Modern warfare 2 storyline (big spoilers)

[Maximilian]

I tore through the campaign pretty quickly and have made it to level 27 in multiplayer but the storyline overall didnt make much sense... I checked wikipedia and it didnt clarify a lot of things, ill just stick my confusion into a few short questions:

1. So russia invades the USA because they thought the US shot up that airport as they found the US agents body.. cool.. so what happens with that? Seems like a major thing but its not expanded on after a few missions fighting russians, does russia just sort of give in or what?

2. Why did i dont know his name... the general that sounds like lance henricksson, why does he betray and shoot me and ghost?

3. Why is captain price in a russian gulag, also double question why does makarov hate him?

4. Why does captain price shoot the nuke at washington? I gather he only did it for the EMP effect as it detonated in the upper atmosphere or somthing and didnt hit the city, but that disabled both the USA and russian forces, wasent that a bit of a boneheaded move? Was there a hell of a lot more russian stuff there than american or somthing?

5. Why does the betraying general hate makarov? Shouldnt he be back in the USA fighting the russians off? Or did the EMP finish them off?

6. Zakhiev sp? keeps being mentioned, was he that guy whos arm i shot off in modern warfare 1?

I dunno the whole russia vs USA war thing made a lot more sense in world in conflict and red alert 1 heh.

 

[Cheeseplug]

Also, what the hell did south america have to do with anything?

And why was the russian army not uniformly equipped even though it is an army?

 

[Spoooon]

I thought that the US general arranged everything so that he would be given the go ahead to do whatever he wanted.

I want to know what's the deal with the SAS love fest?

The game was fun though. Best action movie I've played so far.

 

[RedArmy]

 

[duragezic]

My take:

1. I believe Russia is mostly defeated after the EMP goes off and US forces take back critical buildings (with green flares) while ones being held by Russia are bombed.

2. General Shepard.

3. This one I'm not sure the game gives us anything about. At the end of MW1, he is in the hands of supposedly friendlies in Russia. I guess they turn on him or give him up to Makarov who hates him (I'm guessing) for something he did in a previous mission.

4. Not sure on this one.

5. I believe things done before the MW2 storyline started have Shepard and his team chasing Makarov. I think there was newspaper articles shown. I'm guessing murdering civilians and stuff. For the second part, yes I believe after EMP is more or less when Russian forces are defeated.

6. Yep.

 

[the unknown]

I tore through the campaign pretty quickly and have made it to level 27 in multiplayer but the storyline overall didnt make much sense... I checked wikipedia and it didnt clarify a lot of things, ill just stick my confusion into a few short questions:

1. So russia invades the USA because they thought the US shot up that airport as they found the US agents body.. cool.. so what happens with that? Seems like a major thing but its not expanded on after a few missions fighting russians, does russia just sort of give in or what?
The Russians attack the US in full force, both coasts, and catch them completely off guard. The East coast is entirely overrun. All forces there seem to be completely occupied and cannot counterattack. The west coast seems to fair better, though its not talked about at all, and Roach goes from South America to the Kamchatka peninsula (Russian territory?) to get the "prisoner."

2. Why did i dont know his name... the general that sounds like lance henricksson, why does he betray and shoot me and ghost?
That's the General who you've always seen, the head of the Task Force 141, who knows the true fate of the CIA agent. He knew his group didn't recover the ACS module in time, who botched the Makarov sting operation and led the Russian straight to the US' doorstep. He says to the Congress in one between the mission radio chatter "we will not be the ones who stood guard while the US fell, we must capture Makarov." He wanted to paint himself in a good light, no matter what it took. "History is written by the victors".... Ghost and Roach find out the truth, and they're also part of the victors. They know too much, so the general shoots them so he can write himself as the hero of the story.

3. Why is captain price in a russian gulag, also double question why does makarov hate him?
Price is presumably in a russian gulag as the Ultranationalist party in Russia from MW1 won the war. Zakaev became a martyr, the country rallied, and presumably Price was in a Russian hospital at this time due to his severe injuries. Soap on the other hand had light injuries and could escape the Ultranationalists from capturing him (again all supposition). Makarov hates him because he killed their leader, Zakheiv. However, presumably, Price was taken to a Russian gulag before Makarov could get his hands on him. The government most likely tortured him to get information, where as Makarov just wanted him dead.

