Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's varied gameplay modes and excellent gunplay suggest the series is headed in a promising direction.

2019's Modern Warfare both draws from the original and lays a good foundation for the rest of the series, despite some thematic issues and co-op pitfalls.

When it's good, it's great. When it's bad it's frustrating. Everything in between is, well, Call of Duty.

Modern Warfare evolves the series for the better, but it could be so much more.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a thrill ride that turns you into a monster

Countless seemingly minor issues build up to take away from what is, at its core, the best and most tactical Call of Duty multiplayer in years.

Leveling up guns is ridiculously fun, and the breadth of modes keeps this experience from feeling repetitive. This is a game you can sink tons of time into

There are pulpy thrills, cinematic visuals and heart-stopping gameplay to enjoy here – so long as you can stand the rewriting of history and cheerleading for US militarism

Another Call of Duty that doesn’t really change anyone’s mind about Call of Duty. Whatever’s there that I thought might actually be making a leap was seemingly just good marketing. In that sense, I suppose, it’s been pretty successful. [OpenCritic note: Jeremy Peel and Sherif Saad separately reviewed the campaign (4/5) and multiplayer (3/5). The scores have been averaged.]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare isn't the best Call of Duty game. Hell, it's not even the best Modern Warfare game. But it does maintain the series tradition of delivering a solid feature-packed release. Modern Warfare offers a great single-player campaign and exciting multiplayer gameplay, all dressed up in excellent visuals and terrific sound. Death, taxes, and Call of Duty. The brand may long in the tooth, but it isn't ready for discharge anytime soon.