Let’s pretend for a second that “”Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″” didn’t horrifically sell more than two million copies to the general public during the holiday season. Let’s pretend we can be honest without igniting the fury of its rabid and considerable fan base. Let’s pretend we can be honest with each other about one of the biggest games to ever release in the past two decades. If we pretend, we can admit that, like Sarah Palin, “”Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″” doesn’t nearly deserve the attention it receives.

Here are the facts. The Call of Duty franchise has become its own monster. A series once focused on historical accounts of World War II has thrown any sort of reason out the window with the last two installments. If attempts to blow up the International Space Station are to be considered “”modern warfare,”” then why aren’t we all dead already? In “”Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,”” nuclear bombs explode like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Ethics? Please. The entire thing reeks of absurd ideas and poor execution.

However, I understand that many “”Call of Duty”” owners don’t even touch the single-player campaign because they are so absorbed into the multiplayer modes. In fact, these modes are so lauded that IGN.com praised the multiplayer as “”extremely rewarding”” and went on to claim it will “”keep you coming back again and again”” in their Nov. 10, 2009, review.

Extremely rewarding? Really? If you call getting shot in the face all night by annoying, trash-talking brats “”extremely rewarding,”” I’ll concede it is. If that’s the type of thing to “”keep you coming back again and again,”” more power to you. Even so, the online community that has gathered around “”Call of Duty”” has become so intimidating a newcomer would be insane to attempt entering without a steel will and an exceedingly stubborn disposition at his or her side.

Indeed, the game has now become so inaccessible to those who weren’t there from the start it has created a stigma against video games as a whole. Don’t forget about the obvious damage it causes to your social life. Ask your female friends if they like to hang out with you while you play Call of Duty. See what they say.

“”Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″” is an enigma. It is its own being with its own set of rules. It would serve everyone well to admit that it needs to be kept in check. Whatever positives it once had have been cancelled out by the negatives, and we would do well to heed the Call — to quit.