's lastest up as the game to beat this year...When you look at the total package, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is hands-down one of the best first-person shooters out there, and a truly amazing offering across any system. With that being said, our score comes with a disclaimer. For those planning to check out everything Modern Warefare 2 has to offer -- online competition, full co-op Spec Ops mode, as well as the campaign -- you're looking at a no-brainer purchase. For the strictly single player crowd, however, Modern Warfare 2 is surprisingly short, and doesn't live up to the standard set by previous Call of Duty games. The campaign can be completed in as little as four and a half hours, and the missions make better scenarios and moment-to-moment adrenaline rushes than they do a cohesive, well-told story. If you're going solo, you've officially been warned. Look at the complete Modern Warfare 2 experience though, and there's no denying its rightful place at the top. - Mark Bozon

GamePro.com 10 of 10
Infinity Ward returns with a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Modern Warfare that has already stirred up controversy over the now infamous airport level. But don't let that distract you from the real discussion: is the game any good? Reviews Editor Tae K. Kim spent two days playing every available mode and his impressions follow. The game definitely has potential but its place in video game history will ultimately be decided by the fanatic online community who may take issue with some of the n00b friendly changes...The first rule of my own personal reviews philosophy is "Remain objective" but that's almost impossible when dealing with a franchise that's as critically and financially successful as Call of Duty. I've been a fan of the series since its inception (though I hated Call of Duty 3 as much as you did) so I couldn't help but have high expectations for Modern Warfare 2, the sequel to the obscenely successful Modern Warfare. My attempts to remain objective weren't helped by the fact that, instead of being sent a review build, as is usually the case, I was offered a trip down to Infinity Ward's offices for a two-day Modern Warfare 2 marathon...The potential for addiction remains intact and MW2 should replace the original as the de facto online war shooter, even as the online cognoscenti rant and rave about the changes. But even taking into account the potentially controversial tweaks I noted above, it's hard to turn a blind eye to the sense of polish that the devs brought to the table. I'm definitely biased here because I was given a pure dose of what the online experience could and should be, and obviously the real world version, the "street" stuff, can be incredibly impure at times, poisonous even, but it's hard to imagine Modern Warfare 2 failing to grab the attention of the established fanbase...Of course, only time will tell if they latch onto it like children suckling at their mother's breast or if they sink their fangs in like rabid guard dogs going for an intruder's jugular: while I personally liked the game a lot, it's the diehards who will ultimately decide its true worth. That won't become clear until the game releases to the public and the fanatics have had a chance to tear into the full experience, so all I can do until then is add my lone voice to what will eventually become a choir. Based on what I've seen (and again, keep in mind the controlled environment in which I saw it) I'm singing the game's praises, but if you really want to know whether or not the game is up to snuff, wait and listen closely to the community to see if they sing sweet hosannas or scream bloody murder. - Tae K. Kim