Published: Wednesday, 20th February, 2008 12:00
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
By Ryan Connor
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Call of Duty 4.
The long-awaited Call Of Duty 4, Infinity Wards’ follow-up to the excellent Call of Duty 3, is a jarring, intense, and gripping take on war in the new millennium. The enemies are smarter and the weapons are deadlier COD4 will shake loose your fillings and have you begging for more.
Infinity Ward’s success of retelling some of the greatest battles in World War II means the company has become synonymous with the virtual beach at Normandy. So it was quite a gamble to break from the comfort zone of Nazi-occupied Europe and leap into present day. The gamble paid off. Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and every other military-based shooter has been put on notice.
The meticulous care Infinity Ward took to faithfully recreate WWII-era weaponry was also given to bringing modern armaments to life. Many of the incredible tools of war used today come into play in COD4. With an astonishing number of enemies in the field, every last bit of modern technology is crucial to survival.
Unlike previous incarnations of Call of Duty, Modern Warfare tells one continuous story. Though you will hop between perspectives of the British S.A.S. and the U.S. Marines, each leap continues the progression of a single storyline. It's an effective tool. While the story itself--which revolves around stolen Russian ultra-nationalists and Middle Eastern terrorists bent on destroying western civilisation isn't exactly cutting edge, it's enjoyable. And, more importantly, Infinity Ward employs an amazing sense of empathy for every one of your virtual team-mates.
The storytelling methods used are unorthodox to say the least, with the player being pushed deep into the experience at every turn.
The excellent graphics and sound increases the experience both on the offline campaign and the online battles, making the already realistic game-play seem much more real and deadly. Each bomb that falls shakes the player as debris splashes and bullets skim across the screen. The clatter of heavy weaponry and slicing of knives are portrayed vividly with the excellent sound quality, which brings the experience to life. The reality of modern war has never been shown more realistically in a game.
Whilst the campaign never falters when it comes to creating excellent set pieces or memorable moments (the first mission, which takes place on a Russian oil tanker, is a perfect example), if viewed critically it does lean towards the short side. Bonus items and difficulty settings may keep veterans and die-hards playing the campaign more than twice, however many casual gamers will finish the main storyline and be done with it.
However, this is where one of the greatest experiences of the next generation of gaming comes into play: COD4 online. The online class-based multiplayer is nothing new, but it seems to quickly be turning into a staple of first-person shooters. Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat is yet another in the growing cast of shooters to use a class-based system.
However, COD4 does things a touch differently. Using a persistent experience-based system, players aren't locked into any specific role that limits in any way their ability to hunt and kill their opponents. The classes are much more dynamic than you may expect. Classes determine your starting weapon, sidearm, and special grenade. It also indicates your three special skills, called perks. But none of these force you into a particular role or stifle in any way your ability to enjoy the sixteen maps in Modern Warfare.
What makes the online game-play so addictive is the use of ranks, fifty-five in all, which shows the player’s experience. The higher the rank, the more items that the player has unlocked, such as weaponry and perks.
Beginning with a handful of pre-made classes, COD4 quickly opens up once you reach rank 4. At this point, you can create your own class. As you gain levels, you'll earn access to new weapons, scopes, and perks. On top of this, you'll find dozens of challenges for each weapon, which open up further augmentation and customisation options, which means an almost limitless online gaming experience.
Overall, Call Of Duty Modern Warfare proves to be an amazingly realistic, challenging and, importantly, enjoyable game, which is essential for anyone, whether you’re a die-hard online gamer or a casual gamer looking for a rich single player mode, and therefore deserving of a prestigious five-star rating.
* Call of Duty 4 is out now, on PS3, XBox 360 and PC. RRP:£45.99.
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