I completed Modern Warfare 2 in 4 Hours 44 Minutes and 23 seconds – Is that a record?

After Lazygamer posted up their review of Modern Warfare 2 this little article popped up stating

"Thankfully I didn't need to check the clocks as the game stores the time for you and accordingly I was informed that I completed the game in 4:44:23 which is not very long for a full priced game."

Is it really fair to charge full price for a game that clocks in at under 5 hours?

[Natsu X FairyTail]

"is it really fair to charge full price for a game that clocks in at under 5 hours?"

it clocks @ 5hours for you. Not for everybody. I'll take my time to finish the game not like you that stood around the TV 5hours straight tryna finish the game and make an article about it.

[GavinMannion]

The time recorded was for how long the game took to review... the game can last a lot longer on a harder difficulty and obviously Multiplayer is a HUGE factor but the single player can be completed even quicker than this... it wasn't raced

[iron_sheik]

Now thats a real shame

charging full price for <5 hour campaign
cant believe that reviewers have given the game a free pass

[Strange_Evil]

Lol frankly speaking ODST's single player lasted more than MW2 in my play through lol. Although MW2 is definitely a better game, but frankly this is the GTA effect where people just wear blinders and review the game and give straight 10s just cause Activision has deep pockets.

Don't get me wrong, the game is nice and multi-player is as addictive as always, but getting 10s all round shows the amount of free pass multi-plat games get. I heard that IGN gave this a 10 in graphics lol seriously!!! I mean an open world game coming a week after this has better graphics than MW2 and a linear game fails to even trump that.. Pity.I can understand people giving UC2 10s cause it actually covered all bases be it SP or MP with jaw dropping graphics and gameplay.

In my books, this game gets an 8 for single player (mainly cause it's intense) and 10 for the spec ops and multiplayer mode (it's addictive). So overall a 9, but anything more than that means you judge the game more on the multi-player aspect then the single player. SP always comes first for me.

[Natsu X FairyTail]

Strange_Evil

I agree with your point.

EDIT: mugoldeneagle03

You speak the Truth my friend. Bubbles+

[donator]

Eh, flawed logic. You get the full game (Single player, co-op, and multiplayer) for full price. Whether or not you choose to indulge in all aspects of the game is your choice, but you are given the entire game anyway. So it is not fair to ask whether or not MW2 is worth it for that price if you only take single player into account.

The IGN video reviewer also stated he beat the game in around 5 hours.

[thor]

A speed run of most FPS games takes under 2 hours. Half-life can be completed in under half an hour on the hardest difficulty, Halo 3 in under an hour and a half, but I imagine MW2 will be quite short indeed on a speed run.

[mugoldeneagle03]

And by "these" I mean Modern Warfare 2 hate articles to garnish hits from the N4G-MW2-hate community. I mean really, does anyone remember the length of the original Uncharted? Or Heavenly Sword? Because both are fairly short games and I'm 99% sure I beat them both in one sitting. Hell, I platinumed Uncharted 2 in two days, partly because my sleep schedule was royaly screwed up, but still.

I'm just saying if you try to beat something as fast as you can, you'll usually succeed, and you'll also succeed in ruining the games value...For any game, not just MW2.

[soljah]

btw did anyone see this in the joystiq review

Disclaimer: The preceding review is based on an event organized and paid for by Activision, in which media outlets were provided hotel rooms, each equipped with an Xbox 360 and copy of Modern Warfare 2. As this was Joystiq's only opportunity to review the game in advance of its release, we willingly deviated from our standard policy of not accepting accommodations and used the room. We did so because we felt that participating in this event best served the interest of our readers.

For more information on the Joystiq Editorial Ethics Policies, please click here.

Tags: Activision, Call-of-Duty, Call-of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-2, Infinity-Ward, Modern-Warfare-2

[shane025]

MW2 has a multilpayer mode that'll last you for years to come.

I've been playing this game since Friday and at first we were only about 3000 people online, but just now I checked again and we're almost 300.000 online! INSANE

It's probably going to be 400.000 - 500.000 during the holidays.

Oh Btw, just for comparison's sake,Uncharted 2 has 7000 people online playing at the same time. Killzone 2, even less.

[Darkeyes]

@Solijah... i won't be even surprised if they gave all the reviewers a prestige edition (one with the NV goggles)... This always happens with huge games. It's a milder form of bribery you can say....

[shane025]

Except on N4G off course, most people buy the game for the multiplayer. The SP is just an after thought.

[toaster]

No. Wait until March when everyone will have a REAL game to play.

[shane025]

So you admit you'e got nothing to play that's why you're here trolling 24/7?
You also admit it's the best we've got now till March?

[toaster]

Shattered Horizon, Dragon Age, Torchlight, L4D2, . There are a whole slew of games to play. I can wait a few months for a better product.

[SL1M DADDY]

Sorry, but the easy setting is for folks who have not played shooters and is expected to last a little longer for those who are unskilled at these games. Your attempt to slam the game is just silliness.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Reviewers will give ANY game a perfect score if the words "Call of Duty" or "Halo" are on the cover.

Even if the game is less than 5 hours long and mostly just a regurgitation.

Bcause usin teh n00bz toobs on teh Muliplayr make it teh worths itz!

[siyrobbo]

try completing the game on veteran, get all stars in spec ops and get to the first prestige level in under 5 hours

[zeeshan]

It is easy to get a full 10 or 9.5 score when you got buttload of money like Activision does, if you know what I mean :)

[sikbeta]

Why everyone is so surprised, the SP of the first one wasn't so long either, so this is the same, I thought people already know and don't care

[harrisk954]

This is not a PS3 vs. Xbox argument... it is about how reviews are (generally) skewed higher than they should when it comes to high profile games (i.e., GTA4, Halo:ODST, etc.)... Regardless of whether or not Xbots believe MW2 to be somehow more theirs than the PS3's, the bottom line is that MW2 is on BOTH the PS3 and Xbox.

[jammy_70]

and its sooo short!!!!!

