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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) is best judged as three different games in one package: a varied single-player campaign, competitive multiplayer built around customizable weapons, and cooperative Special Ops missions. Critics generally praised its shooting, presentation, and campaign variety, while raising concerns about launch-era technical problems, campaign length, multiplayer balance, limited co-op content, and conservative design. Whether it is worth playing depends on which mode matters most to you.
Which Modern Warfare II is this?
This review guide covers Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the 2022 sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is not the 2009 Modern Warfare 2, nor the 2022 remaster of that older game’s campaign. Activision’s 2022 launch announcement identifies the game and its launch platforms.
What do reviews say overall?
The critic-review excerpts collected by Metacritic are generally positive about the core shooting, presentation, campaign variety, and multiplayer possibilities. The reservations are more useful than a single broad verdict: different critics called out launch bugs or crashes, balance or technical issues, a campaign they felt was short, limited cooperative content, or a sequel that iterated cautiously rather than taking a major creative risk. These are review themes, not complaints shared by every outlet.
For a purchase decision, weigh each mode separately. A player mainly interested in the campaign may value its variety and accept its perceived brevity; a multiplayer-focused player should consider the debate over movement, pacing, and balance; and a co-op player should ask whether the available Special Ops content is enough to justify the game.
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#1 Best Overall
- Call of Duty: Modern Wafare II PS5
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the sequel to 2019’s blockbuster Modern Warfare.
- Featuring the return of the iconic, team leader Captain John Price, the fearless John "Soap" MacTavish, the seasoned Sergeant Kyle "Gaz” Garrick, and the lone wolf himself, fan favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley, players will witness what makes Task Force 141 the legendary squad it is today.
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Is the campaign good?
Activision presents the campaign as a global Task Force 141 operation with varied settings and encounters, including infiltration, underwater combat, assaults, and stealth. That is the publisher’s description of what the mode contains, not an independent quality judgment; the launch announcement provides the official framing.
Reviewers in the Metacritic sample praised mission variety and presentation, but some considered the campaign short. That makes it a more straightforward recommendation for someone who values a varied, cinematic shooter campaign than for someone expecting a long single-player game. The evidence here does not establish one universal playtime or a consensus on the campaign’s length.
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Is MWII multiplayer fun?
Multiplayer brings back familiar modes, adds Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out, and includes a third-person playlist. Activision also highlights a revamped Gunsmith for weapon customization on its official product page. Critics generally liked the shooting and saw potential in the multiplayer, but reviews also raised balance and technical concerns. Those issues can matter more to players who expect a stable, carefully balanced competitive experience than to someone mainly looking for the core gunplay and range of modes.
The design debate has also persisted beyond launch reviews. In a 2026 retrospective, PC Gamer quoted Infinity Ward multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot: “In Modern Warfare 2, we made some changes that were maybe healthier for the game and the way it played, but created friction and removed fun for some players.” His comment helps explain why movement and pacing became contested choices; it is a retrospective developer account, not a replacement for launch-era criticism or a guarantee that every player will dislike those changes.
Does Special Ops offer enough co-op?
Special Ops is tactical cooperative play. Activision describes missions involving tasks such as infiltrating, defending, and destroying communication servers on the official product page. Some critics found the co-op offering limited in content, so it is harder to recommend the package on the strength of Special Ops alone if you expect a large, sustained cooperative mode. The available review evidence does not establish a single co-op value judgment for every player.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you play it on PS5, Xbox, or PC?
At launch, Activision listed PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC Battle.net, and PC Steam. The current official product page groups platforms as Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation, while Xbox’s listing specifies Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10/11. Check the store for your region and platform before buying: current edition listings and availability can change. The review evidence does not establish a universally superior platform.
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- Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the sequel to 2019’s blockbuster Modern Warfare
- Featuring the return of the iconic, team leader Captain John Price, the fearless John "Soap" MacTavish, the seasoned Sergeant Kyle "Gaz” Garrick, and the lone wolf himself, fan favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley, players will witness what makes Task Force 141 the legendary squad it is today
- From small-scale, high-stakes infiltration tactics to highly classified missions, players will need to leverage new weapons, vehicles, and cutting-edge equipment to take on their enemies
- Infinity Ward will immerse fans in heart-pounding next-gen, state-of-the-art gameplay. Fight alongside friends in a truly immersive experience with stunningly realistic sound, lighting, and graphics that produce the most advanced Call of Duty in history
Xbox states that online multiplayer on console requires an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Check the current Xbox product listing for applicable details. This subscription note is specific to Xbox console online multiplayer; it should not be generalized to PC or PlayStation.
Quick Recap
Who should play Modern Warfare II (2022)?
- Consider it for the campaign if mission variety, presentation, and shooting appeal to you, and you are comfortable with some critics’ view that it is short.
- Consider it for multiplayer if you want familiar Call of Duty modes alongside additions such as Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out, while recognizing that balance, stability, and movement drew criticism.
- Be more cautious if co-op is your priority. Special Ops offers tactical missions, but some reviews judged its content limited.
- Confirm platform and online requirements before purchasing, especially the Xbox console multiplayer subscription requirement and the exact current edition in your region.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
