Spoiler alert! The following feature contains story elements from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This is not a review but an analysis of the story told in Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series. For those of you that will never play the game, skipped the “No Russian” mission, or missed the subtleties I encourage you to read on.
With only one lead on Makarov and no way of connecting the ultranationalist to the attack at Zakahev International, taskforce 141 is hard pressed to find credible evidence to prove the Russian attack on US soil is unwarranted. Desperately fighting a battle to clear civilians from Russian occupied territory the bulk of the United States military is engaged with the Russian invasion. Reunited with General Sheperd, the 141 hatches a plan to attack the Kamchatka Peninsula in an attempt to gain a foothold on Russian soil and prepare for a counter attack. Coincidentally, the gulag holding the mystery prisoner is close at hand. After securing oil rigs off the costs being used as surface to air missile strikes the taskforce attacks the gulag in a joint effort with US naval forces. The 141 finds the prisoner who is revealed to be Captain Price. Price has been locked away, seemingly to keep him from Makarov and the British and US governments alike. After a narrow escape from deep within the prison Price joins the 141 and the hunt for Makarov.
Captain Price doesn’t waste any time catching up with current events. Whether he was being fed information through some friends in the prison is unclear but he certainly is not surprised by current developments in the world. He immediately heads an effort by the 141 to attack a Russian military dock yard, enters a nuclear submarine armed with ICBM with nuclear warheads, and then launches one aimed squarely at the United States. The missile is detonated high in the atmosphere creating a huge magnetic pulse which knocks out all electronics and communications of the US and Russian forces fighting in the nation’s capital. Despite his intentions, the launch of the missile has one repercussion Price did not plan on. The US military may have managed to regain the high ground and the advantage against the Russian invading force but the ICBM spurs the secretary of defense to give General Sheperd more control over US military activities.
12.13.2009
Slow As Sunday: Modern Warfare 2 retold (part three)
Spoiler alert! The following feature contains story elements from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This is not a review but an analysis of the story told in Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series. For those of you that will never play the game, skipped the “No Russian” mission, or missed the subtleties I encourage you to read on.
part one can be found here.
part two can be read here.
Taskforce 141 returns from their mission, having successfully retrieved the ACS module, only to find that the CIA’s undercover operation has gone awry. Now the whole of Russia is crying for retribution and General Sheperd is ordering 141 to find the information that connects the bullet that killed Pvt. Allen to Makarov and the wholesale slaughter at Zakaev International Airport. The good news is that General Sheperd knows where Makarov’s favorite gun dealer is, the bad news is that so does Makarov. Just as the 141 catches up with Alejandro Rojas in Rio de Janeiro a conflict breaks out. Suddenly 141 is chasing Rojas while fending off armed militia in a chase that leads to a favela, a.k.a. a slum, just outside the city. Captain McTavish finally apprehends Rojas, but the information gained through his interrogation reveals little of the physical connections between Makarov and the Zakaev incident. What the team does discover is the location of and serial number for a prisoner in Russian custody that Makarov has expressed hatred toward.
Before the taskforce can be extracted and use this new intel, the Russian military invades United States soil. A carefully coordinated attack by air by-passes early warning systems. 141 was too late in retrieving the ACS module and now the Russians have used the encryption module to slip in undetected. Sergeant Foley and his Army Rangers, who have recently returned from Afghanistan, engage this new threat and defend civilians as they are evacuated. During there efforts, Foley is contacted by Gen. Sheperd and ordered to escort a person of importance to safety. Fighting heavy resistance, the Rangers mange to push through but find the MVP dead and an open briefcase besides his corpse. The contents are picked up by Private James Ramirez and remain and mystery for the rest of the story.
part one can be found here.
part two can be read here.
Taskforce 141 returns from their mission, having successfully retrieved the ACS module, only to find that the CIA’s undercover operation has gone awry. Now the whole of Russia is crying for retribution and General Sheperd is ordering 141 to find the information that connects the bullet that killed Pvt. Allen to Makarov and the wholesale slaughter at Zakaev International Airport. The good news is that General Sheperd knows where Makarov’s favorite gun dealer is, the bad news is that so does Makarov. Just as the 141 catches up with Alejandro Rojas in Rio de Janeiro a conflict breaks out. Suddenly 141 is chasing Rojas while fending off armed militia in a chase that leads to a favela, a.k.a. a slum, just outside the city. Captain McTavish finally apprehends Rojas, but the information gained through his interrogation reveals little of the physical connections between Makarov and the Zakaev incident. What the team does discover is the location of and serial number for a prisoner in Russian custody that Makarov has expressed hatred toward.
