Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 fans think Graves’ return is ‘dumb’

Modern Warfare 2 fans think the return of Phillip Graves is 'dumb' and doesn't make sense after the tank explosion in the previous game's campaign.

Alex Garton

Alex Garton

11th Aug 2023 15:10

Images via Activision

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In Modern Warfare 2's campaign, the charismatic CEO of Shadow Company, Philip Graves, immediately stood out as one of the best characters in the story - even as a tertiary villain.

Despite his fan-favourite status, it was assumed Graves was killed at the end of the MW2 storyline after Soap threw a C4 into the cockpit of a tank that he was driving.

With the entire vehicle exploding in flames, everyone thought Graves wouldn't make another appearance in the franchise. Well, in Season 5, the leader of Shadow Company has reappeared, revealing that he wasn't actually inside the tank in South America.

Although some fans are excited to see him back, others have claimed it's "dumb" and makes the MW2 campaign "less satisfying," as the tank mission now feels pointless.

MW2 fans claim Graves coming back is "dumb"

(MWII) What is your opinion on commander Graves?
by u/SanjaYazavacc in ModernWarfareII
Taking to the ModernWarfareII subreddit, user SanjaYazavacc asked the community what their opinion is on Phillip Graves after it was revealed that he's actually still alive.
While nearly everyone in the thread is pleased he's back, a lot of players do think the way CoD has done it is "dumb," and has cheapened the stakes for future campaigns.
"I wish they would have developed the ending differently, I like Graves and felt like his betrayal and switch in demeanour (turning on 141 right after celebrating a successful mission, ordering the killing of civilians in droves, etc) extremely forced and out of character," said one player who didn't think his behaviour made sense in the MW2 story.
Another argued, "I think it’s dumb that he survived, but I also thought it was dumb to do the whole tank battle in the campaign as well... So honestly, I’m satisfied that he’s back, he’s a distinct character with actual personality."
Overall, it's clear Graves being back is a positive for players, but Call of Duty's execution of the story and his return could have been a lot better.

How did Graves survive the tank explosion in MW2?

Graves MW2 villain

In the recent Season 5 trailer, Graves' death is addressed directly, with him being asked about the tank explosion in the MW2 campaign.

According to Graves, he wasn't actually inside the tank in South America, which suggests he was potentially controlling the vehicle remotely.

This would make sense, as we didn't actually see the Shadow Company CEO's body, so a lot of the community was immediately suspicious following the mission that he somehow made it out alive.

Now he's back, it'll be interesting to see if CoD gives us more details on the tank situation, as it's safe to say Call of Duty fans are desperate to know exactly what happened.

Alex Garton

About The Author

Alex Garton

Alex is a Senior Writer at GGRecon. With a BA (Hons) in English, he has previously written for Dexerto & Gfinity. Specialising in Call of Duty & Apex Legends, he loves (attempting) to improve his aim in competitive shooters and will always make time for a single-player RPG.

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