Microsoft
(360) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
By Ryan Newman
Dec 14, 2007, 7 :48 am

After the incredibly lackluster console and handheld follow-ups to Call of Duty 2, and a few middling rounds with a demo of 4, I, sadly, wasn’t expecting much out of one of what was my once favorite series. I still rank the second release as one of the finest first-person shooters to date, with the kind of scripting that creates an experience that is cinematic yet manages to feel somewhat organic as well – the set pieces were scripted, but the reactions not. Then came the release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty 3. Oh, Treyarch … please don’t ever touch a Call of Duty again. Ignoring non Infinity Ward releases is the best way to enjoy the series, because they have proven that this is their baby and they are the true caretakers with the series’ glorious return to form with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

I know I wasn’t alone when I wasn’t enthused at the announcement of the newest release taking place in modern times. After the last few titles in the series, it felt a little like a desperate move to regain relevance after falling from grace. The Middle East aspect especially didn’t sit well with me, considering the amount of pandering going on in television and cinema regarding the region. It turns out that my fears were unfounded as both the time and place have been handled well, and not as a crutch or podium. 

Taking place in Russia and the ever-popular General Middle Eastern Nation, British and American troops battle separatists and radicals. The war isn’t long - around 7 hours - but it is one hell of a ride while it lasts. Immediately noticeable are the fantastic graphics and the amazing sound effects and music, despite being customary for the series they manage to impressive even more so here. The small touches are present even in the beginning as there is a novel way in deciding the optimal difficulty level for the player. By having players run through an obstacle course, they both learn the controls and have their skill judged for difficulty recommendations. Not only that, but it’s also used as an achievement and final times are uploaded to a leader board to compare with friends. After making a selection, it’s off to a barge level that actually doesn’t suck. In fact, not only does it not suck, it’s one of the most exciting intro levels that I’ve ever played. And that is only the beginning.

The rest of the game is just as impressive. Save for a few moments that were reminiscent of the clown car approach – endless troops from small locations – of 3, the locations, non-playable characters, enemies, weapons, and pacing are all just right. Some of the chapters are fairly poignant, introducing players to the instability of an area by putting them in the shoes of a recently ousted president to the end of a soldier’s life. Whoever thinks that this is just an exercise in jingoist machismo has clearly not played it.

War is not glorified, and the player is not Rambo. In fact, I was humbled by how necessary my squadmates were in combat, with the AI as clever as ever and some objects being penetrable by projectiles. There were some engagements where I only took down one or two enemies, with most of my time being spent hiding about and cursing at the randomness of city combat and the hundreds of those damned rocket-propelled grenades. The feeling of being overwhelmed and at the brink is prominent throughout.

Unfortunately, the lack of a true covering system does ding the combat system some. For me, it’s about immersion. If I am a soldier, I should be able to do something as simple as put my back to the wall and peak or blindfire around the corner. I’ve heard that the new penetration system – bullets go through weaker objects and materials – is the cause for its exclusion. I can certainly understand wanting to avoid the frustration felt by gamers that hide behind a car seconds before it explodes, as even vehicles unimportant to the script do this time around, but that doesn’t justify its absence. Unless the game is a run-and-gun Doom-style shooter, where mayhem is the order of the day, I would like the ability to do something as basic as appropriately seek cover.

Eschewing reality for ease of use doesn’t really bring the game down so much as disappoint a little. None of the design hang-ups do too much to dampen the experience, because it’s such a strong one. Aside from checkpoints not registering in a few spots later in the game, Modern Warfare is one of the most polished games I’ve played to date. The framerate is rock solid, with no vertical synching problems or slowdown, and the sound effects and music remain stellar without a hint of static. The single-player campaign is largely free of filler and is actually exciting; complete with all the spectacle the series is known for, and them some.

Those who were never a fan of the Call of Duty formula from the beginning won’t be swayed over by Modern Combat. Infinity Ward continues to use heavily scripted sequences to string together levels, but keep them interesting by relying on the AI to put up hard fights and vary with each engagement. In other words, the same troop might pop out from the same location as last time, but he might not necessarily act the same. This formula works, as it has since the beginning, but I would really like to see what they are capable of and release the next Call of Duty without relying so heavily on scripted sequences.

When the world is calmed, the player’s full attention can then focus on the game’s incredibly addictive multiplayer component. Online play is absolutely fantastic, with the great feel of the weapons being complimented by classes and an experience system. Initially, only a few classes are selectable. As matches are played and experience is earned, new classes are opened up for selection as the player climbs in rank, with a custom slot also becoming available. Abilities, like deeper bullet penetration and faster sprint speed, also become unlocked, and these can be put into ability slots within the custom class. The player, regardless of their rank, can also use all of the guns that fall from dead players in multiplayer; this is actually a great design choice as it acts as an incentive to keep playing when a particularly interesting weapon is found. There are even abilities that allow the calling in of air support and radar jamming when on a streak in-game. Even if someone is tired of the scripted events, six-hour games, or the general setting, it’s nearly impossible to deny the multiplayer component. It really is that good.

Overall: 9.5/10