[Ravage27]

well said, the way 360 fans are talking, you would think mw2 is their exclusive lol.

This is turning out to be eerily similar to the GTA4 fiasco, reviewers are either blinded by (A) the fear of backlash from the huge COD fanbase
(B) Activision's $$$

[nycredude]

Shane stop defending the game already. Face it the sp is short as hell. And for people who say any game is short if you speed run, let me ask what else are you supposed to do in a completely linear fps. are you going to walking around oggling at the enemies and wait for them to shoot you a few times and then say ok i killed like 15 minutes so let me move on now? How do you play a game that is linear any slower without hurting the experience?

@mugoldeneagle03

Heavenly Sword took me 8 hours, Uncharted 1 took me about 9-10 hours and Uncharted 2 took me 13:15 hours the first time and I finished it twice going on three times and this is before the multiplayer and coop. I'm like 20 hours into borderlands and I am not halfway through. What ever your argument it doesn't change the fact this game is extremely short! More so than most games.

[Prototype]

A lot of people who can beat a game in hours isn't always playing on easy or sitting in front of a tv for hours on end; some people are just naturally good at certain games. I can beat a fighting game under 10 min but takes hours to beat a FPS.

[Shepherd 214]

Is it really fair to review a game and judge its definitive length when you played it through on the lowest difficulty?

[The_Denzel]

Don't play the game on easy.

[The_Denzel]

@nyrcdude

I cannot fathom how you are 20 hours into Borderlands and not even halfway through the game. I was 22 hours at the end of the game with all side missions done.

[Alcon Caper]

This game is redefining "play-value." It's easily one of the greatest multiplayer games to be released. Why would one get angry about this price, when another large multiplayer game, World of Warcraft charges a monthly fee for its play.

I think Infinity Ward has realized this and puts the single player in the back seat.

Its multiplayer is something that I've gladly spent a one time fee for. It's a game that has play value that far exceeds its price.

Going back to games that are not known for their multiplayer, or may not have any multiplayer (Grand Theft Auto, Mass Effect, Heavenly Sword, even Metal Gear Solid). Compare the number of hours you spend actually playing the game. Call of Duty 4 has me clocked at TEN DAYS of multiplayer (240 hrs). Who can say that this is not worth an extra $5-10?

It's a price that I'll gladly pay.

[mugoldeneagle03]

When did I say anything about the 360 v PlayStation 3 argument? I was simply stating that there are tons of games that can be beat in one sitting if you try to beat it as fast as you can. I don't even own a 360, yet all of you are quick enough to hit that disagree button as fast as you can because the two games I mention are PS3 exclusive.

Oh how I love the N4G community, aha. Sacrifice intelligence for ignorance, all for that tiny disagree instead of a voice. Kudos for at least replying though...

[Elaine Benes]

speed demon indeed.
but to be honest, this game may have a great story--but its really all about the multiplayer.

[kelo123]

lol i know right? maybe this guy needs to get a life lol

[ReviewsArePolitics]

Whoever buys this is a sheep that follows what, just like all the halo ODST buyers

[Tony P]

I'm surprised I'm the first one to point this out but... speed run? From lazygamer?

Anyway, I don't like short SP as much as the next guy, but look: it's a shooter.

Shooter games are SHORT. They have been that way for a long time now and everyone keeps buying them because it's the MP that sells the game. So while I don't approve, the point is pretty moot the next time you run out to buy the next MP fragfest.

On another note, people saying "try a harder mode" kind of need to rethink that. There isn't *more* content on a harder mode. It's just more difficult... Not lengthier.

[Sarcasm]

I finished the main SP in around 5 hours also. But the Special ops, and hundreds of hours with MP with my friends will more than make up for it.

[FACTUAL evidence]

I bet he played regular. play veteran a good 12 hours ciao!

[Mars Attacker]

LOL. That means it will take me a month to finish. Then turn around and play it again on the next hardest setting. Well worth the $20 (I'll sell it for $40 on eBay after I am done with it).

[MGRogue2017]

The meat of the game is it's multiplayer component.

Need I say more? :D

[iron_sheik]

i believe this guy since many at gaf also complained of longevity
anyway it is a real shame nevertheless

[Nelson M]

Because not only are The BoTs Not Good Enough to Complete a Game
Thier Crappy Xbox 360 wont last 4 hours of continuous play before Exploding

[MrCrabPuss]

Witty nelson...way to go little guy, you come up with that all by yourself?

[Cueil]

haha... pretty funny for an idiot :p

[borgome]

Picking this sh!t up today, Wooooooo!!!! Pumped!!!!

Anybody who isn't picking this up today, suffer being a retard.

[SSCOOLCHEA]

multiplat game so no ones complaining . gaming community is fill with fkn idiots . since this is all the bots was looking forward to why would those idiots complain . i own a ps3 and im buying buzz quiz world ...woot woot ...

[badboy808]

Yet gametrailers gave it a 9.5

[MiloGarret]

Captain obvious strikes again!

[vigilante_man]

I actually paid £3.50 as I had £22.50 from my Nectar Points (Reward card)!!

Guess I'm glad. SP should be a real treat, not a add-on.

We all know reviews with "GTA, Halo, COD, etc" will get top scores regardless. So don't trust the integrity of reviewers. Sad, but true.

As I only paid £3.50 for the game, I won't feel short-changed.. (you pays your money, you takes your choice).

[thereapersson]

Because it's Modern Warfare 2. They'll excuse the single-player campaign for the same reason.

Sad what this generation has come down to, really...

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Why? I'm sure this was a speed run. I mean their are reports of people beating MGS4 under 5 hours. The average gamer would probably beat this around 8-10 hours which is about the norm for most games.

[thor]

Not a speed run.

Speed runs are MUCH faster. Speed runs of MGS4 probably take under 2 hours (seeing as if you don't care about being spotted you can just run through the entire game).

A speed run of MW2 may take under an hour. Certainly under 2.

The poster of this article states, "it wasn't raced" in post 1.1

[beardpapa]

I don't think reviewers are so inclined to perform a speed run on their own time just to baffle us on how short the game truly is. Afterall, they're paid to tell us how the game is in an average experience.

