CoD: Modern Warfare: Reflex

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was being converted into Wii. Remember folks, this is a game that on its release two years ago was seen as the cutting edge of next-gen gaming; a game that looked as good as it played, packed as it was with complicated graphical routines to handle light and shadow; a game that immersed you in the horrors of war like never before. Surely it would never be able to work on the Wii. I mean, we love the Wii passionately, but c’mon, there are limitations. Or are there?

Well, apparently not. The developers (Treyarch, who also worked on the Wii versions of Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 2: Big Red One) have proudly stated that everything from the next-gen version is in here, too – all of the game modes, all the functionality… there’s nothing left out.

We’re not going to talk about the graphics for long, as there’s an obvious drop in quality from, say the Xbox version, but Treyarch have stated that they’re upped the texture resolution from their Wii version of World at War (which was no munter to start with) and have improved the game’s particle effects, too – which, to you and me, means things like explosions, lighting and smoke. The control system on a first-person shooter is always important on a console, and no more so that the Wii which is something that Treyarch have been quick to jump upon. Therefore, you’ll be pleased to know that you customize your set-up in a staggering amount of ways with a range of sliders, precision aiming modes and the ability to aim with either the Remote or the control stick.

New features are thin on the ground, sadly. There are no new missions, but you do get the return of Squadmate mode. This minor work of genius allows a second gamer to drop in and out of the gameplay at any point to help you out. When they do, another crosshair appears on the screen and they’re then free to take out any troublesome terrorists in an ambush for you.

The often-mentioned Wii Speak compatibility is sadly no longer in the game, but you the multiplayer count has been raised to 10 (from eight) and all of the next-gen online game modes have made it across in the conversion.

It’s hard to imagine how this game could possibly be anything less than stunning. It may be two years late for the party, but now it’s finally here, the party’s sure to go with a bang.