Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review
Liquid306

Review

Ahhh, someone finally pushed 'fast forward'...

Out with the Nazi's


The Call of Duty franchise has been around for years and the developers behind it all have gained a reputation for making some of the best World War II shooters around. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is again a great quality shooter but you are no longer fighting Nazi’s. Infinity Ward ditched the somewhat played out WWII setting for a more relevant modern battleground. No more D-day or Stalingrad battles here; the story has a ‘ripped straight from the headlines’ vibe and delivers on all fronts. Battling foes with the most advanced technology on the planet sure does feel a lot more refreshing than killing Nazis with the same old rusted up Thompson or MP44. This is just what the franchise needed.

Call of Duty 4 offers many different way to play the game. Some are available right from the start, others will be unlocked as you progress. In the single player campaign you switch between two different officers, Sgt. Paul Jackson from the United States Marine Core and “Soap” Mactavish from the British S.A.S. Both characters play pretty much the same, despite the fact that they are from different squads. The switch is not really about how it affects the gameplay, but more the relationship that you establish with the different teams. Your mission is to go after a crazed Russian who wants to nuke North America for revenge.

Headless chickens


Modern Warfare has the best Call of Duty AI to date but that is like having the best headache you have ever had. Your team mates can yell out enemy positions and call flags before landing. This sounds great but they usually do more harm than good. For instance, they pop up right in front of your crosshair when you are lining up a perfect shot. This results in a 'Friendly Fire will not be tolerated' screen and a lost opportunity. At other times, enemies burst through doors shooting you to pieces and all the while, your AI pals just stand there fiddling with their fingers. These things can really get on your nerves, especially when playing on harder difficulties where a few rounds are enough to die. The AI has really gone a long way but… is it really too much to ask that your buddies don’t get in the way and actually do something when things get hairy?

Playing Call of Duty 4 is a very cinematic experience that flows quite well. Some cut-scenes throughout the game take place in first person view, much like in Condemned: Criminal Origins. This allows you to become more immersed into this fictional story that is eerily plausible and can feel a bit unsettling at times. Each location looks and plays differently. The nifty new gadgets are a blast to mess around with. Night vision with laser sights is really awesome and the rest of the new weapons are just as interesting. Using the rocket launcher in one of the missions to shoot tanks off a bridge is a lot of fun.

8.0

fun score

No Pros and Cons at this time