Among the many maps included with the launch ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is Taraq, a war-torn village on the outskirts of the fictional Al Mazrah, which fans have discovered is a remake of an originalCall of Dutymap. The fictional geographic location and fine details are greatly changed from the two maps, but the main features, including ruined structures and sight lines, are exactly the same from the 2003Call of Dutymap to today’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 22022 remake.
Originally released in 2003 as a PC-exclusive,Call of Dutywas, likeModern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The firstCall of Dutywon multiple “Game of the Year” awards and set a standard for first-person shooters from then on with its tight controls and a campaign focused on acting as part of a unit rather than a lone soldier.Modern Warfare 2’scampaignbuilds off of the originalCall of Duty’sDNA by emphasizing the player being part of a well-tuned, highly-efficient squad as Task Force 141 goes around the globe to stop terrorists. The multiplayer forModern Warfare 2also uses DNA from the originalCall of Duty, in this case, discovered by players, one of the first 13 maps ever made for the long-running franchise has returned.
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As pointed out on Reddit by user LeichtStaff,Modern Warfare 2’sTaraq map is a remake ofCall of Duty’sNeuville map. Neuville was a war-torn city in France, fitting the World War Two setting of the original game, while Taraq is a war-torn city in the Middle East. Taraq is one of thelaunch maps availableforModern Warfare 2with more re-releases and remakes of classic maps promised by Infinity Ward for release later during Season 1. Infinity Ward has not actively confirmed that Taraq is a remake of Neuville, but Reddit user LeichtStaff pointed out the startling similarities when comparing overhead maps of each location, proving the connection is real.
When a franchise has a long and successful history likeCall of Duty, bringing back past fan favorite maps happens with regularity. The classicBurger Town maphas been teased to be making a return inModern Warfare 2at a later date. Taraq being a quiet remake of a classic map, with no fanfare or public acknowledgment, has served to remind fans how good the original Neuville map was in 2003. Bombed out buildings allow for close-range combat while the open farm fields and taller ruins provide the perfect environment for players that prefer sniping.
Fans on Reddit were quick to discuss the merits of Neuville and Taraq as sniper maps that are ideal for standard 6v6 match-ups. Other commentators have chimed in with how they feel Taraq lacks detail compared to the modern maps with too much open space but most agreed that Taraq had a different flow to the gameplay compared to newModern Warfare 2maps such as Crown Raceway, or the malignedAl Bagra Fortress. Infinity Ward has confirmed more maps will be arriving forModern Warfare 2when the new Season starts later in November.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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