4:30 best part is that there are TWO scripted deaths of the other Russians you're teammates with. They die no matter what happens. So how do they find Allen and jump to the conclusion that this was an American plot when literally two dead Russians wearing the same shit, armor, and weapons are also there to be found?
@@nuclearstudios651 that still doesn´t make a lot of sense. That ex-marine was not there on the behalf of the US government and for all the Russians knew you weren´t either, you are just a pair of crazy men that fell for the ideals of a terrorist organization
People knew that Makarov and his cortege were Russian terrorists, but planting Allen there gave the idea that the CIA was backing Makarov's Inner Circle. They probably found out because Shepherd leaked the information.
Better yet, wouldn't have Allen's identity been completely scrubbed when he joined Makarov's cell because he was transferred over to the CIA? I know that the campaign does cover finding the VIP that Shepherd used to leak Allen's identity, but at no point is that explicitly covered by the story and even though the wiki says Makarov still had friends in the Ultranationalist gov't and military, we don't see or hear any confirmation of that through in-game dialogue. So that hole in the plot in of itself runs to the center of the Earth. Then there's the guns which while there were some M4's thrown into the mix, there was no such evidence discussed as to the US directly supplying the attackers with weapons. Even the NATO ammo would've been incredibly easy to procure outside of US gov't help and there's no seal of approval on all the bullets that explicitly state they were handed down directly from the US. Nevermind that there was also CCTV on site as confirmed by MW3 that would've shed even more light on the unmasked Makarov present at the airport, sending red soviet flags to members of Ultranationalist command who weren't in Makarov's back pocket. Que the infighting that would've followed and I know that the Russian military is culturally corrupt but the invasion wouldn't have happened a day later if at all, since MW3 establishes that the current Ultranationalist president isn't in Makarov's back pocket and would've flushed out the ranks.
@@Erebus0001 I just watched it, I would have thought that was the most bad ass thing I've ever seen 10 years ago lol, but today it's pretty corny especially them clearing rooms without looking with a pistol in one hand
Gotta say, that intro with Hans Zimmer music was probably one of the most fucking epic intros ever made. I played through this game a trillion times...
About why Shepherd was hunting Makarov, he wasn't hunting him to find incriminating evidence as that was just the official purpose, the main purpose was to get rid of loose ends that connected anything back to himself. 141 was part of those loose ends, and Shepherd was only using them to get rid of the other loose ends. In the short movie Operation Kingfish that was released before MW3 came out, we find out that Price was captured after getting intel about where to find Makarov. When it comes to why the Navy pre-emptively destroyed the Gulag, it was more than likely just Shepherd's danger close policy and his own orders almost biting him in the ass. When it comes to Loose Ends specifically, it was taking out two birds with one stone. They knew Shepherd was either at the Estate or at the scrapyard, and the last bit of intel was found at the Estate. Shepherd had an opportunity to get rid of Makarov, 141, and any intel that connected him to No Russian. We don't see how Price and Soap survive the initial betrayal, but Price was never trusting of Shepherd to begin with, probably because of that intel he got from Op: Kingfish, and saw it coming allowing the two to survive the scrapyard.
@@Williaso It's an international airport. It's loaded with cameras and audio recording. (Which would have also caught Makarov killing the plant anyway)
@@Williaso elevators don't tend to record audio. Also, I'm not arguing the franchise features good writing, but this scenario is actually pretty wrapped up.
Modern Warfare 2 is one of those games where you're not really supposed to pay attention to every single detail (then you find out the game makes no sense when you look into it) and to just turn your brain off and enjoy all the action and spectacle
when I was playing mw2 mp (the good one) it hasn't changed at all, I heard people speaking Spanish, the rager, and the most deepest voice I've ever heard.
To the Americans shooting civs in middle east: they worked with the german special forces (KSK) once, and the german secret base had been detected by a random farmer, causing the germans to abandon it. The Americans later complained about the germans not shooting them instead. Really tells you how much they cared
Not sure if it's still there in the Remastered but if you are outside after the EMP, and look up, you should see an unending stream of helicopter coming down
I've just realised over halfway through Williaso's rant on Shephard's plans, that he has been using their real names for this section. When I realised, I was wondering who Price, Shepard, Makarov and others where. I've gotten too used to his nicknames......
15:40 funny how it took 14 years. thank you for that shephard plan anaylsis. when people explain mw2 campaign it sounded too simple but you pointed out the complexity. you are trully a story anaylist
13:15 not only this, but I find it funny how Ramirez doesn’t just flip up his back up iron sights that are on his gun in the case of a situation like this
I've played the MW2 campaign dozens of times. I think I'm qualified to explain Shepard's plan a little bit. Let's start with what we do know happens: PRE WAR >The US lose a satellite over Russia and the Russians recovered the ACS, allowing them free access to the US. >Allen is sent to be undercover with Makarov, and they commit an act of terrorism. >Russia blames the US, because Allen was American, and goes to war with them, and successfully begins an invasion on the East Coast. GETTING EVIDENCE >TF141 tracks down the arms supplier to prove the US was not behind the terrorist attack but Makarov was. >They prove to the world the US didn't do it, but now they need to capture Makarov. >They go and release Price because they know Makarov "has a hard-on" for him. >Price goes and releases a nuke in an attempt to stop the US-Russia war. HUNTING MAKAROV >TF141 Track Makarov down to two locations and they split up to cover both. >Ghost and Roach don't find Makarov but do find various pieces of evidence. >Soap and Price do not find anything. >Ghost and Roach bring the evidence to Shepard. THE BETRAYAL >Ghost and Roach are killed by Shepard, who kills them to prevent some piece of incriminating evidence from getting out. >Simultaneously, Soap and Price are also ambushed by Shepard's' men but managed to escape. >Price and Soap hunt down Shepard, and kills him. So now the questions. Q: How did Shepard know the Russians cracked the ACS? A: He didn't need to know. Whether the Russians cracked it or not was irrelevant; in fact it'd be easier for him to swoop in and win the war if the Russians didn't have the advantages the ACS provided so them cracking the ACS actually worked against him. Q: Why did he send Allen in with Makarov? A: To get him killed and trigger the war. Q: How did Makarov know Allen was an agent? A: Shepard told him, in order to trigger the war. Q: Why would Shepard send TF141 to get evidence the US wasn't behind it? A: Because even if Shepards' plan worked, and he