There is powerful imagery at work in Modern Warfare 2. If folks are getting hung up on this scene, they’re kind of missing the forest for the trees.

Anyway, Modern Warfare 2 tells a challenging story, and this is certainly one aspect of it. Game play follows the jump, and you can read our review here.

In a holiday season bulging with A-list titles, the real question gamers should ask is whether Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 distinguishes itself enough to justify spending your hard-earned $60.00. It’s a tough economy, and after the original Modern Warfare’s exceptional tour of duty, does Activision’s blockbuster sequel offer enough compelling new bells and whistles, or is it simply a better dressing for a tired old veteran?

The Props: Campaign Mode
It would be irresponsible to say that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 simply has “single player” and “multiplayer” modes. Describing them in those terms makes it seem as if we’re discussing the perfunctory bullet-points of every first person shooter. Quite frankly, in the hands of Infinity Ward, that is absolutely not the case.

Modern Warfare 2 feels like three separate and complete packages on a single disc. If you enjoy playing alone, the Campaign mode tells what is arguably the most engaging story of the year.

Infinity Ward has pretty much perfected the art of scripted cinematic shooting, and outside of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, there really isn’t another contender by a New York mile.

What hasn’t changed is the formula. Infinity Ward has players somersaulting between perspectives, as you follow both marines and special forces in what can only be described as interactive World War III. There is violence, but the narrative handles the subject matter with a surprising amount of maturity. As with Modern Warfare, the sequel puts gamers into the frenetic – and too often futile firefights – of America’s war-weary soldiers. Balancing such philosophical quandaries as the right of absolute power, and the definition of patriotism, the writing here is superb without playing to any specific agenda. How Infinity Ward juggles Tom Clancy drama with Jerry Bruckheimer action, is a template that should make every developer envious.

Amidst the bravado of wartime adrenaline, and the terrifying implications of a very possible real world future, it’s easy to see why Modern Warfare’s scenarios might raise the ire of political conservatives. Thank goodness that the game is rated and created with adults in mind. Infinity Ward approaches with an earnest and blunt respect for the subject matter. Objectively appreciating the story of Modern Warfare 2 goes a long way towards giving some of that respect back. This isn’t simply passive entertainment. It’s engaging, and often emotional discourse.

Props: Special Ops Mode
What’s incredible is that we’ve only mentioned a fraction of what gamers get for their dollar. The second of three game packages is the secretive Special Ops mode. Playable online or off, gamers tussle in a series of mini games based on elements from the single-player campaign. Again, the Special Ops mode is treated with such care, that you’d forgive Infinity Ward if PR decided to sell it as addendum premium DLC.

Infinity Ward’s been paying attention to its competitors. If you loved the fantastic Terrorist Hunt Mode of Rainbow Six, Gears of War’s Horde mode, or even the arcade-unlock from the original Modern Warfare, you’ll be right at home here.

Consider Special Ops a kind of Call of Duty: streamlined. Offering play variants like racing snow mobiles through harrowing mountain passes, or gunning through gang-infested slums to disarm bombs, Special Ops is great by your lonesome, but a blast when you invite a friend via Xbox Live or PSN. It’s an entirely co-op experience, with an emphasis on cooperation.

Completing each ‘trial’ offers rewards in stars. Spec Ops has 63 stars total, and different difficulty levels rewards, naturally, more stars.

Of course, each game mode is as addictive as digital candy. Not only is each mode incredibly fun, but progression in Special Ops runs on point-based motivation. The more you play, the more Spec Ops missions become available. While none of the missions are very long – usually ranging between four to eight minutes – you’ll enjoy a fistful of great gaming during the time that you do get.

Think of Spec Ops as a hybrid between co-op campaign and something altogether new. You won’t suffer the fatigue of playing through the lengthier co-op missions twice, but you’ll still get the feeling of going through important scenarios in concentrated bursts with a friend at your side.

Whether you’re stalking enemies in joint sniper-only missions, commanding mile-high drone ships for tactical assaults, or dashing through obstacle courses for improved time, the sheer diversity of the Special Ops missions makes it a fantastic game on its own. That’s no small feat, considering that the meat of the game is the third, and most anticipated feature of Modern Warfare 2.

