5 Reasons Modern Warfare’s 2V2 Modes Are Like Crimson Doubles

Over the weekend you were probably giving Destiny 2 a little rest if you’re anything like me, and trying out the Modern Warfare 2V2 Alpha on Playstation 4.

While I found the game modes available in the Modern Warfare 2v2 Alpha, Gunfight and Gunfight OSP (On site Procurement), a lot of fun, I couldn’t help but think that they’re similar to the Crimson Days exclusive game mode in Destiny 2, Crimson Doubles. As we all know, in Crimson Doubles you play as a team of two against another team of two, and must win points by killing the enemy team in each round. If Guardians stick close to each other they receive a buff, but stray too far away and they get a debuff, plus the enemy is made aware of your location.

The Gunfight modes didn’t have buffs like those in Crimson Doubles, but I did find five ways that the game modes are similar. Check them out below.

1) It’s Just You And Your Partner

Unlike most multiplayer matches, in both Gunfight and Crimson Doubles it’s just you and one other player/Guardian. This experience feels unique in Destiny 2 because almost all game modes have between eight and twelve players, and it feels unique in a Call of Duty game for the same reason. I’ve haven’t played a Call of Duty game online since Advanced Warfare, but all the memories I have are of large-scale battles between two big teams. The lack of footsteps and gunfire in Modern Warfare’s maps is eery, and has you looking behind you every step of the way, which is exactly what I was doing in Crimson Doubles. Knowing that there’s only two of you fighting this battle makes it feel more intense, and when your teammate is killed before one of the enemies is, the match get’s all the more extreme on your end.

2) Teamwork Matters

Yes, in Gunfight it is possible to run away from your teammate and be at opposite ends of the map to each other without giving yourself away to the enemy, or causing your damage to drop. However, every match of Gunfight I played was more successful when I worked with my teammate. I mostly played Gunfight OSP, which basically means you start with nothing and must pick up weapons in the map. I always grabbed the nearest weapon to backup by teammate while they ran in for a better one in the map’s centre, and because of that we were able to take down the first enemy to try to kill them. Whenever I went off and did my own thing, my teammate died in a random corner of the map. That’s not to say they needed me to survive, but if I’d been there then I could have helped, and at the very least would have known a more accurate location for the enemy than the corpse of said teammate.

3) There’s a Benefit To Sticking Together

I think I covered this pretty well in point two, but I really want to emphasise how much of a benefit there is in Gunfight to sticking together. It definitely makes if feel more like Crimson Doubles, which forces you to slow down and ensure you’re close to your teammate. In Destiny 2 I’m used to flying off in the general direction of enemies, but in Crimson Doubles I was conscious of my teammate’s position at all times to keep that buff up. Not only this, but in both Gunfight and Crimson Doubles, it pays to have two players/Guardians firing at the enemy than it does just one. Most of the times I was killed in Gunfight were because the enemy moved together as a unit to take me down.

4) Weapons Are Basically Irrelevant

Due to the buffs in Crimson Doubles weapons made very little difference to each match. Yes, if you had a particular Exotic that would further buff you and your teammate, then the advantage would be yours, but mostly weapons were just there to fire buffed bullets at the enemy. In Gunfight OSP weapons are also irrelevant. Matches can start you near a pistol, a shotgun, grenade, molotov cocktail, the list goes on. I always grabbed what was nearest, and managed to take the enemy down as long as I worked with the other player. You might disagree and tell me that in Crimson Doubles weapons are the only thing that matters, but to me they aren’t and that makes it similar to Gunfight.

5) You’re Invested In Your Teammate

Every time you die in Crimson Doubles you end up watching your teammate, rooting for them to perform a miracle win. This feeling was even more prevalent in Modern Warfare’s Gunfight because you can watch your teammate from their first person perspective. The thrill of knowing that at any point the match could be lost, but witnessing an epic win, is something I don’t think I’ll get over anytime soon. I would actually say that Bungie should give us the option to see the same viewpoint of teammates in all Crucible game modes when we’re killed, because I think it could only enhance the experience. But when you’re dead isn’t the only time you’re invested in your teammate. You also feel a sense of camaraderie before you’ve even begun, and every time I saw my teammate go AFK, or drop out of the match, I was more disappointed that I didn’t have anyone else who was as invested in me in the match. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great feeling when you own a pair of enemies on your own, but nothing compares to the feeling of sharing a win with only one other player.

Our Take

To conclude I’d like to point out that Modern Warfare’s 2V2 game modes are probably a byproduct of games such as Rainbow Six Siege, and other eSports first person shooters. I think that Destiny 2 might have had some influence, but such a limited game mode as Crimson Doubles probably isn’t the sole reason for these 2V2 modes. I would highly recommend that you give these game modes a chance when the open Alpha for Modern Warfare comes to consoles in September. I had a great time with them, and I think you would too, even though it’s not Destiny 2.

While Destiny 2 is great, it’s good to put the game aside for an evening once every now and then to see how much more you enjoy it when you can see it in other titles such as Modern Warfare. Let us know your thoughts on these similarities, and the Modern Warfare 2V2 Alpha, in the comments.

Image Source: Playstation