succeeded in getting the blank check and creating his own army and getting many volunteers, he still needed a way to prove to the world the US did not do the terrorist act; Shepard still needed evidence which he could use to end the war. He needed something he could use to say to the world "We didn't start this war, we're just defending ourselves from the Russians". Q: Why would Shepard agree to rescuing Price? A: This is a bit of an unknown. It could be many valid reasons, it could just be bad writing. Personally I think it was purely to not look suspicious. He had to make it look like he was still trying to stop Makarov, that he was still trying to win the war. If TF141 come up and say "We have a plan, someone who might trigger Makarov in to revealing himself" and you go "nah", it might draw unwanted attention as to why you are so reluctant to stop Makarov. Q: How would Shepard have known Price would detonate a nuke to slow the war down? A: He wouldn't have known, and he didn't need to know. He already had evidence that the USA wasn't the perpetrators of the terror attack, that TF141 already got from the arms supplier. He could've used that at any point to call for a ceasefire, the nuke going off and doing it for him was just a coincidence. Q: Why would Price detonate the nuke? A: Because even if it didn't end the war, it'd help. The US were fighting on home territory and losing. A nuke going off would impact the invading Russians more than the US, and could've given the US military a desperately needed upper-hand. And it did. Q: Why did Shepard kill Ghost and Roach? A: Because they knew of the evidence collected from the safehouse, including the evidence against Shepard proving he compromised Allen. Everyone else on this mission already died, so it was only Ghost and Roach who had to be eliminated. (Not including the two snipers, Archer and Toad, who magically disappear and are never heard from again) Q: Why did he not try and trap Soap and Price? A: He did. They just managed to escape the trap. You have to remember, Ghost and Roach had just finished their mission, Roach was injured-.. even if they tried there was no way they could've gotten out of that. Soap and Price presumably hadn't finished their mission, they weren't injured, and they weren't enticed to feeling safe by General Shepard, but instead ambushed by anonymous men dressed in all black - something anyone would find suspicious even before they tried to kill you. Q: So what was Shepard trying to achieve; War with Russia and destroy them? A; No. He just wanted his own army. An army that he could do great things with. An army people would willingly join. An army people would remember in the future. And he almost succeeded too. He got his "Shadow" army, he got his blank check. He was very close to victory - his plan almost worked. Even the two people who should've died but didn't, Soap and Price, were disavowed and wanted criminals by even the 'good guys' of the normal US military, and so they posed very little tangible threat to him. A very lengthy comment but I hope it answers a few peoples' comments. Plus good video! Too many people are admittedly blinded by nostalgia for these games and don't question bits which need questioning, regardless of if they have valid answers or not. So many people just go "this game was great" but never acknowledge gaps in information, plot holes, or other weird shenanigans. I'm glad someone did. Although I must disagree with No Russian being labelled "shock value that contributed nothing" - it literally was the reason the war started, and thus the whole game happened, it didn't just advance the plot, it was the plot.
I have played through this campaign more than I can count. I never once put together that the 30,000 men that were lost were the ones you were fighting alongside in the first game when the nuke went off. Like I seriously never put that together 💀
In the s.s.d.d. mission in the remake (I have no idea what remake, they released 7 of them for the same game), if you kill the mustache dude who killed Ghost in the testing grounds, you get a "precognitive paranoia" achievement in stead of friendly fire screen. Then it resets you... XD
@@bryanleslie2617 The original, the graphical update one (same as the first one but with rescaled textures and higher poly models) and the modern one that came out a few years ago (the one with a new timeline).
Only you would put a stop to the entire video, and the entire discussion, just to google the pronunciation of a single word and mock yourself and your friends. I lost it. Bravo sir.
too my understanding, the original game kind of touches on Shepherd not wanting to share the glory of being the "hero" in stopping the war. so, he kills them to 1, stop them from figuring out he's behind it and 2, not let them have any of the fame of being heroes. (Think if seal team 6 was murdered by their command before the news of their success could be announced.)
A Completely Accurate Summary of Call of Duty Ghost please 15:48-20:04 Solid arguments and I have no objections Love ur content and this one made me laugh alot
This was done live, so you can watch the whole stream as a vod. I'm going to start streaming more so they'll be available whenever. So far you can watch MW2, Alien Isolation and Metal Gear Rising in their entirety
After Will’s break down of shepherds plan I feel like the MW2 2022 story line was alot better. Both aren’t amazing but atleast shepherds betrayal and things like that made sense. I was like 14 playing through MW2 (campaign my mom didn’t let me have M-rated games when I was 9) and was confused. Now I’m know I’m not dumb the story was just shit
The story wasn't shit he missed a few details. There is also the part that he is completely unhinged at this point. Shadow company was intended to completely replace 141. The us was very much so going to lose that fight until price emp'd everything. Makarov had alot of intel showing that Shepherd assisted in his plan to start the war hence the DSM recovery mission. Once he had that he started taking out 141 since them and makarov are the only ones who would have known anything. As he said, one less lose end. Mw3 fills in the rest of the info. Remember its a trilogy there is always going to be unanswered questions until the final part comes out.
17:25 It was a trap, the early bombardment was supposed to kill all of TF 141 but Shepherd neglected to realize those were the main characters. And then 141 still trusts and follows Shepherd despite knowing he was the one commanding the Navy when they started bombing them
Just a nerd out comment here regarding the helicopters spinning out of the sky when they lose power. The spinning in particular makes no sense as well, when a helicopter spins out of control it a result of the counter-torque rotor/tail rotor losing power or otherwise being damaged. but the only reaon that rotor is there to begin with is to counter the torque created by the main engine so if they both lose power there is no torque to counter. This is why if you look at clips of Russian choppers getting shot down over Ukraine they just fall because they've completely lost power not just damaging the tail rotor so they don't spin all over the place they just drop.
I like how the game just ignores that Captain Price had possibly killed thousands of civilians and friendly while pulling his nuke move. Oh and also the ISS
Not gonna lie not having played the new MW2 it took me way to long to realize this is the old MW2. I just figured Activision rehashed the airport scene for nostalgia and money.
