Although the single player experience may be limited in its length; the multiplayer is the meat of the game and this time around it is a thick, juicy cut of Grade A Goodness. The multiplayer still plays out much like the first Modern Warfare, but with new additions to the gameplay like additional kill streaks – such as calling in stealth bombers, harriers, and even a tactical nuke – there is a lot to digest. Players also now have Deathstreaks – like additional health upon spawning—that allow them the grace of a helping hand if they are not doing so well – and the ability to shoot down enemy aircraft is now more versatile.

UAVs and helicopters are more vulnerable since players can now have an RPG or a missile launcher as a sidearm instead of taking up space as an equipment item, although the ammo is still quite limited. The new load out isn’t restricted to just the heavy artillery as players will also get to use new weapons such as Riot Shields, Throwing Knives, Semtex sticky grenades and Tactical Insertions to spice things up on the battle field. The game has also added titles and emblems, similar to those found in Street Fighter IV, to help spruce up the reporting of the action. It comes across as gratuitous and unneeded, but the sheer amount of different titles and images available to make yours stand out among the crowd is pretty impressive.

With all the regular multiplayer modes such as Sabotage, Domination, Headquarters and Team Deathmatch still available, there is also a new mode called Spec Ops, which allows two players to complete small mission objectives in split screen or coop. Each mission is broken down into objectives and the more objectives you complete, the more stars you receive upon its completion. While there are about 25 different missions to play through, they are all varying in their goals. Some require you to make it from point A to point B as one player takes the role of a gunner on a chopper or an AC-130 as the other hoofs it on the ground, while the next mission may just be a simple time trial on snowmobiles. Each mission mixes it up and keeps it from becoming stale, throwing lofty goals at you that give a sense of accomplishment and the need for true team work.

As short as the single player campaign is, it has so many memorable moments – some of the more controversial in recently released games – that it leaves you wanting more once it is over. Thankfully, there is so much to work with after the campaign is complete that the disc will remain in your console for a long time to come. Modern Warfare 2 has stepped up its game and it has been well worth the wait.