4. Why does captain price shoot the nuke at washington? I gather he only did it for the EMP effect as it detonated in the upper atmosphere or somthing and didnt hit the city, but that disabled both the USA and russian forces, wasent that a bit of a boneheaded move? Was there a hell of a lot more russian stuff there than american or somthing?
Only for the EMP effect... The Russians were clearly winning the battle. They had armor (tanks helis) where as we only had troops. Price used the nuke to disable all the enemy's armor, allowing the ground forces to retake the city.

5. Why does the betraying general hate makarov? Shouldnt he be back in the USA fighting the russians off? Or did the EMP finish them off?
This was a counter-attack led by special forces. They were trying to get a prisoner before Makarov did so that they could lure Makarov out of hiding with this "bait."

6. Zakhiev sp? keeps being mentioned, was he that guy whos arm i shot off in modern warfare 1?
Yes.
I dunno the whole russia vs USA war thing made a lot more sense in world in conflict and red alert 1 heh.

I'll give this a go, I beat the game twice through...

 

[the unknown]

Also, what the hell did south america have to do with anything?
South America is where the bullets came from for the Makarov operation. The Task Force 141 analyzed a shell casing and found it came from South America. It was their only lead, someone who might know where Makarov is or what he wants.
And why was the russian army not uniformly equipped even though it is an army?
The russians had uniforms. If you mean Makarov's group, they are terrorists. If you mean the Russians had different weapons, then its a game and they wanted you to have a variety of weapons.

Maybe this will help

 

[the unknown]

I thought that the US general arranged everything so that he would be given the go ahead to do whatever he wanted.
Not everything, just the US side of things. He was the general in MW1 that lost all his men to a nuke, 50,000. When the US was attacked, he did not want to take the blame for it all. So he made sure he was the only one alive who knew the truth. If he wrote himself as the "good guy" US citizens would be inspired to fight for a righteous cause and enlist in the army. Possibly to counter-attack the Russians.
I want to know what's the deal with the SAS love fest?
They're British and speak funny, and thats always good fun

The game was fun though. Best action movie I've played so far.

And this

 

[Kroze]

Modern Warfare 2 storyline is confusing as hell. I played through it twice (beaten the game on hardened) and still don't know what the hell is going on in the story. Lots of important questions go unanswered.

Hopefully the genius who wrote the story will be better at telling it in MW3

 

[HybridSquirrel]

Price died at the end of MW1. They brought him back because he is in almost every cod game...i remember him from cod2. Ramirez has to do everything, you are supposed to stay frosty, if asked Star, you are to repeat, Texas, then tell them to go to Whiskey Hotel. When you aren't telling them to go to Whiskey Hotel, you tell them you are Oscar Mike.


The sniper crawl totally failed compared to cod4, you didn't have to dodge apcs and a whole assload of troops, and soap looks like a guido from jersey shore.


That being said I don't own the game for pc...and was playing it on my friends 360.

 

[StrangerGuy]

One of the worst plots to ever grace video games.

Somehow nobody recognizes Makarov in the airport cameras, Russians invading Washington DC across an ocean and the US mainland ITSELF without anyone detecting, and Shephard proclaiming TF141 as traitors when he was the one who handpicked them in the first place.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

Lima Oscar Lima

 

[Maximilian]

Thanks for helping clear that up guys.

I heard modern warfare 2 had a "short but epic" storyline... lies! It was alright but really when you have to go to wikipedia or ask on a forum to understand what the hell happened theres somthing wrong there.

Oh and one last thing, corporal foley is captain anderson from mass effect right?

 

[Zoomer]

One of the worst plots to ever grace video games.

Somehow nobody recognizes Makarov in the airport cameras, Russians invading Washington DC across an ocean and the US mainland ITSELF without anyone detecting, and Shephard proclaiming TF141 as traitors when he was the one who handpicked them in the first place.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

Yeah that's just not possible. Sending that many number of troops takes time, and mobilizing them all would be obvious.

 

[NoSoup4You]

Yep, Captian Anderson.

The plot was a disgrace, but the levels themselves were fun. It's a shame, COD4 had an engaging storyline for the most part.

 

[Genx87]

One of the worst plots to ever grace video games.

Somehow nobody recognizes Makarov in the airport cameras, Russians invading Washington DC across an ocean and the US mainland ITSELF without anyone detecting, and Shephard proclaiming TF141 as traitors when he was the one who handpicked them in the first place.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

Dont forget armored units have been hardened against EMP affects from nuclear devices for decades. The only thing that will go pop from an EMP in DC is the grid and home appliances.

A more realistic plotline if we believe the Russians invaded our East coast without us seeing that massive fleet. Is we utilize our massive navy to starve the Russian troops. 3 months later they give up or die of starvation and no ammo.