Great vid as usual! I think the whole shepard turns bad and is the main villain is great but like you say has a few plot wholes because there's no definitive answer, I assume throughout the game shepard relies on TF141 to do what his troops can't and achieve goals under insurmountable odds, while also framing them as being complicit in starting WW3 such as the deep cover plant of Pvt. Allen who is a member of TF141/CIA, the breakout of price was another one as he was held captive by the Russians and could have switched allegiances if framed correctly, however I feel price was always onto shepards plans especially in the mission contingency when he launched the nuke into orbit against direct orders, this point in the story also cemented TF141's downfall as shepard new if they found out the truth they would come after him as they weren't loyal dogs like shadow company. Shepard executes the hit, disavows the unit and uses shadow company with his blank check to rewrite the truth and history, his plans are foiled in his death but TF141 are still dissavowed throughout MW3 and even hunted by Russian and makarovs ultranationalist forces for "being responsible for the war". So shepard basicly tried to play all sides to frame his legacy in a better light as the man that saved the US not the one that wounded them, while also trying to remove an ultra nationalist threat and break up the international task force that could go above shepards direct orders.
(I know I'm extremely late to this, but it's probably fine, lol) Just wanted to clear up some things about the story: The thing with the airport attack is that the Russian authorities were fully aware that Makarov was the one who committed the attack, but the point behind the attack was to make it look like the U.S. had been supporting and funding the attack. Allen's body was an extremely lucky opportunity for Makarov to frame the U.S. even more. This is all explained in a newspaper clipping inside the safehouse on the mission "Loose Ends". (I actually first learnt this from a few comments on The Act Man's review of the game, especially Hacksawgrunts101's, which I took huge inspiration from for this point!) Shepherd had always been planning on starting the war, in my view, the satellite going down in Russia was just a very lucky opportunity for him, because the Russians having the ACS module wasn't really necessary for a war imo, and since they would have more of an advantage when invading the U.S. using it, it was more likely for a war to start, that, along with the fact that the Russian authorities were specifically looking for a reason to go to war with the U.S., taking their actions during the end of CoD 4 into account, as theorised by a few people. As for why Shepherd sent Soap and Roach to retrieve the module, I'm actually not entirely sure... maybe it was TF 141 who first found out about the downed satellite and then informed Shepherd about it, then were sent by him to avoid any suspicion on Shepherd's part. I think when Price went to launch the nuke instead of following Shepherd's orders, Shepherd at that point was sure that he'd get a blank check regardless, but I'm not too sure Shepherd sent TF 141 to rescue Price because it'd get them closer to uncovering Makarov, and because TF 141 were originally the ones who got the info from Rojas that Makarov's worst enemy was locked up at the Gulag, and thus Shepherd denying them from going to the Gulag could have raised suspicion on him. In my opinion, at least As for Shepherd sending Price and not someone else to the Boneyard, I think it was just that there wasn't really any problems with sending him and no reason not to, I might be missing something though. The Navy bombarding the Gulag whilst TF 141 were still inside I don't think was the work of Shepherd, just that he messed up and almost got them killed. (I learnt this from SeaGLGaming's comment, who also made some incredible points) After the team captured Rojas, the reason no one picked them up (apart from Nikolai) was because the U.S. were denied entry into Brazilian airspace, which is seen in the intro cutscene of the mission that comes afterwards, "Wolverines!". Shepherd betrayed TF 141 in an attempt to get rid of any loose ends that tied back to him, which he had a very good opportunity to do with the team uncovering all the evidence on Loose Ends, and also because the intel they got from it would have revealed him working with Makarov, if he attempted to hide it all from TF 141, it definitely would've once again raised suspicion, especially with Price now on the team. After Shepherd's betrayal, Shadow Company couldn't trap Price and Soap first because Makarov's men were still there. The thing with MW2's campaign is that it is very, very "show don't tell". There are a lot of details that explain the plot points that require you to look deeper into the game to find them, which they definitely should've been more fleshed out and explained, since imo it ultimately detrimented the game more than it benefited. There are definitely a lot of logical inconsistencies and a few plot holes here and there, which is why I still think that the BO games are a bit better. That said, this game is still wonderful with loads of stunning and beautiful scenery and setpieces, fun gameplay, incredible music, great characters and still an interesting story. Love your vids man, and your commentary, hopefully this helped!
I also agree the story is devoid of logic and all over the place with how this was supposed to play out, and Shepherd is an Army 3 star, and there's no way he'd be on the ground and on the front lines like he his, or bouncing all over the world. This game forgot about timezones. Also, the invasion of the U.S. is so unrealistic because of the amount of time Russia would have needed to build up forces (neglecting the fact they had security cam footage of the airport attack, negating the whole argument that America did it), and to get to the U.S., they'd have to pass numerous countries that would have told us. Also, Russia does not have the airlift of tanker capability for all those planes and equipment to even get to our coast in those numbers. Fun game, but too far outside the realm of possibility.
Russia is an almost direct neighbor of the USA. Look at a map. USA -> Canada -> and now a liiiiittle to the left. Turns out the world isn‘t a square. ;)
@@ArDeeMee I'm sorry, but this is a dumb reply. I know the world isn't square, I've been around it a few times. But to get to the east coast, they'd have to fly across Canada and the rest of the U.S., so again, how did no one see it (other satellites, commercial airliners, ships, people on the ground, etc.). Not to mention the tyranny of distance. It would take literally about 12-16 hours for them to fly from their bases in Russia and get to I-95. Again, fun game, but too much suspension of disbelief if you know anything about the military, build-up timelines, logistics, etc.
@@ArDeeMee Except for the fact that in Wolverines it shows that Russia uses the ACS module to Ghost ping the west coast to make it look like they are trying to invade through Canada and California so that they can come from the east coast and are only detected once they are right on top of Washington DC.
