Link to the video

 I have always been a proponent to realism in video games.  I have always wanted a dramatic moment in a game to elicit an emotion from the player.  I think that as a medium, video games need to do this to truly be considered art.  Now that I have seen the new footage that was leaked from Modern Warfare 2 I may be changing my tone.

 The best times I have had with games were the times in which I was able to do something that I couldn’t in real life.  It could be from playing an NBA player in NBA 2K to shooting zombies in Call of Duty World at War.  When I saw the footage for MW2 I was left thinking questioning if this is what I really want?  Does this make me feel the way that I want to feel?  Is this the realism that I’ve been waiting for?

 As seen in the footage you play as terrorist.  They’re inside an Airport picking off what look to be civilian travelers as they make their way through the terminal.  You are in control of one of the henchman and it truly looks like you’re simulating terror, or terrorism.  One of the things that I have been looking for is a game that truly captures the emotions of war.  The idea that people die that shouldn’t and that the casualties of war should be much more realistic then what has currently been portrayed.  Many times you are the good guy and there’s a disconnect from what is happening on screen and the gamer.  I have played through COD4 and COD WAW and because I was on the “good” side I felt compelled to shot and kill the enemy.  They are the enemy and they are trying to kill me.  It seems right.

 Modern Warfare 2 may be taking this to the next level.  You are killing defensless civilians and causing terror with guns.  There will be some that say that other games do this already.  Games like GTA or Fallout 3.  One of the main differences are the perspective in GTA.  Since it is a 3rd person game and you are playing as a character I don't think there is as much of a connection.  I'm not doing those things, Nieko is.  Fallout 3 may have the abiltiy  to kill civilians, but because it is baised in an alternate reallity where the enviroment is like the wild west and thus lawless your actions feel justified.  What MW2 is doing is placing you in a real world scenario where things like this have happened and asking the player to act them out.  Remind you of a school shootings anyone?

 I know I’m going to play this game and I know that I’m going to enjoy it, but I do wonder will I fell the same way playing this scene as I did watching it.  Am I ready for Modern Warfare and the emotions that come with it?

 Activision has told VG247: "The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player's mission to stop them.

 Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two 'checkpoints' where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can't be disabled.

Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older."