Before the taskforce can be extracted and use this new intel, the Russian military invades United States soil. A carefully coordinated attack by air by-passes early warning systems. 141 was too late in retrieving the ACS module and now the Russians have used the encryption module to slip in undetected. Sergeant Foley and his Army Rangers, who have recently returned from Afghanistan, engage this new threat and defend civilians as they are evacuated. During there efforts, Foley is contacted by Gen. Sheperd and ordered to escort a person of importance to safety. Fighting heavy resistance, the Rangers mange to push through but find the MVP dead and an open briefcase besides his corpse. The contents are picked up by Private James Ramirez and remain and mystery for the rest of the story.
12.07.2009
Slow As Sunday: Modern Warfare 2 retold (part two)
Spoiler alert! The following feature contains story elements from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This is not a review but an analysis of the story told in Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series. For those of you that will never play the game, skipped the “No Russian” mission, or missed the subtleties I encourage you to read on.
Part one of the retelling of Modern Warfare 2 can be found here.
With taskforce 141 currently busy (read “running for their lives”) General Sheperd briefs his latest recruit, Private Joseph Allen, on his plan to deal with Makarov. The CIA has gone to great lengths to obtain a cover ID, Alex Borodin, that will be used by the Private to get close to Makarov. What Allen will do once he is close to Makarov is unclear. The implication is that he will be deep under cover for the purpose of reporting Makarov’s activities and plans. What neither Allen or Sheperd realized is Makarov was prepared for the army ranger turned undercover agent. Before you know it Allen, now Borodin, is deep under cover and is participating in an attack on the Russian Zakahev International Airport. Hundreds of Russian civilians and law enforcement are killed while the Makarov, Borodin, and two Ultra-Nationalists all armed to the teeth carve a path of death and destruction through the airport. Just when it looked as if these villains were going to get away, Makarov turns and kills Borodin/Allen, sending a message to the Russian people.
The information revealed during and directly after the “No Russian” mission colors the rest of the story. First, we assume that Allen is quickly identified by Russian intelligence and the news of his identity is either leaked or deliberately given to the media. What kind of half truth the Russians fabricated is not known. Undoubtedly Allen was identified as an American, and in all likelihood as a solider, but his ties to the CIA were not verified. Even if they did release information that Allen was a CIA operative, Russian media could use that fact to call into question what involvement the Americans had in recent terrorist attacks. Maybe not all acts of violence were the doing of mad man Makarov but secret operations by the American government. Whatever the case may be, the right individuals in power were swayed, and now the Ultra-Nationalists plan was coming together. They have partial control of the military and support from those who were once on the fence. Makarov and the Ultra-Nationalists have aligned Russia and its people squarely against the United States of America.
Part 3 next week!
Part one of the retelling of Modern Warfare 2 can be found here.
With taskforce 141 currently busy (read “running for their lives”) General Sheperd briefs his latest recruit, Private Joseph Allen, on his plan to deal with Makarov. The CIA has gone to great lengths to obtain a cover ID, Alex Borodin, that will be used by the Private to get close to Makarov. What Allen will do once he is close to Makarov is unclear. The implication is that he will be deep under cover for the purpose of reporting Makarov’s activities and plans. What neither Allen or Sheperd realized is Makarov was prepared for the army ranger turned undercover agent. Before you know it Allen, now Borodin, is deep under cover and is participating in an attack on the Russian Zakahev International Airport. Hundreds of Russian civilians and law enforcement are killed while the Makarov, Borodin, and two Ultra-Nationalists all armed to the teeth carve a path of death and destruction through the airport. Just when it looked as if these villains were going to get away, Makarov turns and kills Borodin/Allen, sending a message to the Russian people.
The information revealed during and directly after the “No Russian” mission colors the rest of the story. First, we assume that Allen is quickly identified by Russian intelligence and the news of his identity is either leaked or deliberately given to the media. What kind of half truth the Russians fabricated is not known. Undoubtedly Allen was identified as an American, and in all likelihood as a solider, but his ties to the CIA were not verified. Even if they did release information that Allen was a CIA operative, Russian media could use that fact to call into question what involvement the Americans had in recent terrorist attacks. Maybe not all acts of violence were the doing of mad man Makarov but secret operations by the American government. Whatever the case may be, the right individuals in power were swayed, and now the Ultra-Nationalists plan was coming together. They have partial control of the military and support from those who were once on the fence. Makarov and the Ultra-Nationalists have aligned Russia and its people squarely against the United States of America.
Part 3 next week!
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