And as soon as the action started, it left no doubt that regardless who coded it, this is Modern Warfare at full volume. The first of two sections of the game on show joined Delta squad in a decimated section of Manhattan. Occupying Russian forces have set up a jamming device atop the stock exchange building that must be destroyed. The running street fight to get there highlighted Modern Warfare's signature ability to maintain a tempo that keeps pressing the action forward.

Along the way, the longer ranged gunfights afforded an opportunity to show off a cool new flip sight for the assault rifle. Mounted to the main body of the gun, it could be equipped with a quick flip to allow a full telescopic sight for more precise shots. When business got a little closer, a flip put it back to the weapon's side, allowing for traditional iron sights that offer better peripheral awareness.

Things got plenty up close and personal when Delta reached the stock exchange building and made its way to the roof. Chaotic fighting, with enemies around every corner and lots of places that created exposed flanks, pushed the intensity of the fighting ever higher. Both inside and out, I did find it difficult to pick out enemies both from friends and the environment in general. That might be an accurate representation of urban combat, but in such an action-packed approach, I don't want to get hung up trying to figure out where to aim. Most of the time, though, it looked like it came down to if it's at the other end of the sights, shoot it.

The second section in the demo picked up in London. As a member of a British special forces team, the player attempts to interdict the arrival of suspected explosives at a dockside warehouse facility. A firefight ensues leading very quickly to a "get the bad guy" vehicle chase through the mazes of the London Underground. Even for Modern Warfare the whole thing borders on absurdity. Racing through the dark tunnels, our hero pursues his prey who is now on board a train, inexplicably defended by squads of armed soldiers firing away. The chase runs at breakneck speed, with a surprise around every corner, like the catastrophic derailment seen in the trailer.