The latest instalment from Infinity Ward can be summed up in one word. BLOCKBUSTER!

The much anticipated sequel to the almighty Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare will leave you wanting more, more, more. The basic fundamentals of the first game are unchanged. The button layout, interface and gameplay remain basically as they were, which is a good thing. If it aint broke, don’t fix it…

Then what’s changed? Why should you bother purchasing the second title? Read on to find out…

The addition of Special Ops (mini missions) for a test of skill against the AI gives the player a little extra to do and a means to boost their COD ego. You can choose the difficulty and are rewarded stars for completion of each mission. Regular gets one star, hardened gets 2 and veteran will earn you 3. The special ops missions take place throughout various maps within the game and can be played on-line with a friend, making completion much easier. Some missions require 2 players, one of which sees a player control an attack helicopter from above whilst the other gets down and dirty in the battlefield.

The story will keep you captivated and is sure to shock you, with a twist no-one will ever see coming. New characters make their way onto the scene, Soap Mactavish has been promoted and you will be fighting with the Army Rangers with Taskforce 141 - The best of the best and more...

The new levels are what stood out to me in this game. One minute you are in the slums of Rio De Janeiro, being cursed out by rebels. Next, you are manning the Machine gun in a helicopter shooting the sh!# out of the Whitehouse.

The graphics and sound in the game are unbelievable! The spurt of blood and sound of tearing flesh as a bullet rips through an enemy makes killing even more fun! The AI has been stepped up a notch here too. Enemies will hide behind cover and shoot blind fire at you. If you clip a bad guy in the leg, he will crawl to safety and keep attacking. These little differences add an extra element to this already outstanding title.

The online component of this game offers players countless hours of hardcore gaming. Learning the levels is key. Knowing your weapons is key-er. Like the last game you carry a primary and secondary weapon. Unlike the last game, shotguns are now classed as secondary. That’s right, no-longer will you have to decide on the all purpose Assault rifle for the long shot or the powerful spray of a shotty to mess up enemies at close range…You can have both! A new addition is the Semtex, a sticky grenade that can actually be latched on to an enemy - gaining extra exp points of course. Old favourites like claymores and flashbangs are included along with the good old AK-47. The M16 was my gun of choice, a versatile triple burst fire, with good accuracy and high damage.

The addition of the care package and customisation of your kill streaks is a gamer’s delight. String a few kills together and a helicopter will drop a package containing either UAV's, Sentry guns, extra supplies, counter UAV's, Attack helicopters Stealth bombers and more to a location you mark with a flare. Some of these killstreak rewards actually let you bring death from above, putting you in the gunner seat of a helicopter or AC130…Truly AWESOME! What makes this even better is that you can steal other players' care packages, as they are visible on your map, but beware, these packages can be used as bait by the more cunning of you foes.

All in all this game is sure to please. Anybody with a passion for shooters will love it, those who are new to shooters will find a new favourite genre. Well done Infinity Ward, you have yet again raised the bar for first person shooters.

Graphics - 9.5
Sound - 9.5
Gameplay - 9
Longevity - 9.5

Overall - 9.5

NICK