Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Here we are, my first review! What better way to kick it off than my first platinum of 2020: Modern Warfare (2019).
The Game
Overall, I enjoyed the game a lot more than I thought that I would. There were some sections that slowed the game down and to me, there was not much in terms of innovation or character development that made me as invested as I found myself back in the Modern Warfare/MW:2 era. Maybe that is a fault of the game or maybe I have just been blinded by nostalgia. Nevertheless, it was a game that looked (and sounded) incredible and had some very impressive set-pieces.
The Platinum
This was a platinum that I enjoyed a lot! I have a lot of respect for games that give you a trophy list that lets you just enjoy the game first and then worry about "mopping up" later. There were also no online trophies that counted towards the platinum (a welcome inclusion).
My overall roadmap consisted of:
- Complete game on normal difficulty
- Complete game on veteran
- Mop up individual trophies that I missed
I found that I achieved about 1/3 of the individual trophies over my normal and veteran playthrough. From there, I used level select to pick off the missing stragglers.
The level-specific trophies were surprisingly easy without being too frustrating. I was looking forward to a bit more of a fun challenge within them (e.g. I loved the trophy for using 8 different weapons in a level) but some of them were quite plain/boring/easy (down a helicopter with a molotov).
The lack of online trophies was a huge plus for me (my mighty 3 hours of online play really cemented that bonus for me). I used to really be into the online competitive FPS scene but with age comes less time to sink into learning maps, metas and player styles. Also, I got absolutely murdered and possibly won one game in three hours...nobody needs that.
Finally, the road that I chose meant that I had to replay some levels 3 times (normal, veteran, cleanup) and they really did not have huge replay value. I would say that it is the best way to enjoy the story but ultimately, it felt like going to the cinema to watch the same Jason Statham film three times in a row (this analogy does not apply to Snatch).
Notable Trophies
This one wasn't exactly difficult, just annoying really. I am possibly the least stealthiest person in history and I found that lining the two soldiers up without them spotting me was very frustrating. The checkpoint reset is also a decent while back so you have to listen to a lot of dialogue before you can try again.
Now...even though I hate stealth missions, I did love this trophy. You are allowed to be seen but if the enemy calls out and alarms any other troops (or they shoot at you) then you will need to restart the checkpoint. To be honest, I just shot out every light, cut all of the power and worked my way around each location, shooting anything that moved. BIG TIP - Do NOT talk to any of the Russian men who are being interrogated. It will progress the story which will add more soldiers plus an APC. If you kill all of the AQ soldiers but ignore the people being beaten up then it will make this trophy 10x easier. Additional tip - Subtitles and headphones are nice for this trophy.
I saved this until last because of what I had heard about it. Turns out, if you follow the YouTube guide to the letter (courtesy of https://www.powerpyx.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-2019-trophy-guide-roadmap/) then you will not encounter many issues. I only had to restart a checkpoint once (and I am usually terrible at these types of trophies)
Honestly, this may have been one of the most accessible veteran difficulties that I have ever played through. It was challenging but fun. The playthrough will frustrate you at times but as long as you abuse the corner-lean function then you will get through it with minimal fuss. If you have played a modern shooter before hen you should be absolutely fine with the veteran playthrough.
Summary
Gameplay - 6/10
Decent game which looks and sounds gorgeous but lacks depth and originality.
Platinum Difficulty - 3/10
Really not difficult at all. Fans of the series will eat this for breakfast.
Overall Time - 2/10
Easily completable over a weekend. Story mode is short and playtime can be cut in half by starting on veteran mode. You can also attempt to complete the individual trophies in one veteran playthrough if you are feeling brave.
Overall Trophy Enjoyment - 7/10
This was a decent platinum to get. The trophy list allowed you to play the game without too much worry of missing a key item and the lack of an online grind made this an enjoyable platinum to achieve.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who has a spare few days: Get it on a Friday, knock it out over the weekend, back to work on Monday. Sorted.
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