@@justinedwards5300 So they took a detour between Canada and the Arctic. That sounds like such a hassle, but also reduces fighting on land to where it counts. I guess. But the sheer number of civilian vessels fishing along the routes, general satellite images and the fact that each country generally has an eye on their boarders makes this completely unfeasible. So, it was definitely worse than I thought. Ouch. ^^
The airport sequence doesn't make a whole lot of sense either if you think about it for too long. - Why is Makarov there? I get it's to paint him as a villain working on the front lines, but he's an internationally recognized terrorist. CCTV will and does catch footage of him (as shown in MW3's cutscenes) which would likely spur a much deeper investigation on the Russians' part. And wouldn't his death negatively impact the his cell? - What does using NATO weapons even accomplish? Aside from three types of their arsenal being manufactured in the US (M4A1, M240B, M79), the Striker isn't. The M79 isn't even used anymore by US forces and the other two aren't even fielded by the US exclusively. With how ubiquitous NATO munitions are, none of this points at the US specifically. Maybe NATO at large, but that's it. - Unless Makarov also arranged for forged IDs for himself and his men, the use of US lingo isn't going to change much when forensics come into play with Lev and Kiril dead. - Having Allen along to be the fall guy is nice since he's now CIA, but there in lies the problem. Unless Shepherd somehow intervened in that regard, Allen's a blank slate. Any records of him being American or being placed there by the CIA are gone so he can be disavowed. That's the whole point. While Shepherd definitely leaked Allen's identity (though having that explicitly stated in-game as to what role the VIP had in the story would have been nice), this would have been impeded by how much of the Russian command structure is not in cahoots with Makarov if anything MW3 flimsily established is to be believed. MW2 culturally did establish what an invaded US would look like and the scenery is definitely aesthetic. It's just a shame the story feels much less grounded than its predecessor to get there.
And then MW3 makes it even wonkier with Yuri being at the airport and surviving, who knew Makarov's plan. Did they just not ask him about the situation and get it cleared up? He's an alive Russian wearing a suit and holding a gun.
Surviving a dead on collision with an air strike! That is what you get when you source components for your rockets from China... As one great historian once said: Air strike, what is air going to do? (booom)
Imagine actually being named Ramirez and playing this game. That's like, if you're named Ellie and play Dead Space 3, when Isaac is constantly crying and yelling her name. *ELLIE!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!one!!!1!!*
The only wrong thing about your shepherd rant is why he killed ghost and roach, the files they downloaded would have incriminatied him, so killing them there was actually a smart move, but that doesn’t solve any of the other holes…good job, I seriously thought I was the only one who noticed the gaping holes in Shepherd’s plan
@@Williaso they probably would’ve said “why the hell aren’t you letting us see this intel? Why are you hiding this intel from us when we’ll need to know it to go after Makarov” It makes sense to just go ahead and kill them now, again though, that doesn’t negate all of the other problems with his plan that you pointed out
A burgertown selling.. poutine?
oh sh*t
Alternate reality where Canada rebuilt the Whitehouse after they burned it down in 1812.
@@GiantEnemyMudcrabz lmao
@@GiantEnemyMudcrabz in this reality they felt too soory so they re built it before the politly left.
Putine
„If you fall I‘ll be there.“
- Floor
10/10 Best game eva.
4:30 best part is that there are TWO scripted deaths of the other Russians you're teammates with. They die no matter what happens. So how do they find Allen and jump to the conclusion that this was an American plot when literally two dead Russians wearing the same shit, armor, and weapons are also there to be found?
There was another ex marine it’s in the wiki he’s the one who speaks without a Russian accent when he says “I’ve been waiting a long time for this”
@@nuclearstudios651 that still doesn´t make a lot of sense. That ex-marine was not there on the behalf of the US government and for all the Russians knew you weren´t either, you are just a pair of crazy men that fell for the ideals of a terrorist organization
Its the whole using American weapons to do it 🤷🏽♂️ maby teaching the serial numbers back to the american military IE Shepherd
People knew that Makarov and his cortege were Russian terrorists, but planting Allen there gave the idea that the CIA was backing Makarov's Inner Circle. They probably found out because Shepherd leaked the information.
Better yet, wouldn't have Allen's identity been completely scrubbed when he joined Makarov's cell because he was transferred over to the CIA? I know that the campaign does cover finding the VIP that Shepherd used to leak Allen's identity, but at no point is that explicitly covered by the story and even though the wiki says Makarov still had friends in the Ultranationalist gov't and military, we don't see or hear any confirmation of that through in-game dialogue. So that hole in the plot in of itself runs to the center of the Earth.
Then there's the guns which while there were some M4's thrown into the mix, there was no such evidence discussed as to the US directly supplying the attackers with weapons. Even the NATO ammo would've been incredibly easy to procure outside of US gov't help and there's no seal of approval on all the bullets that explicitly state they were handed down directly from the US.
Nevermind that there was also CCTV on site as confirmed by MW3 that would've shed even more light on the unmasked Makarov present at the airport, sending red soviet flags to members of Ultranationalist command who weren't in Makarov's back pocket. Que the infighting that would've followed and I know that the Russian military is culturally corrupt but the invasion wouldn't have happened a day later if at all, since MW3 establishes that the current Ultranationalist president isn't in Makarov's back pocket and would've flushed out the ranks.
Are we sure we don't just all have collective schizophrenia and Williaso isn't real?
Yes
Hmmm
„If this is wrong I don‘t want to be right.“ 😁
The funniest part is that we would all be chatting in an empty UA-cam channel and that we joined a Discord server that spontaneously spawned.
All of this shit might not be real, I might not be a real person, just programming on a fucking piece of code.
I appreciate that he always gives his Ubers at least two stars for trying.
You know what I thought was kind of weird about this campaign the fact that they never mentioned operation catfish how price got captured.
Cuz the writing is b a d
Honestly the one action was hysterical I remember thinking it was like the most badass thing I ever saw as a kid😂😂
I always assumed he was captured at the end of COD 4 on the bridge
And you should definitely look up operation kingfish it's actually pretty funny.
@@Erebus0001 I just watched it, I would have thought that was the most bad ass thing I've ever seen 10 years ago lol, but today it's pretty corny especially them clearing rooms without looking with a pistol in one hand
Gotta say, that intro with Hans Zimmer music was probably one of the most fucking epic intros ever made. I played through this game a trillion times...
my favorite of the music is the running out of the ruins into burning DC and the huge battle in front of the Government building.
@@Tadicuslegion78I dont remember music playing when I did- oh.... Yeaaaa. Youre talking about the game.
