The Rest of the Modern Warfare 2 Review

Originally posted on 22/11/09

Special Ops: Like the Epilogue at the end of COD4, these are 13 missions which are unrelated to the actual story, although many of them take place in locations featured within the story. You can play them solo or with a friend, although it's adviseable to get someone good and who has a mic if you want to complete them on veteran. Just to let you know, me and Cogan have managed all but 4 on said difficulty. Each of them is a nice wee challenge and can be fun, the snowmobile races and controllable predator drones spring to memory, and they can range from the simple (running the pit from the first campaign mission in under 35 seconds) to the utterly absurd (taking down 10 juggernaughts with a Thumper and an RPG). For reference, Juggernaughts are Russian men wearing huge armour suits who can take 5 .50cal bullets to the head before dying. They can also take an equal amount of RPG's to the chest without even falling down.

While they provide a challenge and a change from the norm at first, the re-play value is minimal at best. There's no global leaderboard to check your best times, so trying to perfect them is pretty pointless. Although it does give you Infinity Wards best time for each once you've completed them, and some of the times there seem frankly impossible. Following is the list of Spec Ops and the varying degrees of difficulty/need for another person.

The Pit: Doesn't involve getting shot at, simple, quicker if you've two folk
Sniper Fi: Picking people off from an elevated position, controllablepredator drone makes short work of them
O Cristo Redentor: Going through a Favela to kill a set limit of hostiles. To quote Captain Price, check your corners!
Evasion: Part of the campaign mission Contingency, done best when sticking to the cover of trees and with another person
Suspension: Fighting through a bridge against rapelling enemies and eventually helicopters, fairly straightforward, done better with two people

Overwatch: The mission "Hunted" from COD4, one person controls an AC130 and the other is on the ground, trying to reach the objective in time. Requires constant communication between both players
Body Count: Set in the eating complex from the campaign, you have to kill Russians to get points, similar to the Arcade Mode from COD4. Completable in 14 seconds on veteran.
Bomb Squad: Going through a Favela to defuse 3 bombs in a time limit, not very hard, easier with an extra person to pick off stragglers.
Race: The snowmobile chase from the end of the mission Cliffhanger. Very straightforward
Big Brother: Very challenging, one man on the ground, the other a gunner in a helicopter with a blind pilot. Based on the mission Wolverines!, you have to get to the roof of a building and jump on. Needs two players to play.

Hidden: Everyones favourite COD4 mission, only backwards. Sniping people in Chernobyl with a ghillie suit on, two players is vital so you can spot snipers.
Breach & Clear: Based on the campaign mission The Gulag, get through some shower rooms with folk shooting at you in a time limit. Not a challenge at all, pick up a riot shield, go back to back with the other player and you can run straight through without shooting anyone
Time Trial: Race except with Arcade racer-esque time gates. Needs two players to pick up enough gates to complete.
Homeland Security: Like Body Count, but with a set limit of hostiles to kill, and helicopters and BTRs and pred drones all shooting at you. Needs two people, one sniping and one with an assault rifle.
Snatch & Grab: Based on The Enemy of My Enemy from campaign. Features lots of Juggernaughts, and lots of yanks who can shoot through the most ridiculous space to hit your face. Not nice at all, definately needs two people.

Wardriving: Based on a campaign mission I can't recall the name of, you have to go into 3 houses and wait for data to download from a laptop, whilst directing the blind halfwit in the Stryker where to shoot. Needs two people, and good sentry gun use.
Wreckage: Exactly like Suspension, except you have to blow cars up. If you blow enough up, you get unlimited ammo, making it a complete skoosh.
Acceptable Losses: Based on Cliffhanger, you have to plant 3 C4's then buggar off during a blizzard. In a sick joke, your heartbeat sensor is attached to an AA12. Needs COMPLETE stealth and communication, otherwise you'll get Soap moaning at you.
Terminal: Vaguely like No Russian, you have to shoot the Russian polis. Needs two people to spot everyone, make sure you have noob tubes to take down the FSB.
Estate Takedown: Based on the campaign mission Loose Ends, take down 40 hostile in and around the big house. Features Juggernaughts, and people shooting at you from very far away who have very good aims.

Wetwork: Based on The Only Easy Day... Was Yesterday, go up through the oilrig freeing the hostages. Easier with two people so you can cover all the folk shooting at you.
High Explosive: An utter joke, take down 10 Juggernaughts in a favela with only a Thumper and RPGs. Bloody solid.
Armor Piercing: 15 Juggernaughts and an oilrig. Simple, provided you pick up the Barrett at the start.

In all, Spec Ops is a nice wee distraction from the campaign and mulitplayer, but ultimately has less replay value than The Force Unleashed, and can be very, very annoying on Veteran.