One of the most anticipated games of 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward (IW), has a lot of hype to live up to. However, from our preview with IW’s Dan Bowling, it looks set to deliver.

Split into three separate categories – Campaign, Multiplayer and Special Ops – there’s even more content to get your teeth into than before, but at its core is the same great Call of Duty gameplay experience, spruced up with some technical tinkering.

Campaign offers a single-player cinematic experience, sucking you in with its vivid graphics and high-pressure missions from the word go.

Set to be around the same 6-10 hour length as its predecessor, it’s ramped up in terms of level size and graphical improvements. As it changes pace from slow stealth to full out gun battles, it’s pretty damn exhilarating, too.

For example, Cliffhanger, a campaign mission, starts you off on a precarious mountain ledge, a snowstorm swirling around you as you slowly progress towards the enemy base, using a heat monitor to sneak up on unsuspecting foes.

The level leads you through tense, stealth moments but then suddenly throws in a mighty explosion and some manic gunfights as you and boss MacTavish (the playable character from the first game) provide cover for each other, racing for your life from the base. As if that isn’t enough to leave you grinning like a Cheshire cat, you then launch yourself onto a snowmobile, desperately trying to dodge oncoming trees and enemy gunners whilst travelling downhill at breakneck speed.

Whiz forward to later level Favela and you’ll experience fast-paced mayhem from the start. There’s no time to catch your breath here, as you race through a Rio de Janeiro shanty town, trying to keep pace with the target leaping from rooftop to rooftop as you navigate the maze of alleys. With enemies randomly appearing in buildings, round corners and on roofs you may want to fire rounds at anything that moves, but no can do soldier, as the civilians around you mustn’t be harmed.

High on adrenaline, whatever the pace, it isn’t just the gameplay experience that stands out, as the new engine has allowed for improved levels of detail. Graphically the character models excel, with wind billowing against jackets and facial expressions from enemies in their death throws being highly detailed. These small improvements can be found throughout, such as the red hue of taking damage being replaced by blood splattering against the screen. Vivid HD graphics and improved lighting effects add a further layer of realism, giving you a real attachment to the experience.

The AI has also improved. One of the original’s flaws was ‘invisible checkpoints’, where enemies would keep coming until you crossed specific points. Endless waves of foes are no more, replaced instead with intelligent AI and random spawning. These guys will use noise to hunt you out, and work out the quickest, most direct routes to get to you, really upping the ante.

We also got to see Special Ops in action for the first time. Playable solo or co-op, these are pick-up and play challenges that you’ll need to play over and over to master. Beginning with the Alpha selection you’re rewarded stars – one for low difficulties going up to three when played in hard mode, which gradually unlock a further four sectors, each containing five new levels. Gameplay is varied, consisting of challenges such as time trials, elimination, races and bomb diffusal.

Full preview available at: http://tech.uk.msn.com/gaming/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=150322078