Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been mischaracterized. Defamed. Maligned for far too long. It deserves better. I’m going to tell you why.

An interesting opinion suggesting we give Modern Warfare 2 a second look below the surface to see a much richer story than it first seems. A story that holds a mirror up to the world we live in, and the behaviour of the West with regards to foreign policy.

If you’re thinking it all sounds kind of crazy, you’d be right. I’m sitting here thinking it sounds kinda crazy. After all, what large nation would ever invade another country in response to an act of terrorism? What kind of person would perpetuate the military-industrial complex when it’s not needed? What…

…oh.

Right.

America.

America would do those things. America has done those things.

It makes sense

The author takes a lot of care with presenting their argument. And it makes sense. I do find it hard to believe that a company would spend millions of dollars and man-hours creating a top-tier AAA title, one with a proven track record for engaging and quality games, without thinking more about the story than ‘disposable’. Particularly when the previous game was so spectacularly game-changing (pun intended, I suppose). I remember playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and being blown away by the narrative. There were so many scenes which, while on the surface seemed about US military bravado, were actually there to horrify you, from the clinical killing via the overpowered AC-130 Spectre gunship to the now-famous scene in the aftermath of a nuclear detonation. It just makes sense that there would be more to the sequel.

Read the full opinion piece over on Kotaku.