Warning to sensitive gamers: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign spoiler ahead! Don't go any further unless you want to read leaked -- and most probably very controversial -- details about MW2's single-player campaign.

Got it? Good.

Infinity Ward's hotly anticipated first-person shooter is due in stores on November 10, but the game has already found its way into the hands of someone who's uploaded video of what's certainly one of the most controversial scenes in the game. If you've seen the trailers, you know the setup: Russian terrorists enter an airport, gunning down innocent civilians along the way. Turns out, you play it as the terrorists. Upon the video's release, Activision had a statement prepared for VG247, justifying the segment (via Shacknews).

"The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player's mission to stop them.

"Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two 'checkpoints' where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can't be disabled.

"Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older."
Infinity Ward first caught flak for Modern Warfare 2 after footage of an enemy-occupied White House was released.




Tyler says: To be completely honest, when I read real-world news stories about someone going into a mall or school and gunning down innocent people, it deeply disturbs me. I knew I'd eventually see this sort of scenario played out in a game, but I didn't think it'd happen in such a high-profile title (fringe games like Postal do this, but in an obviously sensationalist and controversy-seeking way).

So with that in mind, I'm going into this with an open mind. It could be extremely powerful and moving, if done right...and I doubt that Infinity Ward would treat this scenario as a "shoot innocents: f**k yeah!" scene. I also wonder how other people feel about this. Does making the scene skippable clear Infinity Ward of any potential wrongdoing?