Cynamite

Modern Warfare 2 offers epic gameplay, a stunning Spec-Ops mode and a huge amount of adrenaline.

Games Radar (in-house)

Anyone who already has issues with the single-player ‘style’ of IW’s games will still find fault with the scripted, linear experience, but in terms of sheer drama and show-stopping set-pieces accompanied by laser sharp FPS controls, Modern Warfare 2 is your daddy. And that’s without Spec Ops and Multiplayer.

Giant Bomb

You're always unlocking something and messing around with your created classes to find just the right balance of tactics and murderousness. That balance is the true core of Modern Warfare 2's online play. It's an exhilarating mix that forces tension by rewarding you for taking it slowly.

GamePro

As much as I liked the single-player, even I have to admit that the multiplayer is where the real action is, and its new additions should (hopefully) help counterbalance some (but probably not all) of the dissension that will arise from the n00b friendly changes I noted.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

This is a textbook example to other developers of the love, care, attention, polish and guile needed when crafting a sequel. An essential purchase for all FPS fans. [Ryan King]

1UP

Mixing real-world locations with bombastic set-pieces MW2 continues the guided, thrill-ride experiences of its predecessor, and adds even more depth to its multiplayer offerings. It might not have fixed all the problems from the first game, but there's just so much quality content packed into this game that it will almost certainly be one of the most-played games in your library for a long time to come.

GameSpy

The fact that I didn't even get into the stunning visuals and amazing sound design speaks volumes about the sheer amount of content in the game, and I could probably write another 800 words simply about the ridiculous attention to detail on display in each level.

Gamer.nl

Quotation forthcoming.

Game Chronicles

Infinity Ward delivers the "greatest hits" of action movies with references to Cliffhanger, Red Dawn, The Rock, and even Spies Like Us. You’re fighting in the arctic one minute and crossing the desert the next, or you might be performing a rescue operation on a terrorist-controlled offshore oil platform or infiltrating a Russian submarine base.

Planet Xbox 360

Graphically Modern Warfare 2 sets a bar so high that the game that our industry will look to it as a blueprint of what can be done on next-gen systems. The developers found a perfect balance between realistic and entertainment (just wait until you play-through the airport level) that there were points during our review period that we actually forgot we weren’t watching a HD movie.

Game Informer

Modern Warfare 2 is a masterpiece of careful iteration, with an unmatched presentation and a well of content that will take months to run dry.

Cheat Code Central

With a great six to eight hour single-player campaign, the fun Special Ops mode meant to be enjoyed with a friend, and its endlessly replayable multiplayer experience, MW2 has a ton of content and reasons to keep coming back to it.

TeamXbox

I was impressed by its presentation, visuals and the wealth of gameplay it offers. I even enjoyed its story—though it’s admittedly fluffy, convoluted and campy in spots, it’s like a interactive war movie on TV that takes liberties with realism for the sake of being entertaining to watch (such as having an amazingly large number of helicopters crash to the ground over the course of the game).

Gamervision

The story is compelling, the multiplayer is addictive, and Special Ops mode comes out of the gate swinging, prepared to shock gamers with a feature most likely didn’t know existed. The package, on the whole, is spectacular, there’s no two ways about it.

GameTrailers

The air of unpredictability and the care that was paid to each separate element puts it in lofty company. The multiplayer hasn't received an overhaul, but considering most shooters are still playing catch-up with Call of Duty 4, the tweaks and twists make it the best multiplayer shooting experience in the industry. Few games manage to meet such high expectations.

Gameplanet

Everything a great sequel should be, and fans of the series will love the additions Infinity Ward have included this time around. Easily one of the best games this year, and a contender for the best shooter currently available for next-gen consoles.

IGN

For those planning to check out everything Modern Warefare 2 has to offer – online competition, full co-op Spec Ops mode, as well as the campaign – you’re looking at a no-brainer purchase. For the strictly single player crowd, however, Modern Warfare 2 is surprisingly short, and doesn’t live up to the standard set by previous Call of Duty games.

BigPond GameArena

When it comes to games which offer single and multiplayer, you'd have to be a harsh judge to claim a better first person shooter on console has been released this year, if ever. Modern Warfare 2 is closer to fulfilling the promises made by Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 than any game out there beyond Uncharted 2.

Meristation

The War on Terror never rests. The same goes for Infinity Ward, who raises the bar again with Modern Warfare 2. Its new campaign keeps delivering a cinematic, inmersive, and visually spectacular experience, while polishing AI and respawn issues, and offering a minimum of 8 hours of gameplay. Without a multiplayer rival, where it's as powerful as a Tactical Nuke, including a first approach to coop, and archiving excellence in every aspect, this last Call of Duty proves itself as a very solid candidate to become the game of the year.

3DJuegos

The surprise factor of the first Modern Warfare is missing, although it doesn’t affect this awesome sequel which is even better than the former. This new Call of Duty iteration exceeds every expectation and earns a place among the best shooters of this year.

Computer and Video Games

IGN AU

Absolutely one of the most rounded gaming packages of 2009. The single player campaign – while not long – is well-paced, with plenty of variety in settings and gameplay, and will definitely be a steep challenge on the harder difficulty levels. The multiplayer component is fully featured, with an expansive set of modes and maps, and it’s great to see persistent stats returning. Rounding it out is Spec Ops, which is very much the icing on the cake.

IGN UK

This game has so many standout moments of such immersive power, there really is no other experience out there to touch Modern Warfare 2’s controlled and entertaining pandemonium. Infinty Ward has skill, panache and big, hanging balls that clang as loud as Big Ben, so much so a the bar has been raised with Modern Warfare 2.

Strategy Informer

MW2 is spectacular in all the right areas; building and refining on the most solid of bases. And although its political heart might not be in the ‘right’ place, at the very least it might make a few people think rather than skim through on muscle memory and twitch reactions. That’s a rarity in itself, and something to be respected in an age of apathy.

Everyeye.it

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is must buy game. Infinity Ward, despite innovating the game, had listened to the players, taking the best features of the prequel and adding something new.

GameDaily

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has more than enough guns, modes and "oh-my-god" moments to propel it to the very top of your must have list, with astounding visuals, crystal-clear (and at times, frightening) audio and enough plot twists to make you second guess everything, so gear up, hop onto your snowmobile and haul ass to the nearest store.

Kikizo

With another memorable single player mode to look back on, in addition to the excellent Special Ops mode and more multiplayer goodness to look forward to, Infinity Ward has once again come up with a cinematic masterpiece.

Eurogamer

Modern Warfare 2 balances the spectacle and silliness of its single-player campaign with a deep, enduring multiplayer core, carefully covering its bases for players of all persuasions. But there is no denying it seeks merely to build upon the successes of its forebear while doing very little to expand its scope or redefine them.

Multiplayer.it

Quotation forthcoming.

Boomtown

There are two issues that make the campaign less than perfect. First is the length. Given the price gouging Activision has embarked on with this release the centrepiece of the game is insultingly short. Played on normal you have one evening's play here for your 50 or so pounds...Secondly the pace of the game is very one note.