Why You Shouldn't Underestimate Private Matches in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) players can choose to forego the humiliation that often follows typical multiplayer and instead battle against bots. This is something I left out of my review (which you should definitely go and check out here, by the way) but wanted to get the word out there.

This players vs bots mash-up can be a fun time with a friend or two, and it has almost limitless match customisation options. Choose the number of bots in the match, their skill level, and which team they'll be on — any combination of players vs bots are allowed.

You can also choose any combination of match type and match stipulations that you like. While you must choose a base match type, from there you can alter every aspect of it to create whatever mode you wish. Want to make the match longer? Add a higher score limit or increase the round. Sick of enemies being bullet sponges? Nerf the health pools. You can customise it exactly how you like. This can also be done on any map too.

There is also no character progression required, absolutely everything is unlocked from the start. The player can utilise any weapon, attachment, and perk they wish.

This isn't the first Call of Duty to feature this, and it has been a staple (albeit not a popular one) for roughly a decade in some capacity. However, the bot's A.I. is now utterly amazing; they don't quite exhibit human-player levels of intelligence, but they're very convincing. Higher-level bots will have better equipment and deploy superior tactics, often leaping or sliding into rooms before blasting you with near-perfect accuracy.

The only annoying thing about all this is that you can't line up multiple matches. You play through one and once it's over you're thrown right back to the main menu. Very annoying!