I feel bad for Ramirez, dude just breathes near a Bradley and it gets fucking *PINNED* by a rocket . Hell it could be pinned by a fucking pop tart
About why Shepherd was hunting Makarov, he wasn't hunting him to find incriminating evidence as that was just the official purpose, the main purpose was to get rid of loose ends that connected anything back to himself. 141 was part of those loose ends, and Shepherd was only using them to get rid of the other loose ends. In the short movie Operation Kingfish that was released before MW3 came out, we find out that Price was captured after getting intel about where to find Makarov. When it comes to why the Navy pre-emptively destroyed the Gulag, it was more than likely just Shepherd's danger close policy and his own orders almost biting him in the ass. When it comes to Loose Ends specifically, it was taking out two birds with one stone. They knew Shepherd was either at the Estate or at the scrapyard, and the last bit of intel was found at the Estate. Shepherd had an opportunity to get rid of Makarov, 141, and any intel that connected him to No Russian. We don't see how Price and Soap survive the initial betrayal, but Price was never trusting of Shepherd to begin with, probably because of that intel he got from Op: Kingfish, and saw it coming allowing the two to survive the scrapyard.
Fun fact the famous quote "no Russian" is Makarov telling you to only speak English to frame america
Uh, yeah. That's kind of the entire point of the scene. But who's left at the end that would've heard them?
@@Williaso It's an international airport. It's loaded with cameras and audio recording. (Which would have also caught Makarov killing the plant anyway)
@@filthyshoggoth And would've caught Makarov telling them not to speak Russian, giving away their plan. Don't think that's the case
@@Williaso elevators don't tend to record audio. Also, I'm not arguing the franchise features good writing, but this scenario is actually pretty wrapped up.
@@Williaso And Makarov clipping Yuri in the parking lot outside, and ntm one of the other terrorists is also an American lmao, the plot is so goofy
Believe it or not, Troy Baker voiced a LOT of the background rangers in this game, including Private Who Cares, as well as Scarecrow in "Loose Ends."
Modern Warfare 2 is one of those games where you're not really supposed to pay attention to every single detail (then you find out the game makes no sense when you look into it) and to just turn your brain off and enjoy all the action and spectacle
“He must be Andrew Garfield”
“I understood that reference!”
That is a smart ass reference
It took me to long to realize why he was calling soap “don’t drop” 😂
I'm fully convinced that Will is either bringing tax evaders to justice or a possible war criminal
He is both a tax collector and a war criminal
when I was playing mw2 mp (the good one) it hasn't changed at all, I heard people speaking Spanish, the rager, and the most deepest voice I've ever heard.
"Arrogant Dumbass" is pretty much the reason for any conflict.
The gulag conversation is one of my favorite moments in any of your videos🤣
To the Americans shooting civs in middle east: they worked with the german special forces (KSK) once, and the german secret base had been detected by a random farmer, causing the germans to abandon it. The Americans later complained about the germans not shooting them instead. Really tells you how much they cared
9:05 “descend to the next plane of existence” damn will sent them to h-e-double hockey sticks hell.
Not sure if it's still there in the Remastered but if you are outside after the EMP, and look up, you should see an unending stream of helicopter coming down
Love the Bad Company reference, I am so sad that the first game isn't on PC, at least as far as I know.
I've just realised over halfway through Williaso's rant on Shephard's plans, that he has been using their real names for this section. When I realised, I was wondering who Price, Shepard, Makarov and others where.
I've gotten too used to his nicknames......
15:40 funny how it took 14 years. thank you for that shephard plan anaylsis. when people explain mw2 campaign it sounded too simple but you pointed out the complexity. you are trully a story anaylist
It's convoluted nonsense
0:16. Did you have to call me out on that?!
I just noticed in 19:47 you can see airsoft magazines! Lmao
13:15 not only this, but I find it funny how Ramirez doesn’t just flip up his back up iron sights that are on his gun in the case of a situation like this
I've played the MW2 campaign dozens of times. I think I'm qualified to explain Shepard's plan a little bit.
Let's start with what we do know happens:
PRE WAR
>The US lose a satellite over Russia and the Russians recovered the ACS, allowing them free access to the US.
>Allen is sent to be undercover with Makarov, and they commit an act of terrorism.
>Russia blames the US, because Allen was American, and goes to war with them, and successfully begins an invasion on the East Coast.
GETTING EVIDENCE
>TF141 tracks down the arms supplier to prove the US was not behind the terrorist attack but Makarov was.
>They prove to the world the US didn't do it, but now they need to capture Makarov.
>They go and release Price because they know Makarov "has a hard-on" for him.
>Price goes and releases a nuke in an attempt to stop the US-Russia war.
HUNTING MAKAROV
>TF141 Track Makarov down to two locations and they split up to cover both.
>Ghost and Roach don't find Makarov but do find various pieces of evidence.
>Soap and Price do not find anything.
>Ghost and Roach bring the evidence to Shepard.
THE BETRAYAL
>Ghost and Roach are killed by Shepard, who kills them to prevent some piece of incriminating evidence from getting out.
>Simultaneously, Soap and Price are also ambushed by Shepard's' men but managed to escape.
>Price and Soap hunt down Shepard, and kills him.
So now the questions.
Q: How did Shepard know the Russians cracked the ACS?
A: He didn't need to know. Whether the Russians cracked it or not was irrelevant; in fact it'd be easier for him to swoop in and win the war if the Russians didn't have the advantages the ACS provided so them cracking the ACS actually worked against him.
Q: Why did he send Allen in with Makarov?
A: To get him killed and trigger the war.
Q: How did Makarov know Allen was an agent?
A: Shepard told him, in order to trigger the war.
Q: Why would Shepard send TF141 to get evidence the US wasn't behind it?
A: Because even if Shepards' plan worked, and he succeeded in getting the blank check and creating his own army and getting many volunteers, he still needed a way to prove to the world the US did not do the terrorist act; Shepard still needed evidence which he could use to end the war. He needed something he could use to say to the world "We didn't start this war, we're just defending ourselves from the Russians".
Q: Why would Shepard agree to rescuing Price?
A: This is a bit of an unknown. It could be many valid reasons, it could just be bad writing. Personally I think it was purely to not look suspicious. He had to make it look like he was still trying to stop Makarov, that he was still trying to win the war. If TF141 come up and say "We have a plan, someone who might trigger Makarov in to revealing himself" and you go "nah", it might draw unwanted attention as to why you are so reluctant to stop Makarov.
Q: How would Shepard have known Price would detonate a nuke to slow the war down?
