Modern Warfare 2. Is It Really Balanced For That?

Modern Warfare 2 was released nearly 4 weeks ago and it's safe to say that we have all managed to breathe in the excitement and absorb the experience of this awesome game. But is everyone having fun? Is the game perfect? In this latest article I debate whether Modern Warfare 2's competitive multiplayer mode is a balanced work of art or a one gun show.

The key to a successful game is balance. Without balance, a game is often seen as frustrating, boring and just plain lacking in the fun department. I have gathered opinions from the Call of Duty and WePlayCoD community to determine what the community is thinking in terms of balance and Modern Warfare 2.

A few of the most popular contributors to imbalance in Modern Warfare 2 can be found in the perk section and weapons section. Many a player has been frustrated by the damage increasing perk, Stopping Power. However, Stopping Power is often a perk that many snipers must have, as well as some of the less powerful SMG's and small arms.

With the removal of the Juggernaut perk and the increase of the damage to your health, some people are puzzled as to to why Infinity Ward have left Stopping Power intact without a proper counter perk, all the while increasing the "powerful weapon count".

However it is also worth mentioning that there are several important and useful perks in the same tier as Stopping Power, therefore it can sometimes be a sacrifice for people to choose another perk that actually may be more beneficial, such as Cold Blooded over the damage dealing Stopping Power.

Here's what some of your fellow community members have to say about balance in Modern Warfare 2:

"All seems decently balanced to me except for a few small things. Mainly the Winchesters... Remove akimbo and there you go." - xxrpggamemanxx

"What isn't balanced is the range on shotguns and how powerful they are! Painkiller is still as bad as juggernaut" - nutty_nadim

"Balance is better than WaW or CoD4 but we can all agree that the M16 still runs the show in one way or another." - firevice

"Ump45 and akimbo m1887 are overpowered, otherwise blance is pretty good imo." - WWII_Hevi

''Stopping power, gotta go. And thats it for me'' - Tyler_mills

 "definetely think it's a step up from cod4 but needs a little tweaking" - bw1231996

''Balancing in this game is hands down the worst in any CoD game yet... 3 M16's (M16 / FAMAS / M93), Full auto sniper with 100 rounds (RPD), and the super sniper akimbo shotty (1887)'' - Bon3zz1001

''They could have done a better job with the SMGs, however it's more realistic because in cod4/5 SMGs could be used at long range, now they can't. I personally do not like shotguns as secondary and it makes makes sniping imbalanced.'' - DoNt 13 JeAlOuS

''I find the weapons to be pretty balanced. You have to remember that SMGs are meant to be useful in close situations. Each weapon type is different which requires a different playing style.'' - 1

''Hey. Personally i hate Stopping Power, way too OVERPOWERED! Especially with particular guns. e.g. M16! There are so many other better perks!'' - Joshuadowley

Realism and fun has also been carried over into the debate. Infinity Ward has stated many times before that they prefer fun over realism, although many have pointed out that we fall to a quicker death in MW2 due to higher powered weapons.  Would you say the game has taken realism too far?

GR_nemesis has a mixture of positive and negative things to mention about the balance within the game:

''The game is pretty good. Balanced perks. Compare the assault rifles and u will see that there is something for everyone :)
But, i feel like as it was in cod4, that some of the weapons are rarely used. When it comes to perks
Some perks are a lot more useful in some gamemodes. I understand when people say it is overpowered, in some gamemodes it is.
The game does have the lack of total balance, and it is something they should fix.'' - GR_nemesis

Overall this is clearly a debatable subject. Community members have raised good points regarding balance within the game, and as you can see in the quotes above, many have very different opinions.  Also remember that the past two wildly popular installments, CoD4 and World at War, have both had "overpowered" weapons that continually caused a rift in the community, those being the M16 and MP40, neither of which were tweaked or changed from their original form.  Consider it a blessing that those weapons have yet to be found in MW2, although we're sure some of you have your eye on a couple guns that will take the cake.

It's clear that there are a few issues that need solving in Modern Warfare 2, but it also appears that a lot of worries and concerns about balance are being blown out of proportion.  A wise man once said, "You can't please em' all."  Actually, I'm not sure if he was wise, nor if "he" was a "he".  One thing is certain though...the quote definitely applies to the online gaming experience.  Some will find a flaw where another may find a selling point.  

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