An anonymous gamer that has apparently somehow come into possession of the retail version of Modern Warfare 2 has uploaded a video onto Youtube  which shows them playing the game in third person mode.

The video depicts an individual playing offline, experiencing the game from a traditional third-person view point that Gears of War or even Tomb Raider fans will be familiar with.

Infinity Ward announced a while back that Modern Warfare 2 has a new surprise game changing feature on the way. It seems that the implementation of a third person mode may well be the big surprise.

Although Infinity Ward has not commented on the issue, community manager Robert Bowling has posted a suggestive statement via his Twitter profile:

“Just an FYI, if you’re wanting a spoiler free and pure Modern Warfare 2 experience, now would be a good time for a media blackout.”

The video looks authentic, although many gamers are calling it a fake. It is possible that the footage was taken from a match replay in spectator mode, in which case it may not be possible to actually play in third-person mode.

It is also possible that the video is of a hacked/modded version of the game. Many gamers have raised various potential problems that a third person viewpoint would introduce. For example, a third person viewpoint would effectively negate the advantage given by weapon modifications such as scopes. Players can also use the third-person mode to see around corners.

It remains to be seen if there is substance to this rumour, although at the moment, it seems like quite a strong possibility. If so, then it remains to be seen how Infinity Ward implements it in such a way as not to negatively affect the game’s multiplayer component.

Discuss third-person implementation in MW2 in the forums