[2Spock]

Well when you review a game you are suppose to play it at default settings and harder settings. Obviously if you turn the game to the easiest setting then you are trying to see how fast you can beat it. Which normally it will probably take 7-10 hours on the harder settings to beat. But me personally i would pay 60 bucks just for the multiplayer.

[SoX FireBlade]

well recruit difficulty is like the easiest thing on earth

i don't mind a short game as long as its fun

i really enjoy call of duty games they are short but enjoyable

I play veteran for the first time because i got used it so it will be longer for me

and you are not paying 60$ for only campaign, you got spec ops and multiplayer that will take you months or even years to complete

[HDgamer]

Thats a speed run and we both know you never played MGS4 to come to that conclusion just stop it. This really makes you look even so more sad.

[tehk1w1]

The game could not even have a campaign and it would still score a 9.5

[The_Zeitgeist]

Yeah and there is something wrong with that. It might as well have no campaign mode. We could all save 20 bucks if they'd just release it online. Or they'd go the Halo route and just charge you full price for a update. (no matter how good it was full price is lame)

[thereapersson]

You know, I stated that same thing on another website. Why we are getting milked out of 60 dollars for a game that most people will buy solely for the multiplayer is beyond me.

Granted, if you liked Call of Duty 4's good multiplayer action, you will enjoy this one. However, why did they even bother with the single-player portion if they're not going to provide any substance behind it? Hell, even Killzone 2's SP campaign was longer than this, and that game still managed to have great multiplayer. What's Infinity Ward's deal?

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Play veteran.

[kraze07]

Wow. You got disagrees for saying play on veteran. I'm guessing this game is too hard for some people. imo playing FPS games on the default setting these days is like playing other games on easy. It's just not that much of a challenge.

[wicked]

I did on Hardened in just over 7 hours, doing veteran next.

[xLordOblivionx]

Play whatever mode is more enjoyable.

Screw all you elitist who think playing a game on the hardest setting is a requirement. Just because someone CAN beat the game on the hardest difficulty doesn't mean they should, or want to for that matter, select it for the first play through.

[iistuii]

9.5 for the Multiplayer alone.

[dalibor]

You don't really mean that do you? You would pay full price for an online game only? I would not but that is my own view.

[MiloGarret]

And yet no one complains about single player-only games which are 15 hours long. I'll gladly pay full price for this game seeing as I will be playing it online regularly for a long time.

It's no secret that the focus of MW2 is multiplayer, which IS deep and allows for long term replayability.

Think of it this way, would you have scored Street Fighter 4 lower because the arcade mode is short and shallow? No, because it's a game which is meant to be played with others. Just like MW2.

BTW: Dalibor? As in Dalibor Doder? Haha..

[dalibor]

You got the wrong Dalibor lol. That is my first name though. I am Serbian by the way. Ya sam serbski. By the way you should check out Uncharted 2, fun game online or offline. I am also planning on getting Demon's Souls myself.

[MiloGarret]

Yeah I supposed you were serbian, my friend Dalibor is serbian, lives in Sweden though. I'm not Serbian so I didn't quite get what you said there lol, I'm guessing it means "I am Serbian"...? Based on similarities with latin-based languages:

Ya - io (ital), yo (span), je (fran)
Sam - sem (por), sono (ital), soy (span), sui (fran)

Am I on to something? are there similarities between the latin languages and serbian, or am I just seing things? I was very surprised when I spoke to a man from Romania a few days ago and noticed that Romanian shares the latin origin of italian, french, spanish and portuguese.

I've got UC2, yes great game, only been able to play through it once though since I've been traveling a lot with work lately. A week from now I'll have time for video games again, untill then I just troll n4g. Demon's Souls is the next game I plan to buy, I've been looking forward to it for a long time but never gotten around to actually importing it, ever since I played Enclave a loooong time ago I've been waiting for a proper third person dungeoun crawler with a mideavil-ish theme.

I was going to end this message with an insult my friend taught me once in serbian, but I can't remember it! Dammit!

[dalibor]

5hrs is pretty short but MW2 is going to be scored more towards it's online abilities than the single player campaign in my opinion.

[Limited_Vertigo]

I take it you're not aware of how handicapped the multiplayer experience is going to be in MW2?

[theEnemy]

Spec-Ops and Competitive MP can give you 100+ of hours.

[dalibor]

Actually I do, I have COD4. I have found issues myself but I have learned to be able to game on & just do your best. Killzone 2 was critized for being to "hard" to control but guess what, I did not bother me what so ever. When I got K2 there was no update for the controls & I actually preferred it that way b/c it was harder to not only frag but kill the opposing enemy. If I do get MW2 I am heading straight to hardcore when I play online, it's going to be a fragfest just like COD4 was I figure. People always throw their grenades, kinda ironic b/c in real warfare you do not do that right away.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

IGN gave Warhawk an 88. And Warhawk is a fraction of a game compared to MW2. So please stop complaining kids.

[CrippleH]

Warhawk launched at 40 dollars and 88 is not a 9.5

[The_Zeitgeist]

Wicked burn dude. Nice.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Again, Warhawk is a FRACTION of a game compared to MW2.

[lokiroo420]

Another minor league comment from the major, lol, league, lmao, gamer, rofl.

[thereapersson]

Your spinning skills are horrible

[Limited_Vertigo]

Fraction of a game, eh?

Is that why I'm still playing Warhawk even though I purchased it on day one and will blast through MW2 by tomorrow (slow torrent) and be done with it FOREVER.

[SprSynJn]

Modern Warfare 2 is a fraction of a game compared to Warhawk. That would have made more sense.

[Nihilism]

you'll have to forgive Halo3 MLG Pro, from his username we can gather that sequels with the re-used graphics and weak single player are highly respected

[CrippleH]

When I read comments from MLG I think of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Could be either Masterchief or that MLG guy take it or leave it.

