Publisher: Activision Inc.
Developer: Infinity Ward
Category: Action
Release Dates
N Amer - 11/05/2007
Digital Download - 11/12/2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review
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. Even with all of the gorgeous effects, CoD 4 is a Direct X 9 game, showing that the platform still is capable of churning out some incredible graphics.
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.
Review Scoring Details for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare |
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, even though the game runs in
DX 9.
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.
GameZone Reviews
9.5
GZ Rating
Gameplay | 9.5 |
Graphics | 9.5 |
Sound | 9.5 |
Difficulty | Medium |
Concept | 9.5 |
Multiplayer | 9.5 |
Overall | 9.5 |
The best shooter in the Call of Duty series, and arguably one of the best ever.
Reviewer: Steven Hopper
Review Date: 11/05/2007
9.5