We are literally days away from the
release of the next installment of one of the biggest gaming franchises ever:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. While many people may already be planning the
campout at their local Wal-Mart (or wherever else it is you go to buy games in
the middle of the night) there is a simple solution for those of us who are not
so die-hard.
Play the first Modern Warfare instead.
Wait, this is not the giant step backward that some of you may think. Here are a
few facts for you to chew on (and do not spit them back out, either). First,
this game is not dead at all. I logged in and found hundreds of populated
servers ready for my bombing runs and helicopter strafing attacks, though I was
annoyingly shot to death through walls more times than I care to admit. Whether
this happened because of cheating, or that the other players were so familiar
with the maps that they just knew the camping spots I do not know remains to be seen.
Next are the entry requirements. Despite being released in 2007, Modern Warfare still commands a hefty $19.99 at many retailers. This series is not exactly known for it's budget pricing. You will be paying $59.99 for Modern Warfare 3 for the next year or two at least (maybe even three, anyone care to take the bet?). If you cannot get the scratch for the newest iteration, you can lay off the Mountain Dew for a few weeks and grab Modern Warfare with your savings!
If you like your single-player, Modern Warfare 1 wins again. It takes about seven hours to complete the campaign of the first game. Subsequent games have provided shorter and shorter single-player experiences for gamers who just want to school as many AI enemies as possible. In fact, Modern Warfare 2’s campaign takes around six hours to push through. Modern Warfare 3’s campaign is rumored to take only five hours to complete.
Think about it this way: Say Wal-Mart is
having a midnight opening so that you can snag your copy right away. You get out
of work at five and want to get in line right away. For a little bit of fun, you
bring your laptop and charger along. What are you going to do with those seven
dead hours? Talk with your friends? I think not. If you boot up Modern Warfare,
you are sitting pretty until the blue-smocked associate unlocks the doors. If
next year you are waiting in the same line for Modern Warfare 4, you will be out
of luck at around ten with Modern Warfare 3.
Do you think that you are a pro because
of your skills in subsequent games like Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops? Well, if
yes, you can go test your mettle against the hardened veterans of Modern Warfare
1 multiplayer. Many of them have been practicing since 2007 just to school any
newbs who think they are hot in the sequels. This is the real challenge, not the
incredible lagginess of crowded release day servers.
Give yourself the present of Modern
Warfare 1. With the money you save, you can even buy a friend a copy for maximum
multiplayer mayhem. Spread the love.
Check out yesterday's alternative to Modern Warfare 3, Team Fortress 2, and come back tomorrow for another game you can play instead of Modern Warfare 3.