A: He wouldn't have known, and he didn't need to know. He already had evidence that the USA wasn't the perpetrators of the terror attack, that TF141 already got from the arms supplier. He could've used that at any point to call for a ceasefire, the nuke going off and doing it for him was just a coincidence.
Q: Why would Price detonate the nuke?
A: Because even if it didn't end the war, it'd help. The US were fighting on home territory and losing. A nuke going off would impact the invading Russians more than the US, and could've given the US military a desperately needed upper-hand. And it did.
Q: Why did Shepard kill Ghost and Roach?
A: Because they knew of the evidence collected from the safehouse, including the evidence against Shepard proving he compromised Allen. Everyone else on this mission already died, so it was only Ghost and Roach who had to be eliminated. (Not including the two snipers, Archer and Toad, who magically disappear and are never heard from again)
Q: Why did he not try and trap Soap and Price?
A: He did. They just managed to escape the trap. You have to remember, Ghost and Roach had just finished their mission, Roach was injured-.. even if they tried there was no way they could've gotten out of that. Soap and Price presumably hadn't finished their mission, they weren't injured, and they weren't enticed to feeling safe by General Shepard, but instead ambushed by anonymous men dressed in all black - something anyone would find suspicious even before they tried to kill you.
Q: So what was Shepard trying to achieve; War with Russia and destroy them?
A; No. He just wanted his own army. An army that he could do great things with. An army people would willingly join. An army people would remember in the future. And he almost succeeded too. He got his "Shadow" army, he got his blank check. He was very close to victory - his plan almost worked. Even the two people who should've died but didn't, Soap and Price, were disavowed and wanted criminals by even the 'good guys' of the normal US military, and so they posed very little tangible threat to him.
A very lengthy comment but I hope it answers a few peoples' comments.
Plus good video! Too many people are admittedly blinded by nostalgia for these games and don't question bits which need questioning, regardless of if they have valid answers or not. So many people just go "this game was great" but never acknowledge gaps in information, plot holes, or other weird shenanigans. I'm glad someone did. Although I must disagree with No Russian being labelled "shock value that contributed nothing" - it literally was the reason the war started, and thus the whole game happened, it didn't just advance the plot, it was the plot.
Thay was a lot. Thanks for the context though.
6:29 I'm dying, HELP
9:24-10:45 is just a pure amount of brain damage from all sides.
Ramirez!!! Yes an accurate portrayal of the military life. A sergeant yelling at a Private to do a bunch of shit.
I have played through this campaign more than I can count. I never once put together that the 30,000 men that were lost were the ones you were fighting alongside in the first game when the nuke went off. Like I seriously never put that together 💀
Out of all the things that might just be the dumbest one lol
no youre wrong
6:58 MOM GET THE CAMERA!
Please tell me I wasn't the only one who thought he already made a completely accurate summary of the new COD MWII...
You're not the only one,
I thought so too.
2:55 that BFBC2 reference was a nice touch
In the s.s.d.d. mission in the remake (I have no idea what remake, they released 7 of them for the same game), if you kill the mustache dude who killed Ghost in the testing grounds, you get a "precognitive paranoia" achievement in stead of friendly fire screen. Then it resets you... XD
There’s one mw2 remaster?
@@bryanleslie2617 The original, the graphical update one (same as the first one but with rescaled textures and higher poly models) and the modern one that came out a few years ago (the one with a new timeline).
@@rexrip1080no only the one remaster , and then the new timeline one ,
Only you would put a stop to the entire video, and the entire discussion, just to google the pronunciation of a single word and mock yourself and your friends.
I lost it. Bravo sir.
I got stuck on Brazil for over 2 hours. How did Will of all people be able to do it so easily.
Power of the easiest difficulty
The power of F R I E N D S H I P 🌈
He’s playing on recruit
Takedown is hard ngl, but I loved that mission
Glad Willaso's playing Modern Warfare 2 instead of "Modern Warfare 2".
too my understanding, the original game kind of touches on Shepherd not wanting to share the glory of being the "hero" in stopping the war. so, he kills them to 1, stop them from figuring out he's behind it and 2, not let them have any of the fame of being heroes. (Think if seal team 6 was murdered by their command before the news of their success could be announced.)
Command doesn’t get the praise for doing something the soldiers that do it do
Just started watching it, please don't die.
You died
This just in, he dies
A Completely Accurate Summary of Call of Duty Ghost please
15:48-20:04 Solid arguments and I have no objections
Love ur content and this one made me laugh alot
Dude your videos are the reason my uni depression hasn’t taken over my life
Far superior than whatever super-hero simulator we got this year
Are there videos of just you and your friends commentating over your gameplay?
Could listen to you lot for ages
This was done live, so you can watch the whole stream as a vod. I'm going to start streaming more so they'll be available whenever. So far you can watch MW2, Alien Isolation and Metal Gear Rising in their entirety
0:22 Nah, bro I was less than a year old when MW2 came out. Can’t believe I’m “old.”
After Will’s break down of shepherds plan I feel like the MW2 2022 story line was alot better. Both aren’t amazing but atleast shepherds betrayal and things like that made sense. I was like 14 playing through MW2 (campaign my mom didn’t let me have M-rated games when I was 9) and was confused. Now I’m know I’m not dumb the story was just shit
Nah the new one is worse
@@hz3068 I respectfully disagree
@@hz3068 compared to how well will just described this story? Nah 2022 me story better than this and even then it isn't all that
@@NeglectedChild-ih1jtTo find out his real views on the game, watch his honest thoughts video.
The story wasn't shit he missed a few details. There is also the part that he is completely unhinged at this point. Shadow company was intended to completely replace 141. The us was very much so going to lose that fight until price emp'd everything. Makarov had alot of intel showing that Shepherd assisted in his plan to start the war hence the DSM recovery mission. Once he had that he started taking out 141 since them and makarov are the only ones who would have known anything. As he said, one less lose end. Mw3 fills in the rest of the info. Remember its a trilogy there is always going to be unanswered questions until the final part comes out.
Ramirez stop eating fast food we need to use the predator drone
4:20 it's because they're using weapons exclusive to the U.S military 🤷♂️
Funny weed number
Ramirez.... This is a nice video...