[dalibor]

Warhawk is a great online game in reality. I loved how the servers are stable & had up to 32 players for some carnage, that is one thing I hated most about COD4, lag, not the greatest stable connection, than you end up with the host leaving. I hated whenever the host left, especially if you were trying to get your win ratio up.

[thor]

Warhawk supports dedicated servers...

[thereapersson]

End of argument right there.

Can't forget, Incognito actually cares about the gamers that play their games. Can't say the same about Infinity Ward or Activision, really, especially after the way IW is treating the PC community.

[bjornbear]

excuse me but...what does this have to do with warhawk? Other than the fact that you have to include a PS3 multiplayer exclusive in to this fan boy gangbang mess of a community?

[ReviewsArePolitics]

Warhawk came out in 2007, not 2009 child. It's expected that you should deliver a better package. Also, warhawk was cheaper. Furthermore, Warhawk is not a generic "modern shooter", and it's actually *fun*.

[Subzero200x]

lol so what you only proved yo have no life.

[Nihilism]

and you just proved how immature you are by blindly defending any criticism of a game regardless of how justified it is. Now we have game and developer fanboys as well as console fanboys, we are all going to hell...especially you little boy

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Spending only a small amount of time playing through a game means you have no life? I don't get your thinking here.

[MajestieBeast]

Ye cause 4 hours is like days thank you for you brilliant logic there.

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

The 360's DVD limitation had something to do with this.

[Man_of_the_year]

Then what is your excuse for MGS4 being able to be completed in UNDER 4 hours? Is that due to the limitations of the PS3?

Stupid Droid.

[Bloodraid]

Cutscenes, my friend. They're part of the game. Don't skip 'em.

[Man_of_the_year]

Cutscenes =/= gameplay. We are talking about the length of a game that is PLAYED not watched. The length of a GAME is what is PLAYED, It has nothing to do with Cutscenes.

You need to learn the difference my friend.

Not to mention, of that 9+ hours of cutscenes, not all cutscenes in MGS4 were action based. There is quite a few hours there of long drawn out dialog scenes...

[Cueil]

Man of the Year brings up a good point regardless of your preferance... the size of the medium doesn't equal game play... I don't think any modern game last me longer than Wizardry 7 did... I put probably over a thousand hours into one party on that game. and that was on a 3.5 inch floppy

[Obama]

Mgs4 surely can't be completed in 4 hours in your first play through. (took at least 15 hours) You know a lot of games can be completed under 5 hours if you know exactly what to do and where to do, but we are talking about the first play through here. If he completes cod in his first play through, then the game is short period.

[ReviewsArePolitics]

MGS4 is not 4 hours, lol you've never played it dipsh1t

[Kleptic]

MGS4 has an unlockable earned for beating the game in under 5 hours...with zero alerts, zero deaths (obviously if you can't set off an alert), and zero kills of enemy players...I believe even bosses have to be tranqued...

watch the youtube vids of it on what you need to do...its sprint past everything...skip every cut scene immediately...and have an almost god like knowledge of where to go...

no chance in hell it can be done on your first play through without a guide...and the only reason it can be completely so quickly is because its checkpoint system is not set up like that of any cod...in MGS4 you either start the action, or it doesn't happen at all (assuming they don't see you)...thats why under 5 hours is a possibility...it can be 15 hours if you 'take sides' and actually actively engage enemies...

MW2 is not like that...no other way to cut it; just like cod 4...the campaign is insanely short...and thats ok...there is a lot more to a game...if you are still one of those fps fans that smells their own farts and insists that online play is not a selling point of a game...you are not going to get much out of MW2...but if you accept the fact that its easily one of the best multiplayer games to date...you'll love it, and its well worth the money...MGS4 only had its single player...Japan doesn't get online gaming, and MGO is a perfect illustration of that...MW2 is FAR from the best single player game this generation, I wouldn't even put it in the top 10 so far from what i've played...but its easily one of the top 5 best games of this gen overall so far...

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

Man of the year is truly an idiot. If you want to time a game based on knowing the the ins and out of it, most games can be beaten in under 4 hours. Look at Uncharted for example, if you played the game already you would know exactly how the puzzles work and it would be a breeze. You sir are the definition of a retard. Trust me nobody can beat a game like MGS4 under 4 hours on their first play through.

Jeez, the logic of a 360 fanboy these days. :rolleyes:

[DaTruth19]

wah wah wah! I'm a crybaby because the PC version doesn't have dedicated servers, so I'm going to spend every minute of my life making stupid articles to put down call of duty

How pathetic, I bet your parents are proud lol

[Dutch Boogie]

lol i see why you have only three bubbles.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

And that's what it comes down too. Just the normal haters. People complaining because it's getting rated higher than Killzone 2 and because MW2 is getting exclusive content for the 360. Same thing happen with GTA4. Just jealousy.

[kraze07]

I agree that most of these guys wining are haters, but I think you have the reasons why they're mad kind of mixed up. Most of em just don't like games with this huge amount of hype behind them. Others are still pissed with IW and Act.

[peeps]

prob true however "MW2 is getting exclusive content for the 360"

it's only timed exclusive for the first 2 map packs. the ps3 version will get them eventually

[TheDeadMetalhead]

wah wah wah! I'm a crybaby because people are actually bashing IW even though they can do no wrong ever, so I'm going to spend every minute of my life making stupid comments to defend IW because they're perfect

See what I did thar?

[ExposingLames]

its not fair to charge full price for a fricken FPS game, way beyond overdone and ran into the ground.....however if the Third person view is just as important and has its own ranked lobbies then i would say full price is fair......but thats just because i dont play single player....yes 5 hours is pitiful but if they put a lot of stuff in the online then i would exuse it, im not buying this game cuz activision but im gonna rent it.....and if you guys do buy it, try to buy it used

[abc1233]

lol, it even costs more than the average game on 360 and PS3 which is BS considering that the single player is so damn short and there are better multiplayers out there like MAG and Battlefield. Besides, you shouldn't be expected to pay more than other games like uncharted and halo which actually have pretty good single players and multiplayers.