Props: Multiplayer
To be completely honest, it is impossible to see everything Multiplayer has to offer in the time that we’ve had with the game. To say that multiplayer has gotten a complete overhaul is an understatement.

If you’ve played Modern Warfare, this sequel builds on the predecessor in nearly every possible way. Larger, more well-designed maps, a laundry list of additions to the PERK system, and even nuts-n-bolts technical re-thinking like the new host migration back end (where If a host drops connection, the game searches for the next suitable connection and continues the game with only a few seconds delay), make the multiplayer mode the elephant in a very small room.

The improvements are too numerous to quantify, and could possibly be considered review-worthy on their own. Infinity Ward has made the cost of entry – in this case, earning points in multiplayer – easier than ever before. Now, It’s possible for a single kill to rack up the points, thus giving players of any skill level points for doing something right.

Say you shoot an enemy in the head? There’s points for that. Now let’s say that enemy was on a kill streak – which you just ended. Bravo! You’ll get points for that, too. Now consider that you killed him at long distance? Guess what? Infinity Ward is generous with the points there, also.

In fact, there’s no greater example of Modern Warfare’s campaign for accessibility, than the addition of the game’s new DEATHSTREAK feature. Get rewarded perks for killing the most bad guys in a row, but now there are boosts for dying too often, too. The COPYCAT perk, for example, allows you to steal the load-out of the player who killed you, while the Painkiller perk gives you 10 seconds of increased health.

Even older existing perks got substantial tweaks. Last stand allows you to not only move around as you’re bleeding out, but even the opportunity to get back up and play some more.

Game changers like being able to equip SEMTECH sticky grenades, or the insane support gunner kill streak which grants the best gamers the opportunity to call in helicopters, care packages, and even nuclear bombs, makes the new perk incentives positively delicious ways to demolish your foes.

From the added throwing knives to the simple additions, like the BLING perk that allows two additional attachments to your primary weapon, its too early to tell if Infinity Ward has broken their beloved multiplayer component, but they’ll certainly give you a robust menu of opportunities and time to figure that out.

Returning are the multitude of game play modes to go along with the new gadgets and features in the expansive to do list. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch top the list with up to 18 (up from 16) players on the battlefield, and new modes like the much hyped 3rd person team game pull the camera out allowing a Gears of War like viewpoint with Modern Warfare flourish.

As always, compelling gamers forward is Infinity Ward’s devilish incentive system. The more you play, the more you get to play. There’s nothing in the multiplayer game that you don’t earn through blood, sweat, and tears. Most of the multiplayer modes, weapons, and perks, are only opened after you’ve reached certain ranks in the game. It’s too early to tell if reaching the game’s beloved prestige status, acquired only after reaching the maximum cap in ranks, opens up continued hidden treasures, but we wouldn’t be surprised. Infinity Ward has been incredibly thorough with their ‘unlocking new game play philosophies, and it’s that understanding of the gamer stick-and-carrot compulsion that permeates every design choice throughout each of the three overarching game play modes.

What Infinity Ward has accomplished is devilish genius. You’ll doubtless find your favorite multiplayer mode to cling to, and gamers that pace themselves might find new surprises for weeks to come. That is, of course, if you can even look up from Modern Warfare’s polished and dangerously addictive, habit-forming multiplayer routines.

So Basically, I’m Saying…
Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is a game of very smart decisions. There are easter eggs a-plenty, and although giving more of the same would’ve left gamers happy, the altering, fixing, and outright adding of an absurd amount of new features robust in every new mode of the experience will leave fans cheering. There are scores of new guns. We didn’t even mention additions like the riot shield, which is a lifesaver in the campaign and multiplayer when you need to catch your breath.

We left out the fact that Harry Gregson-Williams’ Hans Zimmer’s subdued but powerful score is emotional in just the right scenes, complimenting exceptional voice acting from stars Keith David, which does the job of propelling you through this very cinematic ride. Modern Warfare 2 is an example of developers going above and beyond gamer expectations, then redefining the whole damned bar.