Ramirez.... Keep up the good work
17:25 It was a trap, the early bombardment was supposed to kill all of TF 141 but Shepherd neglected to realize those were the main characters. And then 141 still trusts and follows Shepherd despite knowing he was the one commanding the Navy when they started bombing them
@2:58 Sweetwater reference, loved it 👌🏻
"How to commit tax fraud" lol
Just a nerd out comment here regarding the helicopters spinning out of the sky when they lose power. The spinning in particular makes no sense as well, when a helicopter spins out of control it a result of the counter-torque rotor/tail rotor losing power or otherwise being damaged. but the only reaon that rotor is there to begin with is to counter the torque created by the main engine so if they both lose power there is no torque to counter. This is why if you look at clips of Russian choppers getting shot down over Ukraine they just fall because they've completely lost power not just damaging the tail rotor so they don't spin all over the place they just drop.
2:39
Kid named floor be like:
13:06 I don't know the physics of space and nukes but that station is simply to far away for the nuke to do anything...2 stars
19:46 the mags on roaches body are airsoft magazines
Lmao So effen good! I'll never get bored of your dead soul humor monotone voice also Isn't that the same map from. . .oh
No-bromo
Keeps saying Ramirez and then a sudden cough in the middle of the sequence. I lost it 😂😂😂😂
I like how the game just ignores that Captain Price had possibly killed thousands of civilians and friendly while pulling his nuke move. Oh and also the ISS
2:55 bad company 2 reference. I love it
The Gulag conversation had one brain cell that was passed between 3 people
Actually 4, because it turns out the Gulag is NOT a real building.
5:18 - *Ramirez, do everything!*
Not gonna lie not having played the new MW2 it took me way to long to realize this is the old MW2. I just figured Activision rehashed the airport scene for nostalgia and money.
4:00 That was fucking awesome. That was so fucking cool.
I love the classic MW series
im so happy my one-off comment in chat about the weapon animation of you throwing away a half full magazine led to a Koch joke
Great vid as usual! I think the whole shepard turns bad and is the main villain is great but like you say has a few plot wholes because there's no definitive answer, I assume throughout the game shepard relies on TF141 to do what his troops can't and achieve goals under insurmountable odds, while also framing them as being complicit in starting WW3 such as the deep cover plant of Pvt. Allen who is a member of TF141/CIA, the breakout of price was another one as he was held captive by the Russians and could have switched allegiances if framed correctly, however I feel price was always onto shepards plans especially in the mission contingency when he launched the nuke into orbit against direct orders, this point in the story also cemented TF141's downfall as shepard new if they found out the truth they would come after him as they weren't loyal dogs like shadow company. Shepard executes the hit, disavows the unit and uses shadow company with his blank check to rewrite the truth and history, his plans are foiled in his death but TF141 are still dissavowed throughout MW3 and even hunted by Russian and makarovs ultranationalist forces for "being responsible for the war".
So shepard basicly tried to play all sides to frame his legacy in a better light as the man that saved the US not the one that wounded them, while also trying to remove an ultra nationalist threat and break up the international task force that could go above shepards direct orders.
(I know I'm extremely late to this, but it's probably fine, lol)
Just wanted to clear up some things about the story:
The thing with the airport attack is that the Russian authorities were fully aware that Makarov was the one who committed the attack, but the point behind the attack was to make it look like the U.S. had been supporting and funding the attack. Allen's body was an extremely lucky opportunity for Makarov to frame the U.S. even more. This is all explained in a newspaper clipping inside the safehouse on the mission "Loose Ends". (I actually first learnt this from a few comments on The Act Man's review of the game, especially Hacksawgrunts101's, which I took huge inspiration from for this point!)
Shepherd had always been planning on starting the war, in my view, the satellite going down in Russia was just a very lucky opportunity for him, because the Russians having the ACS module wasn't really necessary for a war imo, and since they would have more of an advantage when invading the U.S. using it, it was more likely for a war to start, that, along with the fact that the Russian authorities were specifically looking for a reason to go to war with the U.S., taking their actions during the end of CoD 4 into account, as theorised by a few people.
As for why Shepherd sent Soap and Roach to retrieve the module, I'm actually not entirely sure... maybe it was TF 141 who first found out about the downed satellite and then informed Shepherd about it, then were sent by him to avoid any suspicion on Shepherd's part.
I think when Price went to launch the nuke instead of following Shepherd's orders, Shepherd at that point was sure that he'd get a blank check regardless, but I'm not too sure
Shepherd sent TF 141 to rescue Price because it'd get them closer to uncovering Makarov, and because TF 141 were originally the ones who got the info from Rojas that Makarov's worst enemy was locked up at the Gulag, and thus Shepherd denying them from going to the Gulag could have raised suspicion on him. In my opinion, at least
As for Shepherd sending Price and not someone else to the Boneyard, I think it was just that there wasn't really any problems with sending him and no reason not to, I might be missing something though.
The Navy bombarding the Gulag whilst TF 141 were still inside I don't think was the work of Shepherd, just that he messed up and almost got them killed. (I learnt this from SeaGLGaming's comment, who also made some incredible points)
After the team captured Rojas, the reason no one picked them up (apart from Nikolai) was because the U.S. were denied entry into Brazilian airspace, which is seen in the intro cutscene of the mission that comes afterwards, "Wolverines!".
Shepherd betrayed TF 141 in an attempt to get rid of any loose ends that tied back to him, which he had a very good opportunity to do with the team uncovering all the evidence on Loose Ends, and also because the intel they got from it would have revealed him working with Makarov, if he attempted to hide it all from TF 141, it definitely would've once again raised suspicion, especially with Price now on the team.
After Shepherd's betrayal, Shadow Company couldn't trap Price and Soap first because Makarov's men were still there.
The thing with MW2's campaign is that it is very, very "show don't tell". There are a lot of details that explain the plot points that require you to look deeper into the game to find them, which they definitely should've been more fleshed out and explained, since imo it ultimately detrimented the game more than it benefited. There are definitely a lot of logical inconsistencies and a few plot holes here and there, which is why I still think that the BO games are a bit better.
That said, this game is still wonderful with loads of stunning and beautiful scenery and setpieces, fun gameplay, incredible music, great characters and still an interesting story.
Love your vids man, and your commentary, hopefully this helped!
this needs to be pinned, top comment!
