Nearly every year, one game stands out from the rest in sales. This year, it's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2."

U.S. gamers snapped up an astounding 3.5 million copies of "Modern Warfare 2" in the first 24 hours alone.

Obviously the game is successful. But is it any good? Most definitely.

The first "Modern Warfare" took the "Call of Duty" franchise out of World War II and into the modern age. The campaign in "Modern Warfare 2" is a continuation of that storyline, with Russia attacking the United States.

While its story is a bit confusing, the campaign is still fun and exciting. Levels range from Kazakhstan to Brazilian slums to a blasted Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, the campaign is really short - I beat it in just six hours.

Fortunately, there are other things to do, including a new special ops mode that provides challenges that can be finished solo or with a friend.

Really, though, most people who play "Modern Warfare 2" do it for one thing: online multiplayer.

"Modern Warfare" set the bar for online play, and "Modern Warfare 2" eclipses it.

In addition to a player level that rises with experience gained, there are layers upon layers of unlockable upgrades: customizable weapons, equipment, challenges, perks. Each will keep you playing for hours, hungering to unlock everything.

I've never been a big fan of online first-person shooters. Frankly, I'm not very good, and it's no fun when you're just getting slaughtered left and right.

And yet, after spending time online, the compulsion to keep playing hit me. Once I'd leveled up enough to gain upgrades (which helped me survive), I realized I was having a blast.

It helped that I discovered a strategy that works for me: Stop shooting people (my aim is terrible). Instead, I'd run up to them and stab them with the knife.

If a casual online player like me can find myself thinking about it when I'm not playing, that says something about its quality.

The bottom line: The campaign is fun but short. If you have zero interest in multiplayer, then rent the game. It's worth a play.

If, however, you love playing online, then "Modern Warfare 2" is your game.

-- Too much?: There's been some fuss about one of the levels, in which you control an American agent undercover with Russian terrorists as they massacre civilians in an airport. While it's critical to the plot, Activision gives players the option to skip the level.

-- Many modes: There are tons of game modes in multiplayer, both free-for-all and team-based. Some go for kills, others focus on objectives. My favorite is Mosh Pit, which randomly cycles modes each round.

Reach Aimee Green at 473-7326 or Aimee.Green@lee.net.