[Feral Gamer]

I thought MW's main appeal was it's online? If you play for under 3 hours, running through it without collecting all the trophies/achievements, you still have countless hours of online gameplay.

[kraze07]

What difficulty did this guy play on? The campiagn probably isn't too long, but I'm guessing he just rushed through it just so he could tell people he finished it and get started on his review. I know he said he didn't race through it, but I'm not sure I believe him considering the fact that he usually doesn't play games for more than 2 hours in 1 sitting. Did anyone else find that odd?

[MajestieBeast]

Okay so having multiplayer justifies a 4 hour campaign? Great new trend in this gen add multiplayer and you can have a short single player.

[kraze07]

You do know there are games out with no single player at all right?

[retrofly]

Nobody cares about SP, it needs to go away and die :)

[retrofly]

You can't judge a game's length by its single player anymore. Multiplayer/Co op are now (IMO) the best parts of games. I'm not overly impressed by MW2's single player (Uncharted 2/borderlands/Fallout 3 were all better), but I bought this game for the MP and co op, and in that aspect of the game it's brilliant.

This game is 20% SP, 30% Co-op and 50% MP. If your complaining about the SP campaign then your only judging a small fraction.

[ico92]

to be honest man any game developer can make a great multiplayer with the time and care provided but a talented developer can make a long ,rememberable, single player with a deep story and characters and superb level design with the absence of multiplayer and still provide a game that will consume hours of you're time. i mean i've put more hours into a game like legend of zelda twilight princess a game with no multiplayer than a game like cod4 a game with multiplayer same with uncharted 2 i've spent more time on the single player than i have on the multiplayer not because the MP is bad in any way

[MajestieBeast]

Ye but the games without single player cost 40 bucks and not 60. So you think single player games should die. Maybe you should quit gaming better for you and those braincells you have left.

[kraze07]

Was that aimed at me or the other guy? I was just stating a fact. Personally I prefer playing single player games more than multiplayer games. If this game was multiplayer only then the $60 price tag wouldn't be right, but it's not. I still haven't played the game myself, but friends have told me the sp story is pretty cool even though it's not as long as other games tend to be.

[IkariX]

WTF.....single-player has been what most games have always been. Multiplayer is fun. But i do enjoy a story and there is no story in running around killing people online and brag about your kills. So, i agree. Single player must live and will live. Anyone who thinks different is just plain dumb

[retrofly]

How is it dumb that I dont enjoy playing a game against computer AI through scripted events, playing against real people is an infante ammount of situations is miles better than following a set path.

Maybe not all SP needs to die, just on FPS's :). I really enjoyed Uncharted 2 single player, but for a game like this I can take it or leave it.

Just becuase I dont like SP dons't make me dumb.

[SolidMGSnake]

ITs called discounts and Amazon had a pretty good deal and other merchants. Or you can get it used.

[hatchimatchi]

5 hours to beat? That is insane, how short is this game?

Most people buy this game for the MP but i'm more interested in SP games. Granted, i never planned on buying this game, but still, 5 hours is really short for a $60 game.

[TheTeam06]

And although there is a multiplayer component, a game like Heavenly Sword reaches at least 7 hours, but gets points deducted from certain sites because of it.

Yet, of course, Modern Warfare 2 didn't. Personally, I think points should be deducted for bad performance under a category that is factored into the score and that the game already has (multiplayer, co-op, split-screen, etc.) and not deducted for things that the reviewer "wishes" it had.

Also, points shouldn't be taken if a game is short. It could've been the developers decision. The story might've dragged on if it kept going, and if the reviewer doesn't like it, they should add it as a note, not a point taken off.

The review system, like our US judicial system, is broken and outdated in some cases. The whole thing just wreaks of corruption.

[Darrius Cole]

I think points should be taken away if the single-player is too short.

There is a steady trend of the game makers giving use less content for the same money. A four hour campaign is much too short. I would rather the game just ditch the campaign altogether and be multi-player only. Next week there will be some DLC for sale for this game.

[TheTeam06]

If they had it that way, Warhawk would've had terrible review scores because the campaign was stripped altogether, yet the multiplayer had enough power and replay value to keep gamers going. And if Uncharted 2 were to be any longer in campaign, it wouldn't have been as compelling story-wise. Sometimes it's best to have a short story, unless it's a story that was simply cut in half. That just wouldn't make sense.

[rukia_chan]

pathetic this...

[IkariX]

Picked up my copy from CNA this morning. And guess what, I'm all ready done with the single player. But, seems like some of the sites are really being dumb-asses with their reviews. Giving the game a 10 for graphics etc. Damn...so that means it looks better than Killzone 2, Better than Gears of War 2....wait....even better than Uncharted 2. Don't be stupid. Guess if you buy the game only for the SP, you are going to feel totally ripped off. Or worst case scenario....feel Bobby's weener in your ass

[kraze07]

"feel Bobby's weener in your ass"

LMAO! Looked at your avatar then imagined Quagmire saying that. Too funny, lol.

[souljah]

phack it.

[PS3and4_HAS_GAMES]

its funny how xbox gamers are denfeding mw2 like its thier own game lol...must be pretty lonely over there on micprobesoft's side..jump out

[Pennywise]

5/5 for 5... hours.

To be fair this game is all about the MP... but they mark every other game off for being so short. Here's to overhyped and biased reviews!

[Dorwrath]

Glad I decided this would be a rental.

[gamingisnotacrime]

$60 are better used in Borderlands, which gives over 20 hours of gameply, and takes away your life at the same time like all RPGs lol

[akumous]

I think MW2 is an evolution to the series but I have to agree with everyone that the short campaign is an undermining factor. Maybe the game should have been 50 bucks instead of 60 because it has a short campaign. However, the majority of gamers are buying it solely of the online and the don't care about the story or the story is pretty much second to them. Well, if so, then the game should have been sold as online only pricing at 40 bucks instead of 60. In conclusion, this game doesn't deserve 60 bucks at all and once all of the hype dies down gamers will be coming about the short campaign, it is inevitable.

