This generation of consoles is certainly one that'll be a part of history for some time to come. We've been lucky enough to see blockbuster launches from the likes of Halo, Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War. And even though Call of Duty 2, as incredible as it was, left me with a feeling of quiet satisfaction, I never imagined that series would one day be re-writing the record books with an unfathomable first week of release, Modern Warfare 2 managed to deepen Activision and friends' pockets by half a billion dollars. So needless to say, people bought into the hype-magnet that is Modern Warfare 2, but does it do everything, if anything, right?

Being a direct sequel to 2007's war epic, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, this one does a fine job of picking up where the action left off (well, five years after anyway). Heck, it even briefs you on Modern Warfare's plot with a stylish opening credits montage – very Hollywood. The short and skinny of it is that the Ultranationalists have seized control of Russia, not only that but the bad guy from the last romp, Zakhaev, has been branded hero and martyr. And to top it off, a very bad man in Vladimir Makarov has assumed the role of dictator and begins terrorizing Europe. Much like in Call of Duty 4, you play as a number of soldiers from different Armed Forces, each with different motives and goals.

You'll start out as Private Allen whose mission is to act incognito to penetrate the terrorist cell – this of course leads to the highly controversial, yet blown way out of proportion airport scene that I think is actually a necessary catalyst to the game's narrative (if you don't know what I'm talking about, how is it living under that rock?). You'll also assume the role of Gary "Roach” Sanderson, who is under the watchful eye of the much-loved "Soap” MacTavish, who now ranks as captain, and Ghost, the mysterious masked newcomer. Also along for the ride is Private James Ramirez, who brings the fight home, so to speak – if you live in the USA.

When it comes to narrative, Modern Warfare 2 holds itself together okay. There are some clear points in the narrative that aren't really fleshed out as well as they could be – but perhaps Infinity Ward had a bigger picture in mind when penning this one, and will explain more thoroughly through a future release. It can be slightly bothering, though, towards the start when Modern Warfare magically morphs into an over-the-top Michael Bay or even a spy film the likes of Mr. Bond. I'm personally a sucker for engrossing narrative, be it farfetched or not so it didn't faze me; though fans of the original's stark realism and grounded set-pieces may be put off slightly when their snowmobile catches serious air-time over a gaping gorge in the icy cliffs of Kazakhstan.

As far as the gameplay goes, well what more could you expect from a Modern Warfare game? The guns feel big, and they serve their purpose in that they efficiently kill whatever you point them at. A.I. in games is always improving, and Modern Warfare 2 is no exception as gun-toting foes do well to flank you, and attempt to outwit you at every turn. One thing Call of Duty has gained acclaim for is its emotionally crippling difficulty on the harder difficulties; sadly, Modern Warfare 2 lacks in this area as I had little, to no, trouble knocking over the veteran campaign. This was almost insulting as after fighting through the war room and joining the mile high club in Call of Duty 4, I expected Infinity Ward to really ramp it up, and I thought they hadn't. That was until I stumbled across Spec Ops, of course...

Now don't be fooled into thinking that Spec Ops on the hardest of settings will reduce your once able fingers to bloody nubs as you strive to achieve maximum scores – it's not that bad. But unfortunately it's the only glimpse of that really frustrating, unrelenting gameplay we've grown to love about Call of Duty. Spec Ops is simply a variety of campaign excerpts tweaked to include ‘Juggernauts' and suit co-op play between two good buddies. While I really enjoyed Spec Ops, mainly due to the hair-pulling in anger and ‘star progression system', akin to Guitar Hero 5, I often wondered why they didn't just bother to include the full blown campaign experience for two. But in the end, I guess Spec Ops filled the hole in my heart left by the game's overall ease.

Let's get real for a second, come on and pull up a stool. Now listen, we all know that Call of Duty is synonymous to being epic, engrossing and choc-full of ‘balls-to-the-wall' action. And I'm familiar with the old saying ‘quality outweighs quantity', but I don't think that should apply to a video game that some people paid $200 for. When a single-player campaign clocks in at less than five hours, you know that's never a positive thing. It's something I took issue with when I wrote on Halo 3, and two years down the track it's still not acceptable; even if multiplayer is the primary focus of developers, if a single-player experience is anywhere to be seen, please flesh it out (even if you need to bring on extra developers like Bioshock 2).

If there was one facet of Modern Warfare 2 that was shrouded in uncertainty pre-release, it was certainly the multiplayer. The internet was ablaze with speculation regarding second-rate matchmaking, and lag issues; sadly, that is about right. Infinity Ward took a step forward this year by expanding on every little detail in the multiplayer; from customizable killstreak payloads (including Predator Drones and, oh yes, a tactical Nuke!) to stylish emblems and titles that are unlocked through meeting challenge criteria. Unfortunately for us down under, Infinity Ward then took about six steps backward by not including a local search function; a feature that rival Call of Duty developer Treyarch integrated so well in World at War. This renders online play a horrid mess, as it can be a mission in itself to even find a green connection (especially amidst a sea of squawking 12-year old Uncle Sams).

Unless you, or a friend, have the Rolls-Royce of internet connections, you're also going to struggle to pull host in any game; and if this is unsuccessful, frankly, it makes getting a kill a comedic, lag ridden struggle. You'll lose count of the times you'll round a corner, headshot some Yank a few times before perishing, only to see yourself on the Killcam clueless and prancing around to your certain doom without firing a shot. It's utterly frustrating – the worst matchmaking I've seen in such a long time. It's a shame we don't live in a day and age where console LAN parties are still relevant, because Modern Warfare, for the last two releases, has featured the most solid online experience in gaming. This time around, however, Infinity Ward failed to execute as poor matchmaking does mar the experience.

Even with its issues, the multiplayer is where you'll be spending the bulk of your time with Modern Warfare 2. Poor matchmaking doesn't mean this isn't still multiplayer game of the year; it just didn't blow away the category like I expected it would. If Infinity Ward decides to patch the game with a local search feature, I'll gladly retract all of my criticism from the previous two paragraphs. Any green connection game I've managed to play has been the single-most complete online experience I've played – its fun, exhilarating and gives you that odd sense of camaraderie familiar in warfare.

On a visual level, Modern Warfare 2 is not only a feast; it's one you'll have to unbuckle your belt for. The graphics are some of the best we've seen this generation, and the action set-pieces are unrelenting. Key moments of awe include an airstrike levelling an occupied building in Afghanistan, sending it crumbling in a dust cloud and, of course, navigating your way through an icy blizzard with "Soap” MacTavish. It's visually stunning and looks incredible in high-definition. The weapons look pretty slick, as you'd expect in a war-based shooter; its clear Infinity Ward took care digitally representing dozens of real world firearms. I think Infinity Ward would also appreciate me complementing the glass effects in Modern Warfare 2, as they're outwardly proud of it – good work, Infinity Ward.

Hans Zimmer is a man of immense talent and is quite reputable. The German Juggernaut is known for scoring films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Lion King and the blockbuster The Dark Knight – but now he's expanding his trade to video game scores, as he makes his dazzling debut for Modern Warfare 2; and what a job he does. Subtract Zimmer's score from the mix, and the soul and emotion goes missing as he, as the professional he is, captured the pulsing highs and the heartbreaking lows of war. High-calibre voice talent is also on display as there's a sea of new faces as well as the seasoned veterans. Lance Henriksen as the grizzled General Shepherd, Barry Pepper as Corporal Dunn and, heck, Keith David takes a break from wading through the millions he probably made from Halo and Mass Effect to assume the position as Sergeant Foley. It's an amazing cast on hand, and all deliver.