The 2019 sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is finally here. If you’ve been playing COD games for a long time, then you’ll want to try your luck on the hardest difficulty level the game has to offer. Like the #YOLO (You Only Live Once) difficulty from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the realism mode is the highest difficulty in the new MW2. So, today we are going to take a look at how to unlock and get realism mode in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 campaign.
How to unlock and get realism mode in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (COD MW2)
In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, you must complete all 17 campaign missions on any of the available difficulty levels to unlock Realism Mode. Other available difficulty levels are Recruit, Normal, Hardened, and Veteran modes. Realism is a level of difficulty that was originally introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and then appeared in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War before returning in the new Modern Warfare II.
You can also unlock an achievement for 100 Gamerscore on Xbox and a golden trophy on PlayStation for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II called “Cutting Heads off Snakes”. Here you need to “Complete all campaign missions on Veteran”or “Realistic”difficulty. So you can either finish the game on any difficulty and then complete Realism Mode to get the achievement, or get it directly on Veteran difficulty, which also unlocks Realism Mode.
As Modern Warfare 2’s description says, “Veteran with Limited HUD”explains the difficulty. Above Veteran, this is the hardest difficulty in MW2. But when it comes to the same damage and weapon mechanics as the Veteran difficulty, the Realistic option is pretty much the same. The only difference is the smaller HUD display. At this difficulty level, most of the HUD display, including the weapon display, grenade slots, ammo cost, friendly NPC name tags, and more, is missing.
Why is Realistic difficulty the best mode to play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (COD MW2)?
If you’ve played Insurgency: Sandstorm, then you’ll remember its commitment to “feeling realism is what made this game work.”With the Realistic difficulty mode, Infinity Ward brings the same feel of Modern Warfare 2019 to Modern Warfare II.
The MW2 campaign as a whole felt more complex than most previous games. This is due to the fact that NPCs now have more complex AI than in previous games, great reaction speed, greater accuracy, and “see through walls”(just kidding, but they always just know where you are). Add to that the fact that there is no minimap or compass equivalent in the HUD and you will be immersed in the game throughout your playthrough.
Therefore, you must be careful to use your Molotovs and Flashbangs effectively, paying attention to replenishing ammo and picking up new weapons (if needed) whenever you get the chance. Also, the AI will kill you in one or two shots. All of these elements, working together in HUD-less realism mode, will keep you on your toes throughout the game’s campaign. To successfully complete missions on Realistic difficulty, you will need a combination of great caution, preliminary understanding of the mission, extensive use of stealth, and perseverance.
What is the difference between difficulty levels in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (COD MW2)
If you’re new to the series, we’ll try to distinguish between the difficulty levels in Modern Warfare 2 to help you better understand them:
- Recruit
- Ordinary
- Tempered
- veteran
- Realism
Recruit
The “easiest”of the five levels is recommended for gamers who are new to first-person shooters. In this mode, players will only take a small amount of weapon damage, and the AI’s aim is usually inaccurate.
Ordinary
Normal, which is slightly harder than Recruit but softer than Seasoned and Veteran, can be considered the “normal”difficulty option. Enemies deal moderate damage to players, and the AI is more accurate than Recruit but less accurate than Hardened.
Tempered
Most COD players choose this difficulty level when earning achievements. In fact, by not playing in Veteran Mode, players can earn many of the trophies and milestones that are only available when playing on the harder difficulty in Hardened Mode. However, it is easier than Veteran and Realistic, and harder than Recruit and Common. Player health is lower than on previous difficulties, and the AI is slightly more accurate and efficient. Playing 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Hardened will raise the player’s crosshair, but not as much as if they were playing Veteran.
veteran
The hardest difficulty level in MW2 is Veteran, which includes a full HUD. The player finds that they have very little health and take much more damage. The main difference is that enemies now deal much more damage, have more health, and react more accurately and faster.
Realism
The realism as described above is almost equal to Veteran difficulty, but with fewer squad member name tags and HUD elements.
That’s all about how to unlock and get realism mode in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 campaign. While you’re here, be sure to check out more COD tips and tricks in our Modern Warfare 2 guides.