Modern Warfare 2: Infinity Ward Main Site
Modern Warfare 2: Infamy Official Trailer (HD)
Modern Warfare 2: Gamespot Review
Halo 3:ODST Bungie.net site
Halo 3:ODST Trailer on youtube
Halo 3:ODST Review on Gamespot
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 vs. Halo 3 / Halo 3:ODST
First off I’m putting the most recent COD in comparison to Halo 3 (full game) and Halo 3:ODST. Why? For the same price as MW2 you can get both a used copy of Halo 3 (for the solo / co-op campaign) and Halo 3:ODST which also includes all the multiplayer up to its date of release along with survival mode. This is partially b/c of the high resale value / used value of the COD4/5 games through regular retailers and in some part through secondary sources like craigslist / ebay. If this is any indication of the quality of each game in comparison to each other I’m not 100% certain however, demand for the supply i.e. basic econ says MW2 is in higher demand and will retain its “resale” value so to speak. Case in point, I purchased a spare copy of Halo 3 for LAN parties so scrubs without the game could still play, it was roughly 20 US dollars, later on I purchased COD4 roughly a month before the release of COD5 and paid 40 dollars. Gaming may be a recession proof industry but gamers still want the most value for their money, i.e. replay value, multiplayer content, single player and co-op. If you own neither of these games and you have $50.00 which game should you buy or will give you the most fun for your money.
Part of me wonders if this is a “fair” comparison, if these two games fall under the same genre. In a way, I think the dividing line is a fairly clear while both are FPS / Shooters, the emphasis for each is different. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) is Player 1. Player 1 is a semi-realistic military FPS with emphasis on multi-player / competitive gameplay and tries to continue its format from the previous Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (COD4). Halo 3 is Player 2, and is what I would classify as a sci-fi action shooter with an emphasis on its campaign story but a significant amount of focus on multi-player. In playing Halo 3 prior to Modern Warfare2, I had only about 2 weeks of COD4 play before MW2 released and it felt too fast / jumpy and just running around getting killed a lot, so I never really gave it a chance. After playing Borderlands which uses a similar ADS and sprint control scheme (the controls are practically identical, minus C4) transitioning to Borderlands was an easy adjustment (just more dying, a lot, repeatedly, for just for the lols).
In the table below I try to outline as many items or qualities of each game for side by side comparison since on the outside or the wrapper of each game is its story, its packaging, etc but looks can’t tell the whole story, for software it’s the functionality and features that the user is able to have the really show how much you can really do. Comparatively, there is a case for both games to be fun given the setting that it is to be played in (solo, co-op, or multiplayer) and in no way is there debate about the quality of each game. Both games provide varied, quality gameplay of all types (solo, co-op, multiplayer), the preference of each is debatable depending on which you like best.
| Halo 3 / ODST | MW2 |
| no aim down sights | ADS mechanic |
| Online rankings do not confer bonuses other than cosmetic | XP leveling / online rankings lead to promotions that unlock weapons |
| no sprint ( one speed) | sprint / i.e. left thumb stick get abused |
| no perks or special bonuses | Perks provide bonuses or variety tailored to player preference |
| no class setup, all player defaults are the same | classes / weapons unlock as you level up |
| all weapons found on map or off other players | No weapons on map, online ranking up to 70 or challenges to unlock weapon options |
| health packs / shields regenerate | health regenerates |
| some achievements require multiplayer | no multiplayer achievements, only in spec ops or single player |
| unlockable armor sets / customizable colors / emblems | skins for guns / no customizable outfits / schemes – titles / emblems for names |
| Vehicles – players can drive, fly, carry multiple people in some vehicles | Temporary use of Vehicles (Chopper Gunner, AC130) but not pilotable |
| No xp – all players have roughly same advantage / disadvantage | some players have earned advantages / bonuses based on online XP gain |
| Dual wield | dual wield unlocked per weapon in multiplayer |
| Campaign Co-OP or single player | Campaign single player only |
| No scenario-based Co-Op | Spec Ops: Co-Op Play with specific scenarios and difficulty settings |
| Co-Op Surivival mode, up to 4 players vs. waves of bots | No Survival mode, some Co-Op scenarios play similarly but not a dedicated game type |
| Multiple ways to customize online play or LAN play | online gameplay preset / limited customization |
| Survival mode with Firefight | Multiplayer IS survival mode, spec ops for Co-Op play |
| Skull collection can add variety / challenge to all game types except multiplayer | No story unlockables / skulls / hidden secret stuff – that I know of |
| LAN friendly / game by nature encourages LAN play | ANTI-LAN, why would u, you can’t rank up. No cool games like Juggernaught |
| Clan tags | Clan tags |
| Sandbox / map editor | No Sandbox / map editor |
| Rocket Launchers are a funny game type | Noob tube = bad |
| 8 vs 8 max game size online or on LAN | 9 vs. 9 max game size online or on LAN |
| Blood Gulch CTF | Wasteland Domination |
| Red vs. Blue | QQ’ing on youtube |
| All matches recorded and can be watched for highlights, no per kill recording | Killcam shows the last seconds before player is killed in certain game modes, no match recording |
| Online stats tracking in multiplayer on bungie.net | In game rankings only, no stats via internet |
| No hardcore or elevated difficulty online | hardcore mode provides limited HUD, no killcam |
After considering all the different features and having played both games extensively my final epic conclusion is that both of these games have merits on both sides and there’s alot of reason to play both given situation, occassion or which game your friends want to play…> BUT < that was not the purpose of this post nor is it the purpose of this blog to not give you what I want you to want -> answers <-
If I had to choose 1 game to buy especially after having played both a ton, I’d buy MW2 over Halo 3 / ODST. Here’s why: MW2 I’ve played online everyday since I got it, and I have no doubt I will keep playing. Halo 3: ODST was short, albeit cool edgy story, the multiplayer component has been around and just didn’t give me a sense of “Wow I really want to play this b/c I want to try to own people.” I’ll admit there was a time when I played a decent amount of Halo 3 mulitplayer online and after getting ODST I really wanted to try the Firefight mode. It just felt flat and un-interesting, even though I love me some Halo, I didn’t get the kind of satisfaction out of Rocket duels or Firefight mode or even Co-Op campaign that I have out of Spec Ops, Campaign for MW2. WHY? I’m going to have to say its the setup of the game itself, the leveling up / ranking up, the variety of weapons, the simulated war game just has more appeal than sci-fi shoot em up where all the weapons are on the map and I have to run around getting the best ones. Having a preset kit or class prior to a game starting as well as being able to swap between them is whats the word: genre-defining i.e. awesome.
Now if you gave me a choice between MW2 and say Halo 4 where said non-existing Halo has classes, class swapping, some type of killcam or replay system, online ranking with XP and perks etc etc. i.e. rip off Infinity Ward and straight up plant it on top of Halo, well I’d try it but all I’d say is “Gee this is like Modern Warfare but with Halo” would it be cool? HECK YES. Would I buy it? Without hesitation. However as mentioned, that’s not the point of my self-debate, its to provide a general direction for that $50.
Hands down for me, MW2 if I had to pick one or the other. If I could buy both and I did, I would. However if and only if your emphasis is more the less serious multiplayer and you really just want to co-op a campaign, level up and LAN with a few friends get BORDERLANDS (oh! did you see it coming? www.NOPE.com) More on that in one of my upcoming posts.
-Hyper24x7-