Uncharted 2, if I should compare, is really the complete package here and should be game of the year or the best game of all time...

[Deios]

Yes is a record. But only your record.

[divideby0]

this game is a rip-off...just look at the facts

< 7 hr SP
2 player CoOP
18 player MP

graphics pretty much the same
and there is a another COD coming out next year...

sure it will sell well...but you can see a milked engine which just is not keeping up with games like UC2..

[oldsnayke]

Treyarch is just a poor developer in itself - IW really looks into what the community wants and therefore develops their games surrounding the wants and needs of gamers. Even if Treyarch develops another game, this game will be more popular - it's just like CoD4 compared to WaW except MW2 is gaining more and more hype by the day and will become (I estimate) roughly three times more popular than CoD4, increasing the community quite vastly. I looked at a YouTube vid this morning because I don't have an Xbox (getting mine back on the 26th) and I noticed 176,000 people were online.

Oops, that was for the Xbox version. Lmao.

[napoleon_ist]

then start with the hardest mode instead of "Easy" next time you buy a full priced game you stupid.

[DonCorneo]

yeah, SP is short but there's co-op and MP which will last months

[napoleon_ist]

sounds logic to me.

[ZBlacktt]

Regular = same time. So harder is going to justify the price, lol. Either way, the game is short as hell. Is there any game shorter than 4hr 40mins that took 2 years to make? Someone is cashing in bigtime on this game, lol.

[Foliage]

That's like telling someone that if they find a game short that they should only use their left hand next time. Don't get the duration of the game confused with the duration of a play session. If that was the case, you can almost claim that xbox game "x" or PS3 game "y" had a longer duration because you achieved every trophy/achievement. That is just not how it works.

Dying twice as much doesn't make a game longer. Standing in a corner for an hour doesn't make a game longer. Standing in cover for an extra hour doesn't make the game longer.

[oldsnayke]

The multiplayer took a lot more time to work on than campaign mode, and that is the main focus of IW's games - not the campaign, hence why the stories tend to be so short.

[Uzesgelen_Goo]

i completed story in 7 hour (^^)

[thehitman]

If you play game on easy sure its short trying playing on hard or veteran and try again.. and theres ppl who beat MGS4 in 5hrs on hardest and that game is by no means short lol.

[ironcreed]

I remember the days when the campaign was the heart and soul of a game. Hell, it was the game. Now days, 5 hour campaigns and rehashed multiplayer first person shooter frag fests are what is considered the cream of the crop. How many rounds of capture the f*cking flag, death match, ect does it take for you to realize you are doing the same damn thing in every one of these shooters? The only difference is the weapons, gameplay and maps.

Yes, COD plays great, but it is still the same damn thing over and over again and they barely even give you a campaign to make it a better all around package. Yet, it get's a free pass and perfect scores based on the multiplayer alone. I am sorry, but if a full priced shooter is going to get such high scores, it damn well better have a fully fleshed out campaign in addition to the rehashed, frag fest multiplayer they dole out in sequel after sequel. As the latter has been done so many times, I don't know how in the hell any reviewer worth his salt can dock points from any game for "not doing anything new." As they seem to conveniently ignore the very same fault in the never ending hordes of multiplayer driven first person shooters that Call of Duty is very much a part of, but is held to a near mythical status based 90% on brand name alone.

[bjornbear]

This MW2 looks like a multiplayer FPS with a single player tacked on (very well tacked on).

Still, might get eventually.

[Edews]

Right so; on PC you get short sh!t SP along with sh!t console MP? Should i buy it just for Spec-Ops? Fck no.

[sgtmus]

The game itself looks and sounds fantastic. I am a little disappointed about the single player campaign length. I'm really not into the online gaming, I'm not that great at it. However I've seen and given it a try and it's nor for me.
The Spec-ops is pretty decent. For the price I paid, I really wish the campaign was longer, it left me wanting more to play of the single player.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Ask yourself these two questions:
"What did I say when Killzone 2 got criticized for a short campaign?"
and
"What am I saying now that Modern Warfare 2 gets criticized for a short campaign?"

If you have different answers for these, then you may be a fanboy. Note: this works for fanboys of both sides.

Both these games have now had a story about being beaten in about 5 hours, and both have a meaty multi-player component to supplement the excellent campaign.

[sam2236]

>Killzone 2
>excellent campaign

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Man, that cracks me up! MW2 I can understand seems that it was made by the same people who made CoD4's brilliant (And also ridiculously short) SP campaign, but KZ2?! Jesus Christ!

[Dorfdad]

Wow doing some rough math at 62.00 per game including taxes that comes out to be about $0.22 per minute of gameplay 284 minutes 4 hours 44 mins.

Or 13.20 For the first hour, 26.40 for 2 hours, 39.60 for 3 hours, 52.80 for 4 hours, and 9.68 for the final 44 minutes.

I do understand the whole appeal if probably for online gameplay but that's a bit expensive for a game to be bought if your primary goal is single player. (kind of makes you wish they made all games single player dropped the cost, and charged for the online portions) So you could decided yourself.

Now with that $62.00 you could have bought a 3 month gamefly account played Dragon Age, Uncharted 2, Medal of Honor, and 15 other titles.

Buying games just doesn't make sense to me anymore.. To many new games coming out to be a collector. Very few people replay old games as they are mostly linear in nature.

Plus I could just rent it again should I care to. Of course the instant gratification isn't there.

[turricanes1385]

.... games for the single player campaign and it seems like they only cared about multiplayer. I actually buy games for the single player but it seems as if multiplayer is the only thing that matters nowadays. I'm shocked that no one tried to implement multiplayer in God of War 3.

[JJFNIGHTS80]

I doubt anyone have time to finish the game in 4 hours just after few minutes or hours of game release.

[streety519a]

This guy completed the game on Veteran difficulty, and got 3 stars on all of Spec Ops and has prestiged 3 times in multiplayer in under 5 hours? This guy must be the greatest gamer of all time! I really want to hang with this dude he sounds cool. Just wow.

