Controversial Modern Warfare 2 Opening Act

First of all just to make it clear, STOP READING THIS ARTICLE NOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE OPENING ACT OF MODERN WARFARE 2.

All the gamers with some restraint and willpower gone? Cool, then I shall continue. 🙂

Gaming and controversy are two things that have clashed quite often in the past, from the “sex scene” in Mass Effect to the “brutal killings” in Manhunt 2. Well now the media will have something new to latch onto; the opening act from Modern Warfare 2. As you will see from the leaked video below you take the role of a terrorist who enters an airport with a few of your “buddies” and the objective is to to cause complete chaos. This act of chaos includes brutally killing innocent civilians. Now depending on your moral standing that might not sound like a big deal but after watching the video you might just change your mind. As you and your “buddies” take out the civilians you can hear screaming and shouting in the background which is very unsettling. As the video progresses you also see the player killing people who are trying to crawl away or even trying to help others who might be injured. The fact that this whole act take place at an airport only adds to the uneasy atmosphere of the scenario.

The gameplay ends with the player actually being shot by one of his own “buddies”, which again forces home the brutality of the situation but is this something Infinity Ward intended to do or were they just looking to create some controversy? As expected internet gaming forums have been bombarded with posts regarding this controversial footage but surprisingly enough most gamers are actually condemning what Infinity Ward have done. In the past with the likes of Mass Effect and Manhunt 2 gamers have actually rallied together and stated the media has blown things out of proportion but in this case they are expecting “justified” backlash. Personally I would like to give Infinity Ward the benefit of the doubt and say that they have included this sort of scenario in the game to make the player realise what sort of “evil” they are up against and actually invoke a strong emotional response from the player. However the only people who would know the reasons for the inclusion of this brutal gameplay would be Infinity Ward themselves and I really do hope they haven’t done this just to cause a stir for the sake of it.

What do you guys think? Is this no big deal? Have Infinity Ward crossed a line? As always please let us know via the comments section.