Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hosted its first-ever multiplayer beta test this past weekend, exclusively for PlayStation gamers. At first, the beta was only available to PlayStation gamers that have pre-ordered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but then it opened up to all PlayStation gamers across PS4 and PS5. The beta gave fans their first chance to play this year's Call of Duty, and while it only offered a few maps and a handful of modes, things are looking bright for Activision's premiere first-person shooter series.
The initial Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer beta featured four maps for players to duke it out on: Breenbergh Hotel, Farm 18, Mercado Las Almas, and Valderas Museum. Out of these, the one that was the most interesting from a design standpoint was Breenberg Hotel, which takes place almost entirely inside the hotel's interior, though there are some outside streets players can run through as well.
The other maps looked great, but Breenbergh Hotel really let Modern Warfare 2's graphics shine. The hotel starts in near-pristine condition, but by the time any given match ends, everything is riddled with bullet holes and small objects in the environment, like bottles, food, etc., have been completely destroyed. This destruction is present in the other Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer maps as well, but it was especially apparent in Breenbergh Hotel.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Beta Game Modes
None of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer maps featured in the beta stood out as outright bad, though it will definitely take more playtime on each one to make a more well-rounded assessment. As for the game modes, the Modern Warfare 2 beta featured series staples like Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Search and Destroy, but it also let players try out two brand-new modes that are making their debut in the game.
The two new game modes showcased in the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer beta were Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out. In Prisoner Rescue, one team is tasked with infiltrating the map and saving hostages, while the other team has to stop them. Prisoner Rescue does not feature respawns, but it does let players revive their downed teammates. Its objective-based nature ensures that it requires a bit more strategy and map awareness than modes like Team Deathmatch. Some have gone as far as to say that Prisoner Rescue has Rainbow Six vibes, and while it's not quite that tactical, it's definitely different from Call of Duty's usual guns-blazing approach.
That being said, Call of Duty players will get the most out of Prisoner Rescue if they play in a team with friends and are able to coordinate their moves. Playing Prisoner Rescue with randoms tends to devolve into a game of Team Deathmatch with no respawns. The same happens with Knock Out, which similarly has no respawns, but can be highly strategic when playing in a group. In the Knock Out game mode, the goal is to hold on to a bag of cash and be the team with the cash when the round ends. Since there are no respawns, the other way to win a round is to simply eliminate everyone on the other team, and that is usually what happens when playing with randoms.
Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out are fun enough, but best played in groups that communicate well. They should make fine new additions to the Call of Duty multiplayer experience, but they are unlikely to be revelations on the same level as popular game modes like Gun Game, Kill Confirmed, or Gunfight.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Third-Person Play
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is giving players new ways to play through game modes like Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out, but it's also giving players a new way to play through an entirely different perspective. The Call of Duty series is one of the industry's top first-person shooter franchises, but with this year's entry, fans will also have the option to play from a third-person perspective.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's third-person view was represented in the beta through a moshpit playlist. It makes Call of Duty feel like Gears of War, albeit with a much faster time to kill and not a lot of focus on taking cover. The game switches to a first-person view when players aim down the sights, which can be disorienting, especially since players have to be especially quick in Call of Duty when compared to other shooter games.
While some fans may appreciate the option to choose between first-person and third-person, it's difficult to see how the third-person mode will take off. It's an interesting experiment, but it's too unwieldy when compared to the standard first-person option. Most players will likely try it once or twice out of morbid curiosity and then move right back to the comfortable first-person viewpoint that the series has used since its inception.
Still, it's nice to see Infinity Ward experiment with the established Call of Duty formula, and if nothing else, it's good for a laugh. Serious players will ignore it, but those looking to experience a Call of Duty match from a different perspective will want to give it a go.
Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Worth It?
The core gameplay surrounding the third-person view option and new game modes like Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out will be familiar to anyone that has played a Call of Duty game in the last 15 years. It's Call of Duty. There are tweaks here and there in regard to mobility, and there are some controversial changes, like what Infinity Ward has done to the mini-map, but at its core, it's the same Call of Duty experience that fans have been playing for years.
More Call of Duty is really what fans want from the franchise, though, and based on the multiplayer beta, it seems reasonable to assume that Modern Warfare 2 is going to be a hit, especially with those that enjoyed the 2019 Modern Warfare game. It looks and plays great, the maps from the beta were fun enough, and the new game modes seem like solid additions to the CoD formula. Fans will have to wait to play the full game to truly know if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is going to be worth it, but the beta should leave those that played it feeling optimistic about the final product.
Luckily, Call of Duty fans will soon have another opportunity to play the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer ahead of launch. And this time, many more gamers will be given the opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. From September 22 to September 23, those that pre-ordered on Xbox and PC will have early access. Then from September 24 to September 26, the Modern Warfare 2 beta will be available for all players, regardless of platform or if they pre-ordered the game. PlayStation gamers on both PS4 and PS5 will have full access to the second weekend of the beta from September 22 to September 26.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.