Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Hints and Tips

The challenge of combat awaits you in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and whether you take on the single player campaign, the special ops mode, or enter the multiplayer fray, you are going to need to keep your wits about you if you want to survive. In this article we’ll offer up some general hints and tips to increase your chances of success. You can read more about the game in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review or if you are stuck on a specific level check out the complete walkthrough.

You will use a wide variety of weaponry during MW2 but there are a few basic rules that should always be applied.

• Use Right Mouse to aim before firing with Left Mouse
• Use C to crouch or Ctrl to lie down, you’ll be able to steady your aim and you’ll be a smaller target for the enemy
• Fire in short, sharp bursts
• Use Shift to run between cover
• Always find cover to reload
• Switch to your second gun if you run out of ammo in a fire fight and don’t have cover
• Use E to melee attack if you are up close

For a complete breakdown of the weapons in the game check out the Modern Warfare 2 Weapon Guide.

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• Use G to throw frag grenades at groups
• Use Q to throw flashbangs before entering rooms or smoke grenades to lay cover for running past vehicles
• Watch out for the grenade icon which tells you a grenade has landed nearby
• Use middle mouse to throw the grenade back if it lands close enough but be fast
• Watch out for vehicles on fire, this is a sign they are about to blow up
• Use vehicles and fuel tanks to blow up enemies
• When defending a fixed position claymores are excellent for covering your back

Your ammunition is always limited and there are loads of alternative guns in the game that might suit you better than your standard issue. The guns in the game dropped by enemy soldiers are randomly generated so they often feature great attachments. For this reason make sure you scavenge bodies and search buildings for weapons. You’ll want to switch frequently and cherry pick the best hardware.

When you get shot the blood spray and general disorientation will provide a pretty solid clue. Go for cover. Modern Warfare 2 uses the now standard FPS mechanic of allowing your health to recover. When the screen returns to normal you’re good to go. They may have removed the ability to lean out from behind cover but you can still crouch, lie down and pop up and down from behind something to waste the bad guys. If you use a car as cover make sure it has already blown up. You also need to remember with armor piercing ammunition in the game a lot of cover doesn’t really offer much protection. Just because the enemy is out of sight does not mean he can’t shoot you.

Many of the enemy soldiers are heavily armored just like you. This means even with multiple shots that they may still be alive and there is a special handgun last gasp animation where they’ll shoot at you from the ground. To avoid this, pump an extra round into every man when he goes down or focus on head shots.

There are several missions in the single player campaign where the enemies keep spawning in. You can’t afford to slowly and methodically clear a level because more enemies are always just around the corner. Try to focus on clearing a path instead and remember you don’t need to kill every last one of them.

Whether playing co-op or single player with AI support you should use your friends. For a start try to avoid shooting them, if you shoot main characters you will fail the mission. There is no strict penalty for shooting grunts on your side but it is bad form. It is also worth remembering that they will actually cover you and help you kill enemies. Working together is by far the safest and most efficient way of covering all the angles and emerging victorious. Using a riot shield with a friend to cover your back is great fun.

There are 45 laptops lying around in the game which you can collect as a bonus task. Keep your eyes open as you zoom through the action because there isn’t much time to hang around and many of the laptops are hidden in tricky locations. You don’t need to collect them but it will give you a smug sense of achievement.

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Think about what to use. Also, don't feel like you have to unleash kill streak rewards immediately. It is better to wait until the right moment to call in an air strike or even get a care package. The Sentry Gun is a kill streak reward but can also be unlocked as you level up. It is well worth getting.

Camping sucks so I don’t recommend sticking to one spot for too long, but be aware that many people do exactly that. It is good to pick a vantage spot for a couple of kills but move on after that or you run the risk of being uncovered. You should avoid running around too much and always keep an eye on corners and windows. Remember to think about where you were shot from. When you respawn head for cover and if you know where your killer was go for revenge.