Parents' Guide to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Though it has some problems, this first-person shooter is as exciting as, well, previous entries in this series. Like them, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is really three games in one. In the action movie-esque story-driven campaign, players try to stop a terrorist who's not afraid to use American-made weapons, or the assistance of a drug cartel, to get revenge on the U.S. That's why you get into a series of frantic fire fights in some unusual conditions. With multiplayer, the compelling competition is as solid as ever, with many familiar modes being joined by a couple new ones, and a new perspective. And lastly there's, "Spec Ops," elaborate co-op missions in which two players work together to save the day.

As exciting as all three modes may be, though, they're not without their issues. For instance, while multiplayer is as fun as it always, the new modes don't always maintain their individuality. Whether it's "Knock Out," in which teams try to hold onto a bags of money, or "Prisoner Rescue," in which teams fight to rescue or hold onto a hostage, both can be won by eliminating the enemy team, which effectively turns them into "Team Deathmatch." As for "Spec Ops," while its missions are varied enough that you'll want to play them multiple times, there's only three of them, which seems like two too few. Thankfully, things are better in the campaign, which starts slow but gets better when you have to be sneaky while swimming, when you take out a caravan of trucks from a low-flying helicopter, and when you find yourself in occupied territory without weapons. In the end, whether you play one, two, or all three, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is as engaging and energetic as the best games in this long-running series.