RAMERIZ
Wait till these guys find out there are many Gulags
I also agree the story is devoid of logic and all over the place with how this was supposed to play out, and Shepherd is an Army 3 star, and there's no way he'd be on the ground and on the front lines like he his, or bouncing all over the world. This game forgot about timezones. Also, the invasion of the U.S. is so unrealistic because of the amount of time Russia would have needed to build up forces (neglecting the fact they had security cam footage of the airport attack, negating the whole argument that America did it), and to get to the U.S., they'd have to pass numerous countries that would have told us. Also, Russia does not have the airlift of tanker capability for all those planes and equipment to even get to our coast in those numbers. Fun game, but too far outside the realm of possibility.
Russia is an almost direct neighbor of the USA. Look at a map. USA -> Canada -> and now a liiiiittle to the left. Turns out the world isn‘t a square. ;)
@@ArDeeMee I'm sorry, but this is a dumb reply. I know the world isn't square, I've been around it a few times. But to get to the east coast, they'd have to fly across Canada and the rest of the U.S., so again, how did no one see it (other satellites, commercial airliners, ships, people on the ground, etc.). Not to mention the tyranny of distance. It would take literally about 12-16 hours for them to fly from their bases in Russia and get to I-95. Again, fun game, but too much suspension of disbelief if you know anything about the military, build-up timelines, logistics, etc.
@@ArDeeMee Except for the fact that in Wolverines it shows that Russia uses the ACS module to Ghost ping the west coast to make it look like they are trying to invade through Canada and California so that they can come from the east coast and are only detected once they are right on top of Washington DC.
@@justinedwards5300 So they took a detour between Canada and the Arctic. That sounds like such a hassle, but also reduces fighting on land to where it counts. I guess. But the sheer number of civilian vessels fishing along the routes, general satellite images and the fact that each country generally has an eye on their boarders makes this completely unfeasible.
So, it was definitely worse than I thought. Ouch. ^^
"RAMIREZ!! STOP HITTING THE GRIDDY AND MAN THE 50CAL!!"
2:55 Ah I see the Battlefield Bad Company 2 Reference there
"Specific sheep man" is my favourite thing
liked and subscribed purely cuz your friends make me feel a little smarter about the gulag... not much smarter though, but a little little
The gulag does not exist anymore and was a series of Soviet forced labor camps where over 13 million people died
The airport sequence doesn't make a whole lot of sense either if you think about it for too long.
- Why is Makarov there? I get it's to paint him as a villain working on the front lines, but he's an internationally recognized terrorist. CCTV will and does catch footage of him (as shown in MW3's cutscenes) which would likely spur a much deeper investigation on the Russians' part. And wouldn't his death negatively impact the his cell?
- What does using NATO weapons even accomplish? Aside from three types of their arsenal being manufactured in the US (M4A1, M240B, M79), the Striker isn't. The M79 isn't even used anymore by US forces and the other two aren't even fielded by the US exclusively. With how ubiquitous NATO munitions are, none of this points at the US specifically. Maybe NATO at large, but that's it.
- Unless Makarov also arranged for forged IDs for himself and his men, the use of US lingo isn't going to change much when forensics come into play with Lev and Kiril dead.
- Having Allen along to be the fall guy is nice since he's now CIA, but there in lies the problem. Unless Shepherd somehow intervened in that regard, Allen's a blank slate. Any records of him being American or being placed there by the CIA are gone so he can be disavowed. That's the whole point. While Shepherd definitely leaked Allen's identity (though having that explicitly stated in-game as to what role the VIP had in the story would have been nice), this would have been impeded by how much of the Russian command structure is not in cahoots with Makarov if anything MW3 flimsily established is to be believed.
MW2 culturally did establish what an invaded US would look like and the scenery is definitely aesthetic. It's just a shame the story feels much less grounded than its predecessor to get there.
And then MW3 makes it even wonkier with Yuri being at the airport and surviving, who knew Makarov's plan. Did they just not ask him about the situation and get it cleared up? He's an alive Russian wearing a suit and holding a gun.
These always make think... What would it take for you to give an uber 1 star?
Surviving a dead on collision with an air strike! That is what you get when you source components for your rockets from China...
As one great historian once said: Air strike, what is air going to do? (booom)
*3:52** it's the payday gang!!!*
Love the bad company 2 reference about heart beat monitors
Imagine actually being named Ramirez and playing this game. That's like, if you're named Ellie and play Dead Space 3, when Isaac is constantly crying and yelling her name.
*ELLIE!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!one!!!1!!*
Still one of my favorite games
I'm calling proximity mines "Evil Frisbees" from now on
At 9:24, is it just me, or does that look kind of like the Gulag?
I think the navy bombing was a way to kill all of the memebers, and the bone yard + loose ends was sheperds back up
Dang that prison sure does look like the gulag
missed opportunity to end with average work week in Lichtenstein
Kratos: ''Boy''
Sgt. Foley: ''Ramirez''
Did you know it was a co-op mod in the campaign on the PC
For the original game, this is the remaster
Original game
Sorta disappointed you didn’t call foley arbiter
You'll have to watch the EXxxxxxtrreamly long stream of the game, we talked about Keith David abit
2:04 when there is a chance of it being leaked
9:02 down to Davy Jones locker
2:56 i appreciate the reference
Bruh why you gotta remind me that I grew up with... well I guess now the OG call of duty games, I feel so old and I'm only 19
2:57 Bad company 2 reference? 🥹🥹
2:58 I get that reference
The only wrong thing about your shepherd rant is why he killed ghost and roach, the files they downloaded would have incriminatied him, so killing them there was actually a smart move, but that doesn’t solve any of the other holes…good job, I seriously thought I was the only one who noticed the gaping holes in Shepherd’s plan
They didn't know what was on the hard drive though, Shepherd could've kept the sensitive information to himself and they'd never have known
@@Williaso they probably would’ve said “why the hell aren’t you letting us see this intel? Why are you hiding this intel from us when we’ll need to know it to go after Makarov”
It makes sense to just go ahead and kill them now, again though, that doesn’t negate all of the other problems with his plan that you pointed out
@@houledea1073 Price calls out that Shepherd betrayed them AFTER Shepherd's men betray them. Price has no idea until that happens
One thing that I will say even with all of it flaws it has the best atmosphere out of all the cod games (WAW in the second place)