Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Buy Now

Wii owners typically get the short end of the stick when it comes to quality first-person shooters, with the notable exception of "The Conduit" and the on-rails shooters like "House of the Dead" and the "Resident Evil Chronicles" games. The first "Modern Warfare" game was released two years ago for the competing consoles and is no doubt seeing the light of day on the Wii to coincide with the blockbuster release of "Modern Warfare 2". While the technical limitations of the Wii might make this feel like a downgrade from the HD versions, it is still a fun, engaging and challenging shooter. Below is a breakdown on what to expect from this Wii port:

Visuals:

You'll hear people say "not bad..for a Wii game" a lot when describing "Modern Warefare: Reflex", and in truth, the visuals are not as stunning as you would expect on the Xbox 360 or the PS3. Having said that, the game still looks quite good. Textures and animations are fluid and vibrant, and the overall look and feel of the game has not been lost in the port. There is some noticeable slow-down and frame rate issues during the more intense campaigns, but the rest of the game looks so good that you'll forgive these quirks.

Gameplay:

What sets the Wii apart from the other consoles is the motion control, and it works greatly to this game's benefit. Taking it's cue from "The Conduit", this game sports highly customizable controls that each player can adjust until they find a control scheme and sensitivity that suits them. I quite like this, but it is recommended that you do this before starting the missions, as it will be hard to do so when thrown into a chaotic mission. Unlike last year's port of "Call of Duty: World at War" on the Wii, every mission of the original game is included here, so you are getting the same experience story-wise. My only real complaint about the gameplay is the questionable hit detection. The aiming in this port is not always accurate, and I often find myself aiming squarely at an enemy's head and the shot still misses.

Multiplayer:

I have dabbled a bit in the online multiplayer and it runs perfectly for me, with minimal lag and no connection issues. Considering the bad experiences I have with the online play on the 360 (teenagers swearing their heads off and campers using cheap techniques to pick people off), the lack of voice chat and somewhat smaller online community is not such a bad thing to me. However, hardcore 360 junkies might feel limited when playing this port online.

Final Verdict:

I own an Xbox 360 and I own both versions of this game, so it is possible to enjoy both if you can look beyond the HD visuals. If you are a Wii owner and you are hoping for a quality FPS, this is definitely a game worth getting. I think the customizable motion controls are this game's key selling point, so even those who were wowed on the other consoles should consider this. However, if you are a diehard 360/PS3 fan and graphics are your deciding factor, it goes without saying that you will probably want to skip this as it is technically not equal to the other ports. However, I like it a lot and I highly recommend it.
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