‘Modern Warfare 2’ is a must-own release

The hype is over and the moral shades of gray are ready for the taking in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” probably the most anticipated game of the holiday season.

After the first “Modern Warfare” game changed all the rules, “Modern Warfare 2” doesn’t look to rewrite them so much as update and add to them. The campaign mode is back, and with it come some amazing special-ops missions, as well as probably the most well-rounded online game play around.

With the campaign mode, you will once again immerse yourself in the stories of several elite soldiers from around the world. The missions range from close-quarter infiltration to high-intensity chases through the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

Some missions, however, have you infiltrate a terrorist group and act like a terrorist. This means doing morally questionable deeds that, even considering the video-game context, could easily tick off or disturb unsuspecting parents and others.

Less debatable is the awesome, ever-addictive online gaming. Days upon days will be spent unlocking upgrades and perks and discovering new strategies to frustrate and dominate opponents. “Modern Warfare 2” lives up to all the hype.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Published by Activision, it’s rated M, for Mature. Grade: 5 stars out of 5.

‘Naruto Shippuden: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3’

There are but a few stellar fighting games on the Wii, and little did I know that “Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3” would impress me so.

I don’t know much about the “Naruto” universe; the characters and story line meant nothing to me, as I was more intrigued with the fighting mechanics.

There are around 40 Naruto characters. Possessing little knowledge of them allowed me to experiment with lots of different match-ups. Luckily, they all play differently and bring specific pluses and minuses to the battles.

“Clash of the Ninja 3” is a solid fighting game best enjoyed offline and among friends or against the computer AI.

“Naruto Shippuden: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3” is for the Wii. Published by Tomy, it’s rated T, for Teen. Grade: 3 stars.

E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games@mac.com.