The game is not perfect. While we wish, for example, that Special Ops mode could find random people online to fill the second player instead of just people from your friends list, it honestly feels like nitpicking.

From top to bottom, Modern Warfare 2 is not only one of the best bangs for your buck this holiday season, it’s one of the most polished game experiences on any console. The cliffhanger at the end of the story is beautifully cruel. A two-year wait for the inevitable sequel should qualify as torture. You’ll enjoy playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for at least the foreseeable future, and if the rabid demand for the first Call of Duty’s online play is any indication, so will everyone else on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Stay frosty, marines.

Unlike Guitar Hero, which I’ve played once (and promptly bought a real guitar in defiance), DJ hero allows me to abandon the crates of records, the thousand dollar mixer, the gigantic headphones, and pretty much all of the other essentials of a serious D.J.

With one box, one game, and just under $120 bucks, Activision’s DJ Hero is the company’s take on rhythm-game innovation.

Juiced on the type of adrenaline that can only come from bass and rhyme, I was actually electrified by the ability to enjoy hip-hop that I never thought I’d hear in a video game.

Not that Guitar Hero, or any of the other tens of music games dominating retail since 2007 was bad, it’s just that they never spoke to me: I love hip-hop. Activision’s taking a huge gamble in hopes that there’s enough of me out there to justify their expansion into urban territory.

And boy is DJ Hero a gamble.

Mixing all eras of Hip-Hop with ‘mash-ups’ of pop songs hand-selected by the world’s greatest DJs, and DJ Hero’s sole focus seems to be to make your body move. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a casual fan, or someone new to games entirely, does DJ Hero’s bizarre new turntable-come-hip-hop-gameplay have enough accessibility to seduce the masses? Or, is underground and, perhaps, under-appreciated, where hip-hop is destined to remain in video games?

The Props…
For starters, the track list is outstanding. Should Activision decide to sell the game’s soundtrack alone, they’d make a mint. Where the music grabs you with potent mixes of classic hip-hop and modern pop, the comprehensive tutorial does its best to translate the complex art of turntablism into game form.

Here are the basics: match the colored buttons on your turntable with the colors on the on-screen rhythm bar. Spin, shift, and slide your way to b-boy legend, by playing what’s essentially ’simon says’ on screen. It’s a simple concept that has worked in about a dozen music games before it, but DJ Hero’s hip-hop scratching hook is that authentic spin that separates it from the pack.

Narrated by DJ Grandmaster Flash, the 10 part tutorial does a great job in holding your hand – and you’ll need it. Patiently teaching you the basics of cross-fading, scratching, rewinding, and the game’s Euphoria point booster, DJ Hero literally won’t allow you to get to the real game without training first. This is a good thing.

Even if you’re used to music-rhythm games, DJ Hero is a tough act to start. A turntable doesn’t have the natural feel of drums, nor the sex appeal of a guitar. Hunching over a mock turntable, and keeping the frenetic rhythm of pop-hop, might seem impossible at first. However, with practice and the propulsion of good music, you’ll get the hang of it without the awful feeling of screwing up.

Credit that with the fact that you don’t quite lose in DJ Hero. You’ll always complete a song. The only penalty for missing music cues (if you miss the corresponding colored buttons and commands), is a soft fade out of the audio until you get back into the beat. In this way, HERO makes replaying each track a little easier on the ego.

Satisfactory completion of a music set (usually 3 mash-ups) unlocks new DJs avatars, new equipment, and bigger party venues. However, the biggest reason to continue playing remains the hook that grabs you from the start: The Music.

Unlocking new mash-ups is a joy, and becomes a personal challenge as you begin practicing with the fervor and discipline of a fighting game. Make no mistake: you will practice. A lot. That said, the psychological reward of getting a perfect score in Hero’s 5 star rating system, is a satisfaction that can only be appreciated with GREAT music.

The Whack…
All isn’t great in paradise, though. To be blunt, DJ Hero isn’t cheap. Despite the fact that the turntable peripheral looks pretty damned close to the real thing, it’s extremely tough to justify the $120.00 retail price. Yes, the music is fantastic, and yes the game is fun. However, unlike other rhythm games, DJ Hero is ultimately a single player experience.