[boJABER]

it would be nice to have a longer campaign but the game offers spec ops and multiplayer options. those offer limitless time of fun :)

[Commodore]

...Dont run through the game with out shooting anyone on easy.

Actually play the game, you obviously tried to do it quick so you could write an article about it....Idiot

[Stevo35]

I would guess it was so short because they had to leave something to charge for. They will sell you some DLC and get that $100 they wanted one way or another!

[Rio-Hustla-Inc]

Sounds like a DVD ROM problem to me.

[JonnyBigBoss]

Well, if you want a single-player game than Uncharted 2 definitely kills MW2 in that regard, but the multi-player in MW2 has more replay value.

[gtamike123]

5 hours thats just as bad as ODST.
Just wait a better game that does not look like mod.
M.A.G 256 players or battlefield bad company 2.

[The_Denzel]

Hype BC2 some more and watch the campaign be just as short on the EASIEST difficulty.

[Dellis]

I put it like this

games can be 99.99 and 5 hours long people will still buy it

that is why gamers get screw over, they see people buying

so they will keep doing it.

[ZBlacktt]

Another friend of another site just posted......

[QUOTE=callum-2006;408343661] I just finished the campaign in 4:46:13 on "Regular" difficulty haha. I don't care though cause its all about the multiplayer for me :D[/QUOTE]

Holly hype shortest game ever???? lol. I guess all those loose ends of the story from COD4 that this was suppose to fill in. Was nothing more than a quick note, lol. We'll $60 for online playing it is then. Hope it's worth it and you don't feel like you have a map pack from COD4 2007.

[DonCorneo]

graphics are the same. i really do not see any improvements. it's still good-looking, don't get me wrong. but after being blown away by kz2 and uncharted 2, i wouldn't give this a 10 for graphics.

MP is still fun, though. haven't tried spec ops yet. they said there are some cool stuff in it but no way it will top uncharted 2's co-op.

[sofocado]

What Modern Warfare 2 has to do with GTA IV?

[vigilante_man]

I was so pumped to get GTA IV after the hype & reviews. I got that one wrong! So boring after a few hours of awful car driving..

And now a short Single Player game that does not get reflected in the reviews..

Can Gaming journalists really call themselves journalists?

[Magna Farta]

It's been pretty established that CoD is about 90% multiplayer-focused.

I'm willing to bet that over half the copies of it sold won't ever have the single-player option selected during their ownership, especially the 360 version

Case in point, when i bought my 360 from someone a few months ago, they had halo 3 included with it, and I tried out the single player there to test the 360 and everything. The kid I was buying it from looked at it and said "Huh, never seen that before."

I asked him if he ever even tried the single-player campaign. and he replied that he hadn't, he had owned the game for 2 years and never once played single-player.

I also feel that this behavior is increasing and I'm also willing to bet that by next year, CoD won't even have a single-player campaign. If the devs want to save some money, just make it a multi-player game like Warhawk or Battlefield. Just don't charge $60 for it if you go that route.

[Ether]

Dunno about the campaign, but that mini-skirt is DEFINITELY not too short.

[sam2236]

So why aren't lots of people complaining about this being a four hour game when Termina-oh wait, Terminator Salvation was a movie game so of course everyone will tear it to shreds, whereas MW2 is GOTY ALL YEARZ!!1!!11!!1! before anyone even played it.

Looks like I'm dropping this off of my list. I don't play online and having the game clock in at only four hours is a disappointment.

Why are all games so short this gen?!

[Darkspade]

I don't think it counts on easy

[ASSASSYN 36o]

The moment I read he played it on recruit it became pointless to continue. Stupid article.

[Somnipotent]

but seriously, you didn't intend to just play the single player campaign when you bought this game right? multiplayer is the sole reason my friends and i bought this game. i spent $120 on this game (both xbox and ps3 versions) and i will enjoy the countless hours of fragging and headshots. well worth the money.

[111111]

Thats not really short. Where were you when games lasted 20 minutes, mate? Also arent first person shooters all about the multiplayer experience, hum?

[Rocco Siffredi]

so if MW2 doesnt deserv a 9 or 10.. than KZ2 or even HALO3/ ODST should got a 7 or 8.. cause nearly all reviewers complained about the "new controls" (KZ2) and many gamers didnt like the controls from KZ2.

And like mentioned above... MW2 has right now 80x more players online (PSN!!), this shows how popular the game online is!

So stop talking about the reviews, because MW2 offers much more compared to KZ2 or Halo3.

[GarandShooter]

'because MW2 offers much more compared to KZ2 or Halo3'

Such as...

[bigrudowsky]

well he played it on recruit... should have played at least on normal.
Either way it seems short but im sure it was full of excitement.
If you skip all the scenes in uncharted and play on easy its prob a 5 to 6 hour game..

[kelo123]

that isnt a recored cause someone i know beat it on veteran in ike 3 hours yes he has no life and you do also

[xtremeimport]

the multiplayer and online visuals looked almost the exact same when i saw someone play it today. I havent played it yet, but seeing the online and then reading that the story can be beat quick isnt really a good thing for me. cause the game is expensive and the only reason i am given so far to buy it is because no one will be on the original soon.

[monkey602]

Just finished it in 4hrs 57mins on normal. Yeah it's pretty short.
But Spec Ops is a nice addition and the multiplayer is great. I got the game cheap too so no hard feelings really

EDIT: Or at least I wouldn't if I anyone on the PSN could join their friends. That has to be fixed ASAP!

[Andrez92]

maybe he is just a huge nerd wit no life dat had notin else to do? daz y he beat it so fast

[AndrewE]

but the mutliplayer playtime is OVERRR 9000!!!!!

[The Iron Sheik]

Under 6 hour campaign = NO GOTY for you MW2!

[ZBlacktt]

Under 6? More like under 5, lol... Like you could get up. Start playing at breakfast and be totally done by lunch, lol...sad.

[Daishi]

Anyone remember Resident Evil? You got a rocket launcher for beating it in under 2 hours...

