by Wayne K. Wilkins

Created on: November 15, 2009

Call of Duty is quite possibly one of the most popular online games of all time. Featuring many game modes which bring options for countless encounters of gameplay, the series stands as one of the most immersive online games of all time with Modern Warfare and World at War leading the way. Of course, November 2009 saw the highly anticipated release of Modern Warfare 2 which features bigger maps, more gaming opportunities and of course, more unlockables than the previous games. These factors combined mean that Modern Warfare 2 is destined to become the most popular online game of 2009, but just what bonuses can be unlocked in this latest installment of the Call of Duty series?

Much like the previous installments, challenges are prominently used to give players experience points to grant them access to higher levels. With higher levels also come access to more powerful weapons but in Modern Warfare 2, leveling up and completing challenges also give players access to even more customization bonuses such as titles and emblems. By equipping a different title, players who scroll over a name will then see their name differently. These act as unofficial logos for that specific player which can be used to coincide with the players other customizable options such as the clan tag and the emblem.

The emblem makes a prominent return to Modern Warfare 2. Players of Call of Duty 4 may remember the emblem as the object next to your name depending on your level. In this case, players now unlock emblems through leveling up and completing challenges and they can be selected as the player pleases. Much like the title, these emblems can be selected to coincide with a specific color scheme used by the player or a specific clan tag used by the player. In general, the emblem customization is there specifically for vanity and prestige rather than proving any difference to gameplay.

In order to unlock many of these hidden titles, emblems, weapons and perks, players must not only level up by playing the game online, they must also complete challenges. In Modern Warfare 2, it seems almost any method of killing paves the way to a bonus and a challenge. Whether you are crouching down to kill or shooting no scope through a window or using your throwing knives from a distance, almost all methods of killing can potentially pave the way to a challenge and a subsequent exterior bonus that goes with it.

The unlockable online bonuses such as titles and emblems are simply for vanity and prestige, they generally offer no real benefits other than the experience bonus that comes from unlocking the specific challenges. Of course, they are in the game for players that wish to complete the game in its entirety and to give more replayability and meaning behind the immersive online gameplay that the previous games, Modern Warfare and World at War failed to capitalize on in this manner. If you wish to reap the benefits and prestige of these bonuses, play tactfully and take care to take note of the challenges in your menu in order to unlock hidden bonuses and the subsequent titles and emblems that come with them.

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