Let me qualify that. DJ Hero certainly has multiplayer. There are 10 specific mashup tracks that allow you to hook up Activision’s Guitar peripheral to ‘rock-infused’ DJ sets. But honestly, those mashups are kind of a mess. In split screen play, player one controls the turntable, while player two rudely interrupts with the awkwardly-mixed metal riffs. Perhaps with some fine-tuning and better music selection, Activision might smooth this ugly pairing in future games, but as it exists, it really feels like more of an afterthought – and sounds like a cacophony.

DJ Hero’s true multiplayer is really just an extension of the single player experience. You can take the game online to battle other mix masters, but as a party game in the company of casual novices, DJ Hero is a lot more fun to watch (and dance to) than actually play if you haven’t put in the work of practicing. By the time your friends get the hang of the game through the tutorial and easier tracks, your party will probably already be over.

The Quirks of Single Player
Don’t get me wrong, DJ Hero is a criminal amount of fun when you’re in the groove. Beyond hitting the proper buttons, DJ Hero has an interesting ‘freestyle’ button that allows at certain points, to affect the ‘effects dial’ and initiate various freestyle samples to incorporate into the mix.

The game claims that you can improvise, but that’s extremely misleading. You can hit the sample button as much as time allows, or play with fading the volume as much as you like – which, honestly, who wants to play with the volume? Where HERO really drops the ball is by completely omitting the ability to have an area where players can creatively freestyle scratch and fade on their own. While mastering HERO is fun, it’s often very linear. Once you learn the strokes through the game’s 90+ songs, you’re done. The game gets more complex on higher difficulty levels, but the longevity of the game would’ve been extended considerably if players could simply rack up points by doing whatever they wanted at certain cues.

There’s nothing worse than getting into the groove and really wishing that you could cut loose, but HERO doesn’t allow it.

So Basically, I’m Saying…
Ultimately, if you love hip-hop and pop music, I dare you to find a more epic gathering of DJ Luminaries. From DJ Shadow and DJ AM to DJ Jazzy Jeff, the music in this game is beastly, and will constantly take you out of your living room and into the club. DJ Hero is immersing, once you get past that learning curve. Trading off with a practiced friend is fun, but you’ll be the real life of the party if you show off your skills to a group of bystanders. The game will certainly keep their heads nodding.

The track list is the real show stopper. From N.E.R.D to The Jackson 5, Afrika Bambaataa to Public Enemy, and underground sensations like Wale to 80’s glam-rock groups like Foreigner, DJ Hero is an outstandingly good time…

…albeit 40 bucks overpriced.

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NPR recently posted an excellent feature on DJ Hero via it’s pop culture section which you can listen to above. Admittedly, the peripheral isn’t as recognizable as a guitar or drum set, so perhaps Guitar Hero sales expectations might be optimistic. Still, having played the preview build and being continually astounded by the pedigree of high-quality hip-hop mash-ups, DJ Hero is the game you NEED to play if you want a fresh change from Guitar Hero.

From DJ AM to DJ Jazzy Jeff, the mix-masters in the game are superstars in the industry. With songs and mash-ups lovingly selected by each DJ, Hero promises to be a exuberant assault on your ears and a loving ode to the evolution of Hip-hop.

We’ll keep you posted with our review when we get the game later this week.

Newly re-hyped with an early 2010 release window, (and new developer, Commotion Interactive) things seem to be heating up between Scratch and the other anticipated rival, Activision’s DJ Hero.

Could this be the new Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band feud? At this point, it’s a game of who’s going to announce the better DLC music and which peripheral works best. With the announcement of entertainment company QDIII’s (Quincy Jones III) involvement in SCRATCH, the brewing music battleground just got a little more interesting.

? 3 Doors Down

? A Perfect Circle

? AFI

? Attack! Attack!

