The original Call
of Duty set the bar awfully high for war-based shooters, and very rarely has one
been able to surpass it. The series has maintained its momentum, pumping out new
entries to the franchise and winning substantial acclaim as the top series for
World War II action. However, whereas most franchises would be content to not
stir the pot by going in a new direction, the team at Infinity Ward has done
just that with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. As the name implies, the game
takes the battle away from World War II and puts it in the middle of modern
combat, utilizing a fictional war in order to convey the game’s plot elements.
To be sure, Call
of Duty 4 can be considered the best entry yet in the highly-successful
franchise. However, the game does so many great things and is executed so well
that it could be considered one of the best war-based shooters ever. The game
fires on all cylinders, with incredibly intense action, gorgeous graphics, deep
and engaging online play, and even a compelling storyline that makes you feel
for the characters and faceless soldiers throughout. Call of Duty 4 is a
fantastic thrill ride from start to finish that more than deserves a spot in
your collection.
Call of Duty 4’s
warzone is not one that mirrors the current global political atmosphere, instead
focusing on a complex web involving the Middle East and the former Soviet Union.
A Ukrainian nationalist hell-bent on bringing the Soviet Union back to its
former glory has instrumented a Middle Eastern coup to draw focus away from the
Soviet Union as he tries to enact his violent reunification. As varying members
of the British SAS and the U.S. Marines, you’ll travel to a variety of locations
in the Middle East and Eastern Europe uncovering the threat and trying to take
down those responsible.
The controls
haven’t changed much from previous entries in the series, which is totally fine
considering that the franchise already had fantastic controls. You’ll use
real-world modern weaponry and gadgets like night-vision goggles as well as are
able to call in airstrikes and helicopter support. Just like in other CoD games,
you can press the left trigger in order to aim down your sights, and your zoom
will depend on what weapon you are using. You can throw of grenades at your
opponents (flash, frag, and smoke) as well as pick up and toss back grenades
that they’ve thrown at you. The controls aren’t complex whatsoever and feel
natural after only a very short time of play.
Call of Duty 4’s
level design is phenomenal. You’ll go through several different areas, like an
enemy cargo ship and a destroyed Middle-Eastern city, each with their own unique
feel to them. The gameplay doesn’t stay at a high intensity level throughout,
instead breaking up the combat a bit at points. That doesn’t mean that the
situations won’t leave you white-knuckled, as these “slower levels” have you
doing anything from trying to take a town in the middle of the night to being a
lone sniper in a field with 20 enemies sweeping for you. There is even some
vehicular missions that have you as the gunner of an AC-130 gunship as well as
helicopters. The pacing in CoD 4 is fantastic, and there’s never a dull moment.
Whereas many
shooters would be content with a solid single-player element and just tack on
some standard online modes for the multiplayer portion, Call of Duty 4 goes the
other way, practically creating a whole new gaming experience for the
multiplayer portion. The online component is built around experience points, as
everything you do (or your team collectively does) on the battlefield will net
you some. Gaining experience points will give you higher levels, unlocking new
classes as well as the create-a-class ability. Create-a-class lets you build
your own soldier, choosing a primary and secondary weapon, as well as up to
three perks, which are special abilities like stronger bullets, the ability to
shoot through walls, or sustain more damage. There are even weapon challenges
that you can accomplish that will unlock weapon mods like scopes and silencers.
There is also a great amount of game modes and maps to play on, making Call of
Duty 4 one of the most complete online shooters around.
Graphically, the
game is excellent, with all the bells and whistles you could hope for. There’s
bloom lighting complete with god rays, incredibly detailed character models with
some eerily realistic facial effects. The battlefields are teeming with chaos,
with explosions and gunfire coming from all angles and effects like helicopters
and jets flying overhead giving you the feeling like you’re really there. The
framerates never bog down, either, staying fairly consistently around the 60 fps
mark.
The sound effects
are right up there with the rest of the game’s stellar presentation. The music
is a film-quality score by Harry Gregson-Williams and Stephen Barton, adding a
great element to the gameplay and to the overall story arc, and the voice work
is very well done. The battlefield sounds really take the cake, however, with
tons of crisp effects like gunfire and explosions making this a game worthy of a
surround sound system.
Call of Duty 4:
Modern Warfare is one of those exceedingly rare games that manages to do
everything right. The graphics are fantastic, the gameplay is intense and
well-paced, and the multiplayer elements are very deep. In a year filled with
triple-A shooters, Call of Duty 4 actually manages to stay ahead of the pack.
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Gameplay:
9.5
A
completely intense thrill-ride from start to finish, Call of Duty 4 grabs hold
of you and doesn’t let go.
Graphics:
9.5
Extremely realistic character models that move realistically with a dynamically
changing environment and tons of excellent details. The framerate stays
butter-smooth throughout.
Sound: 9.5
A
sweeping orchestral score as we all now Harry Gregson-Williams is capable of
pumping out, complete with some great voice work and incredible battlefield
sound effects.
Difficulty:
Medium
Concept:
9.5
Taking
a shooter franchise in a new direction can be a gamble, but Infinity Ward has
shown that it can pay off in spades. The story elements are new to the series,
but quite compelling nonetheless.
Multiplayer: 9.5
Some
of the most robust features ever in a multiplayer shooter, Call of Duty 4 boasts
tons of game modes both old and new, as well as some excellent class creation
elements and RPG-style character development.
Overall:
9.5
If you
are at all a fan of shooters, then pick up Call of Duty 4 now.