[monkey602]

It was 3 hrs and You had to know the game like the back of your hand to pull it off

[Poopface the 2nd]

I like it for the multiplayer. I never even finished cod4 SP cause I thought it was boring. So far the SP in this one seems a little better from what ive played soo far.

It doesnt bother me if its short because I only like cod 4 and this one for the multiplayer anyways. If your expecting a long/deep campaign then a recent cod game isnt where to look.

I am a huge SP FPS fan as my two favorite games ever were SP but still like cod 6 for its great Multiplayer action.

I understand some people wanna complain but ill be realistic about it. Alot of games only have SP or only multi, at least cod can do them both well.

Im all for a great SP but lets us one of my favs bioshock for an example. Great SP an amazing game, but after playing through it 2 or 3 times theres nothing to do. COd4 I spent hours and hours more time playing even though I never even finished the SP.

edit- I dont even have it but If the issue is total time spent with the game then I see no issue, as this game has more re-playability than most. Most seem upset about the reviews. You people care WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much about reviews. Maybe im just lucky I know what games I like before they come out usually and can tell a crap one from a mile away(quantum theroy). I like cod for the multi, if you wanna play only the SP on cod then just rent it. Complaining about it wont make you any less stupid.

[maskedwarrior]

I doubt many people bought MW2 just for single-player...

[i3eyond the Circle]

I beat KZ2 in 5 and a half hours.

Do we all get cookies for beating anticipated games in short times?

Oh...I know we need some news to give the fanboys on this site who are hating MW2 because its overshadowing all of their proclaimed exclusives.

Spot on right? lol

[i3eyond the Circle]

5 and a half hours of a non centered story that gave the game no reason I should add.

MW2's campaign puts actions and the seat gluing aspect on everything.

[cheameup]

everyone knows the SP is short . I would not buy MW2 if i didnt play online but I do and I love it. The SP is secondary to the MP in my opinion

[TwistedMetal]

pop in your old COD game and play the mp and the only difference is the number of people playeing. alot of you are kidding yourselfs. enjoy the game all you want but dont defend it because it doesnt deserve defending and either does the company so I dont know why some of you are defending them. you are a gamer they trying to screw gamers you dont vocally take there side its not rocket science.

[ambientFLIER]

I completed the single player portion of Smash Brothers on the N64 in about 15 minutes. It was a full-priced game. Should I make an article about it too?

[rockguy92]

And their $60, rehashed multiplayer and 5 hour campaign.

[L-a-i-n]

I remember when games actually had something other than multi-player in them. Man I miss those days. Sitting back and playing a well thought out game with a great story. It is a shame gaming has come to people just buying games for something that should be just an added bonus. I think somebody out there needs to step up and give shooters something other than the same old thing.

[Raider69]

KUDOS TO FROM SOFTWARE AND THE MARVELOUS DEMONS SOULS!NOW THATS A FU.ING FULL LENGHT PACK ACTION GAME!180 HOURS AND STILL COUNTING ! BUBBLES PLEASE?

[blahblah123]

IW makes great MP games. COD SP is garbage and has been after 2. Terrible squad AI and not much "tactics" other than run to the checkpoint. Die Die Die. Run to the checkpoint. Die Die Die.

The MW2 MP could have been released as DLC. Its fun and runs smooth but is it $60 and two years better?

Nah. How many people upped for the toy Night vision?

Suckers.

[Kaneda]

Next week Star Trek is coming on Bluray.. Ohhh yeaaaahhh!!

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

I had fun playing MW2.Looks great.But I'm glad I only rented it as it seems like a expansion pack to me.Very short one player campaign.Which I enjoy as much as online play.Could have sold this game as a $20.00 download or disc.That's just my opinion.

[bunfighterii]

yeah you know why its been so hyped? cos it cost like a bajillion dollars to make, with some ridiculous budget and it essentially is a rehashed engine. I'm not hatin on it, I've said below I like the game, its good fun. But somewhere down the line someone poured too much money into this thing.

on another completely different thought... the spec ops mode is different and does add an entirely new angle to the game. i think alot of posts are overlooking that.

[Tex117]

I have other games to play.

I hate multiplayer and FPS's. When this game is barely more than a multiplayer game, I will pass.

[horndog]

countless motherf$$$$n hours of on live. On line is where it's at ladies it's to bad the psn sucks donkey $ht when it comes to on line play so i can see why many of you think there is only 4 hours of gameplay.

P.S. The 360 controll is the best for this game only 2nd to the mouse/p.c. The ps3 shoulder pads just felt weird with Cod 4.

[morkendo]

just wow!! sound like the time i beat R&C quest for booty 4 :40 min.

[flirt_games]

sh!t game... 3/10....

[filfyvillain]

This website really is a piece of sh!t. How could anyone take it seriously?

[bunfighterii]

seeing as i never really played the first one much i'm liking it so far, though it seems a little overhyped- but still good. A mate and i finished the first one in 4-5 hours when we rented it, and that was enough to make me not want to buy it. ODST went for 3-4 hours and we all slammed that as an add on... (well i did)

i'll file this one in the good but overhyped category.

[PSNsecrets]

yes you can complete the mw2 in under 5 hours but hay i did it in under 3 hours and 15 min 25 sec so what ever how long the game goes on for it dosn't matter people buy games to play online anyway sooo why all the bullshit about MGS4 mgs4 was good but it came and gone just like mw2 will soon MICROSOFT CAN EAT MY S**T suck my CO*K or become a picture on my wall showing how the red ring of death was becoming one of the bigest let down junk of all time but i'v still got my ps3 on launch day its been 3 years ago since i got it never had a problem microsoft 360 died the very next day of release..... hardware or software the 360 was the biggest LOSERS of the year probably 4 million 360 died after release ps3 may have died 2 or 3 years after sooo microsoft WINS the gold trophy for it LAME hardware sony won the platinum trophy for beating 360 at not dieing after release. F**K YOU MICROSOFT and f**k all the fanboys or FAN F-a-g-s on 360 out there