#MW2 Airport Level

[Metcarfre]

The story of the game was stupid. On this there is consensus.

[Genghis Ares]

You come out of the elevator with four other guys and two of them get killed during your escape. Those bodies should count for something.

Also, they would have had to identify Allen as an American soldier, or else he's just a terrorist who is American. Which shouldn't equal all out war.

However, it is a conspiracy/setup with the General and Makarov, so anything could have happened behind the scenes. But from just playing that level and then there being all out war; it's a big jump in my opinion.

[FFN]

WWhen did the other two die? I don't remember that at all.

IIRC, 2 of them are scripted to die during the police counter-attack. When one goes down, Makarov responds that he should be left behind.

As far as the american war side of it - all of the terorists were posing as americans during the mission, and you were an american posing as an ultranationalist posing as an american.

The reason you're told, right at the beginning of the level, in english, "Remember, no Russian" is because Makarov wanted any survivors or escapees to think (and report to the authorities) that the attack was perpetrated by americans.

If you take the leap that the team that attacked the airport was composed of mercenaries hired by makarov, or at the very least weren't known to the russian government, then you've got a situation where you have 2 bodies of unknown attackers, coupled with dozens of reports that they were americans.

Add to the mix that perhaps the government somehow identifies your character's body as American, and you've got enough evidence to conclude that the attack was american.

It's a jump, but it's not as big a jump as you'd think.

-m

Okay, assuming that ultranationalist elements of the Russian military, police, intelligence and government provide the info that the American guy was really American and not, as he appears, a Russian ultranationalist pretending to be American, I still have a hard time seeing how that leads to war.

What possible tactical, political or strategic advantage would America gain from sending a couple of blokes around to massacre civilians? It doesn't bear scrutiny, because even (non-crazed) critics of America know the US doesn't go around *intentionally* causing havoc and mayhem to civilians.

The Afghani government didn't SEND a bunch of people to fly planes into the world trade centre and pentagon, either. America is still at war with (well, in, but that's a technicality) Afghanistan.

Besides, if it came to light that the american was a CIA agent working a government authorized operation - that probably WOULD lead to war.

-m

Ahh, but you see, in the cynical world of polotics, that was more permissible to the other world powers because Afghanistan happened to a small country in the middle of nowhere run by relatively crazy extremists (by the standards of that region). The situation in this game is against a global superpower.

[Matt]

Also, they would have had to identify Allen as an American soldier, or else he's just a terrorist who is American. Which shouldn't equal all out war.

I refer you back to the WTC terror attack, and the american government declaring war on any government that harboured terrorists.

-m

[FFN]

The story of the game was stupid. On this there is consensus.

From Something Awful's "Video Game Article":

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
After it takes a few big steps forward with refined mechanics and an expanded multiplayer mode, Modern Warfare 2 takes one step backwards each time it tries to out-crazy the original, until it backs up off a cliff and lands squarely in 24 Season 6 territory. 8/10

24 Season 6 was very, very crazy

[Matt]

Ahh, but you see, in the cynical world of polotics, that was more permissible to the other world powers because Afghanistan happened to a small country in the middle of nowhere run by relatively crazy extremists (by the standards of that region). The situation in this game is against a global superpower.

I don't disagree, I'm just making the case that it's not THAT far out of line with things that actually do happen.

-m

[octopimpostor]

They saw that it was Americans that caused the shooting, so they retaliated. They already said that there was bad blood between us and Russia. If I were Russia, I would also facepunch the us if they did that.

[Gordon Fearman]

Interesting observation. You mostly play as British guys. Bet you forgot about that! Seriously, you play a mostly British squad, lead by an American and Britain isn't mentioned once.

[FFN]

Task Force 141 is a multinational special ops unit, though, comprised of American Delta Force, British SAS, Australian SASR and Canadian Joint Task Force 2 members. Apparently there's similar multinational units operating in Afghanistan right now, largely under US command, I think.


What does please me is that an American war game made with the support of the American military more or less says "nobody screws with the SAS and lives. And that includes the Americans."

[Gordon Fearman]

No, seriously. Where is Britain in this game. It'll be a cold day in Hell when Britain completely abandons the US.

[Matt]

No, seriously. Where is Britain in this game. It'll be a cold day in Hell when Britain completely abandons the US.

the explicitly state in the game that the airport attack made it politically poisonous to support the us, as the world saw russia as the victim of an American assault, and so politically Americas allies sided with Russia, and refused to defend the us in the conflict.

-m

[Gordon Fearman]

And yet, we still have like 3 SAS working with us.

[octopimpostor]

And yet, we still have like 3 SAS working with us.

Its because Paul has 3 PS3's.

[Matt]

And yet, we still have like 3 SAS working with us.

only in an black ops context.

edit: and not in defense against the russian military.

further edit: and ultimately they also fought against american forces as well.

-m

[Gordon Fearman]

I know, I just find the whole situation unlikely.

[Roguey]

I know, I just find the whole situation unlikely.

But that's the case of alot of Hollywood movies, very unlikely storylines

[Gordon Fearman]

And non Hollywood movies.

[PearlSpark]

And 95% of games (Even though thats a cheap call)

[Allen!]

[quote="Genghis Ares"
Also, they would have had to identify Allen as an American soldier, or else he's just a terrorist who is American. Which shouldn't equal all out war.[/quote]

Might I note that it was awesome playing a character named Allen? Of course he had to get owned. Le boo.

Also, I played through the game without reading any of the hype or anything. I wasn't expecting the Airport scene, and... Wow. Yeah, it actually managed to shake me... at first, anyway. My tension was broke when I was climbing the stairs and saw three bodies that had the same skin. Whew.

Also, a lot of American soldiers tend to get regimental tattoos. This may or may not have been the case with Allen, but likely Makarov planted evidence.

Lastly, I LIKED the story for MW2. So, eat me.

[Roguey]

Lastly, I LIKED the story for MW2. So, eat me.

Agreed.

[Genghis Ares]

I liked the story. I mostly liked how it was told and how it progressed for the most part. But I'm sick of playing characters that end up dying.

When they killed Jackson in MW, it was just superb. But in MW2 we got Allen, Roach, Random Astronaut; and very nearly Soap and Ramirez. If they wanted us to fear for our characters, that happened in the first one.

[FFN]

They're just giving you a cinematic version of what you experience during this series' many "map choke point with a billion enemies".

[octopimpostor]

yeah WTF was with the Astronaut. I could have gone without that. it could have been a cut scene, not a playable character.

[Genghis Ares]

I didn't mind the Astronaut being playable, but him getting killed peeved me a bit.

[octopimpostor]

Genghis, put that as a spoiler.