Real Talk By: J. Valdez

My first run through this game has been nothing but mind-blowing. Even though I’m a big believer that the iOS devices have big potential in gaming, this caught me by surprise.

As you’ll see in my gameplay video, this game can get intense at times. Offering a wide range of mission types, the excitement doesn’t end when my video does, in fact, it keeps building on the momentum. As you get used to the controls, you start noticing more and more how satisfying this game can really be. I played through on easy for the purpose of this review, and just because it was on a low difficulty level, the gameplay did not suffer. You still had intense moments that could almost be compared to a console FPS. The enemy AI is smart and will do anything to bring you out of hiding (although you can see them running into mines in my video, they do get tough).

Out of all the FPS games I’ve played on the iPhone, I’d say I have the best control options here. I personally chose the virtual sticks, but there are a few different settings you can choose from, including controls for lefties. I haven’t played too much with the gyroscopic controls, I tend to die a lot when using them, but that’s just me.

Valdez gets in on the Campaign

As for mobility, this game has slowed my productivity since I got it on Friday, in other words, it’s very fun, and hard to put down. I’ve played in sessions of 10 minutes to an hour, and since it has multitasking, I can interrupt my game if I need to, and that’s a very big if.

Graphics are amazing; this game looks more polished than some of Gameloft’s other games. The character models are a little more detailed than some of the other games, even more than the recent Gangstar which came out last month. The textures are also a bit better and seem to pop out a bit more, they are also grittier in the right areas making the game look much better. It has been optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch 4th Gen taking full advantage of the Retina Display. The opening cinematic truly takes advantage of it. I mostly play on with the volume down, but the voice acting and the gun sounds (along with all of the other sound effects) are right on.

Overall, you are definitely getting your money’s worth when you buy this game. Not only does it offer all of the amazing things I talked about above, it also offers multiplayer through Gameloft’s own live service (which is free!!) which also offers achievements (and facebook/twitter bragging) and leaderboards. You can only play through wi-fi (or bluetooth for local), which guarantees smooth gameplay. For the hardcore FPS gamers, this is a must get, the gameplay is intense and satisfying, the multiplayer is great (with ranking and certain unlockables), and seriously, there’s no beating the price of $6.99 (unless Gameloft puts in on sale).

Wondering how the online is? take a look

Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus Gets

5 out of 5

What’s Legit?

+Near console experience on the go

+Free Online Multiplayer

What’s Perpetrating?

-Occasionally, bullets fly through cover and still hit you