? Band Of Horses

? Beastie Boys

? Beck

? Billy Idol

? Billy Squier

? Blink-182

? Blur

? Bob Dylan

? Bon Jovi

? Brand New

? Bush

? Children of Bodom

? Coldplay

? Darker My Love

? Darkest Hour

? David Bowie

? Deep Purple

? Dire Straits

? Duran Duran

? Eagles Of Death Metal

? Elliott Smith

? Elton John

? Face to Face

? Garbage

? Gorillaz

? Gov?t Mule

? Grand Funk Railroad

? Iggy Pop

? Iron Maiden

? Jeff Beck

? Jimmy Eat World

? John Mellencamp

? Johnny Cash

? Kaiser Chiefs

? King Crimson

? Kings Of Leon

? Kiss

? Love and Rockets

? Megadeth

? M?tley Cr?e

? Muse

? My Morning Jacket

? Nirvana

? No Doubt

? Peter Frampton

? Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde

? Queen & David Bowie

? Queens Of The Stone Age

? Rammstein

? Rose Hill Drive

? Rush

? Santana

? Scars On Broadway

? Screaming Trees

? Smashing Pumpkins

? Sonic Youth

? Spacehog

? Stevie Wonder

? Sublime

? Sunny Day Real Estate

? T. Rex

? The Bronx

? The Derek Trucks Band

? The Duke Spirit

? The Killers

? The Police

? The Raconteurs

? The Rolling Stones

? The Sword

? The White Stripes

? Thin Lizzy

? Thrice

? Tom Petty

? Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

? TV On The Radio

? Vampire Weekend

? Weezer

? Wild Cherry

? Wolfmother

Activision has announced the unlockable content that will come packaged with the title. Some of the unlockables include six full episodes of the original Transformers animated series, Generation 1 skins of Ironhide, Longhaul and Starscream, a stand-alone CG movie and more.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will contain this unlockable content on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions and sees release on June 23, 2009.

?A DJ has the ability to use music to control people’s emotions and is responsible for the entire vibe of a room, a club or a party,? said Jay-Z. ?DJ Hero is the first video game that allows everyone to enjoy the unique experience of creating that environment.?

?I came up doing freestyle battles on local stages with other MCs and DJs,? said Eminem. ?DJ?ing is an essential part of hip-hop and DJ Hero will give people all over the chance to experience the music from the other side of the turntables.?

DJ Hero immerses fans into DJ culture and a sea of music as they take turns with their friends, scratching songs, playing along to the hottest tracks and ruling the party. The game?s innovative turntable controller was created exclusively for the game and features familiar DJ tools including a fully-rotating turntable, sample buttons, effects dial and crossfader. Players master various DJ techniques as they play along to visual cues for scratching, blending, crossfading and sampling, and can also add their own creative spark by choosing to add a variety of effects, samples and scratches. Social expression is heightened with euphoric multiplayer gameplay where two DJs can battle competitively or have a player join in to emcee over any track in the game using any USB compatible microphone. Additionally, gamers can rock together as DJ Hero features DJ-guitar exclusive mixes played with a turntable controller and Guitar Hero? guitar controller.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an epic action-adventure game featuring a true-to-character Wolverine gameplay experience that takes gamers through and beyond the movie’s storyline. Set in a variety of vivid real-world locales, the title challenges players to hone their animal instinct as they uncover hidden dangers, hunt and defeat enemies, and take on seemingly insurmountable situations while discovering the truth about Wolverine’s tragic past. With razor-sharp adamantium claws unsheathed, the future X-Man enacts lightning-quick combat, evasive maneuvers, in-depth combo attacks, and an array of brutal finishing moves. Wolverine doesn’t just deliver massive damage, either – he also takes it, thanks to his mutant regenerative power that heals him in real time right before the player’s eyes.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is available for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2, PSP and Wii.

“Everyone on the team is laser focused on making the most gripping experience we’ve ever created”, said Infinity Ward’s CEO, Vince Zampella. “No detail is too small and every finishing touch imaginable is underway to make Modern Warfare 2 our best ever. We can’t wait for our fans around the world to play starting November 10th?”

Blizzard CEO, Mike Griffith recently mentioned in a February 11, 2009 earnings call that “…Activision Blizzard will introduce just three new franchises in 2009, a racer, a new shooter and an undisclosed third game.

With all eyes toward an announcement for StarCraft 2, or hint of a console version of Diablo 3, could StarCraft Ghost be the Blizzard game that sneaks in the back door?