Thursday, October 8, 2009

IGN Takes A Look At MW2 Handguns and Micro-SMGs

The Handguns
As your default go-to sidearm for MW2, these standard handguns are your best bet for consistent, classic play. I had a chance to try out every gun available during the beta, and I kept going back to one in particular (we'll get to that later) for no other reason than it was dependable, fast, and packed a punch. Sure, we'll all spend time going through the rocket launchers, jumping around the map with shotguns, and trying out the loud (but sometimes random) blasting of the machine pistols, but I'd bet dollars to say most players will go right back to the handguns once they realize just how much of a bread-and-butter class it is. To quote the great Han Solo, "Nothing beats a good blaster at your side kid."



USP .45


The H&K (Heckler & Koch) .45 makes its return from the first Modern Warfare and for good reason. While I don't prefer it to the other pistol options in COD4, H&K's 45 is a reliable sidearm that many competitive players use well after their gold cross is completed. The iron sights are manageable (though they block targets with the middle pin), it's a quick pistol, and with a 12 round mag size you can feel comfy in equipping stopping power instead of relying on sleight of hand all the time.


In Modern Warfare 2, the USP again feels great as a stating default pistol, though once again I've got other favorites even already. I snagged a few kills with the H&K during the multiplayer beta event, and it's always nice for a quick ADS pull-up or last stand run, but it really wasn't too earth-shattering overall. If you've used the .45 in COD4, you already know how it'll feel in Modern Warfare 2. Decent, but pretty standard all around. Minimal recoil, minimum penetration, and it'll take a few hits to drop a guy even in hardcore from what I've seen so far.


Still, not a bad gun to have on your hip. When you line someone up for that must-hit shot, you'll be glad you have a gun this dependable.
 
.44 Magnum Revolver

 
Even with just a few hours of time under my belt in Modern Warfare 2 I'll go ahead and state right now that the .44 Magnum is my pistol of choice. While you'll have to deal with a decent amount of recoil, a slower reload time than the comparable Desert Eagle (also confirmed, but not yet playable), and only six bullets per reload I experienced some awesome success with the gun in our multiplayer setting.

As a bit of a warning, I'm an AK-47 player, so take that as you will; I don't mind the blowback on heavy guns. The aspect that really won me over on the Magnum during our hands-on wasn't the power (though it's strong) but the usability of the gun in ADS mode. The iron sights are very manageable, and while the accuracy isn't too hot – as you can see on the right – it fires straight when you're aiming down sights. In the hardcore setting this gun won't need stopping power, and I already see myself using it as a go-to weapon; especially with sleight of hand on. I started quick-switching to the .44 after firing out my magazine of primary weapon in the MW2 beta, and I saw great results with it. Four kills with six bullets on default game types? Yeah, I'll be using this gun for quite a while. 
 
If everything stays the same with the Deagle, the Magnum will act as an earlier unlock (2nd in line) on the handgun front, and one that has a more manageable iron sights while still sacrificing a bit of hitting power to the Deagle. Still, it'll be easier to line guys up, and that makes those six shots just as vital – if not more – than rattling off that one extra bullet with the Deagle. You'll take about a full second longer to reload it (I estimate about three seconds flat with it), but hopefully your target is down by then.






The Machine Pistols
If you're looking for an alternative to the classic sidearms from COD4, machine pistols are a nice option. While smaller in capacity than standard SMG's and a bit more random in fire, these quick-burst weapons hold some serious potential in hardcore modes and when using the akimbo, stopping power, or sleight of hand perks. In the field I've had relatively low success rate with them thus far, but seeing as we've yet to go hands-on with hardcore modes or have full access to all the perks, there's still some obvious advantages to the new set of secondary weapons.



PP-2000

 
As the first machine pistol in Modern Warfare 2, the PP-2000 is a pretty balanced firearm that can be used as a standard go-to weapon in multiplayer. Available with the Akimbo perk and pretty decent from short to mid range in multiplayer, the 2000 is like a MW2 equivalent to the mini-uzi or Skorpion. While not as hard-hitting as full-on SMGs, the 2000 has 20 bullets, can hit at a pretty effective range, has a nice mix of accuracy and damage, though it'll take longer to reload than your standard sidearm.


I've used the gun multiple times in the MW2 beta, and while I've only had a few kills with it so far the potential is there. Running with dual 2000's is reason enough to go Akimbo, and adding stopping power onto the already-powerful automatic can make this pistol surprisingly deadly. Your mobility also stays up when using it, and while those 20 rounds go quick it's a great short-range compliment to a mid or long-range weapon like a sniper rifle. Use it to get into position, then set up for your long range tactics. It sure beats a USP when you run around the corner and come face-to-face with the opposition. You'll get a bit of bullet movement during recoil since the weapon kicks its 20 rounds out pretty fast, but if you keep targets within range (most of my success came within a street's width or so) the 2000 is an effective weapon.







Glock 18


While the PP-2000 is a nice "ease-in" weapon for those starting with machine pistols, the Glock 18 is a weapon that demands a steady hand and precise shooting. The gun's standard mag holds 18 shots (two less than the 2000), but fires at an insane 1200 shots per minute, which is well over the estimated 800 or so by the 2000. As a plus, the added accuracy inherent to the Glock automatic design means you won't see too much more blowback when compared to the 2000, but it's still there. With a faster rate and less rounds the Glock is empty almost instantly after firing, so if you don't have your enemy in-sights, don't bother. I was able to clip the gun at about three or four rounds per burst in multiplayer (I found doing single shots nearly impossible; it would fire two at the very least) and have decent results, but regardless of how you play, this one empties fast.


Some Glock players may end up using Akimbo or the like, but from my time with the game the 18 is much better served with stopping power, using small bursts to try and control the otherwise rapid-fire weapon. Oh, and this gun is used for short encounters only. You can see the small range on the gun's stat sheet above, but it's even more apparent when you get on the field with it. This gun pours bullets, and you'll find yourself reloading well before you're ready if you don't manage your bursts.


Shame there isn't select fire in MW2. The Glock's three-burst setting would have rocked for just such situations.


That wraps up this latest edition of the Gold Cross Corner. We'll have more gun features on the way, as well as plenty of updates once we go hands-on with even more weaponry. Look for more hands-on features in the coming weeks, as we still have plenty of confirmed weaponry to detail . Maybe we'll hit the SCAR-H up next… that's a damn sexy gun.

SOURCE

1 comment:

  1. thnx for the information
    u forgot about m93 machine pistol it's truly handy and powerful
    and one of the best thing in it attach akimbo n' try it out u will like it
    maybe u won't like cuz' it's a 3 round burst but it's so strong sometimes i kill an enemy with only 3 bullets (1 round of burst)

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