After sharing similar thoughts on Call of Duty Modern Warfare II’s campaign as Brodie (find his campaign review here), I went into the game’s multiplayer expecting it to impress. However, with every step forward Modern Warfare II takes – like the new perks system and welcome changes to the ever-satisfying gunplay – there seemed to be something holding it back. 

Let’s get this out of the way, though – the gunplay in Modern Warfare II is exceptional, and it’s always been the series’ key strength no matter how rough other parts of the game are. The return of a quick time to kill makes every encounter tense, with new movement options – like the ever-excellent dolphin dive and reworked slide – giving players new ways of gaining an advantage over opponents.

While I usually prefer the usual 6v6 modes, I had a blast with Modern Warfare II’s Ground War Invasion mode as well. Packed full of enemy AI and other players, the sprawling maps were a great way of experimenting with new loadouts, weapons and perks to see what worked for me. And while the game’s AI in Invasion aren’t the brightest tools in the shed, it was a nice change to what is otherwise a hyper-focused set of 6v6 modes.

On that subject, all of the main 6v6 modes you’d come to expect are included in this year’s game, with a handful of new objective-based modes also making their way into the rotation. And while I’m usually one to stick to my beloved selections,…