Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

"Definitely Something Everyone Should Experience"

Call of Duty 4 is much more than just another FPS. Fortunately enough, it's a whole lot more than just another World War II FPS, because this time around, it isn't. As you should be able to tell from the title, Call of Duty 4 focuses on combat with the technology and weaponry of the present day. A vague description doesn't make this game seem all that special, so allow me to describe it a little better.

The rest of the games in the series took place in the past, during World War II. To be honest, three games on World War II are enough for one series. Considering the large amount of FPS games focused on a World War II setting released in the past few years, another one probably wasn't going to grab anyone's interest and make them really want this game. Instead, the series went in a new direction. Since Call of Duty 4 is the first game in the series to take place in a modern setting, plenty of new things are introduced, including “red dot” sights, new scopes, more weapons, and new environments. This is still only a brief description, so at this point I'll go into the details.

Storyline - 7/10

I'll be quick about this part. While the storyline isn't bad in the least, it doesn't stand out enough to grab your attention and make you want to watch the remainder of the cutscenes between the levels. You can progress through the game just as easily without having any idea of what's going on in the story. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it would have been nice to have something that would draw me in and keep me interested. Though, there's only so much that can happen in a game like this. I can't fairly consider it a flaw, since we wouldn't want any kind of outrageously odd plot twists happening just to make the storyline stand out more than we'd really like it to.

Graphics - 9/10

This is the first part that anyone is going to notice, and you can tell just from the gameplay videos that the graphical quality of this game is something else. Still, those gameplay videos aren't enough. You can only appreciate the graphics to the fullest when you're actually experiencing it all for yourself. All of the little touches really help, such as when you're aiming your gun. While focusing on a target, you'll notice that the edges of the screen begin to slightly blur for a realistic effect. Crawling through the grass slightly obstructs your vision, but there's a good chance that your opponents will pass right by you without even noticing you lying on the ground waiting to take a shot. The camouflage can be very effective, which you'll find out as soon as you get picked off to be left wondering where the hell that shot came from, only to realize soon after that your opponent was just feet away from you the whole time. Smoke trails, explosions, weapons, and everything else are finely detailed, and I can't find a single thing to complain about as far as graphics go. To sum it up, the graphics are nothing short of spectacular.

Sound - 9/10

The sound quality in Call of Duty 4 is great, for the most part. You can easily tell where someone is at just by hearing their gun go off. Depending on how loud it is, you can pinpoint what direction the fire is coming from, and how far away it is. This might not sound like a big deal, but I bring this up because I've noticed that there are a few games that just don't pull this off too well. The voice acting is great, so listening to the characters in the cutscenes and in battle won't be anything close to a boring or repetitive experience. The sound is about as close to realism as you're going to get. The music isn't really anything special or even memorable, but this isn't so much of a problem, as it's not what you'll be focusing on anyway.

Gameplay - 9/10

The gameplay is wonderful. The controls are set up very well, and everything can be figured out and put to use with ease. They aren't much different than any other FPS, with your triggers being used to aim and shoot, and your button layout used to crouch, shoot, etc. However, Call of Duty 4 often has you using special items that you don't carry around constantly, such as C4, claymore mines, rocket launchers, and night vision goggles. These are assigned to the directional pad for ease of use, so you aren't forced to toggle through more than two weapons or bring up a selection wheel. Everything else on gameplay will be divided between two sections.

Single Player - 7/10

While the single player mode is good for what it's supposed to be, it's a tad short, and quite often a frustrating experience. The solo game can last anywhere between 5 and 10 hours, depending on your pace and what difficulty you're playing on. You can choose between four difficulty levels, so there's something for everyone. Unfortunately, even playing on the normal difficulty setting has moments where you want to just throw your controller into the TV screen. You'll find yourself getting killed by grenades more often than you'd like, and half the time you won't even notice them landing next to your feet. There is a grenade indicator that will give you an idea of where the grenade is at, but sometimes there just isn't enough time to run. While this can be a pain in the neck, there are enough checkpoints to keep anyone satisfied. When you're killed, you won't start off at the beginning of the level, but at the last checkpoint you passed instead. This is great for those times when you get stuck at a particular part, because even when you die, you're probably just a few seconds away from where you were at before. It may be difficult at times, but the single player mode is definitely worth playing through at least once. Though, I have to warn you, if you do not have XBOX LIVE, you are much better off renting this game, because the single player game can easily be completed in that single rental.

XBOX LIVE - 8/10

I found it a little difficult to rate this part, but I'll explain why in just a bit. First, I want to go into what the multiplayer includes, and why it is without a doubt, reason enough to buy this game. Call of Duty 4 supports up to 18 players, depending on what game type is selected. Surprisingly, there is actually a very impressive selection of game types. While it never really goes beyond killing the opponent, there is enough variety to keep you satisfied for a while. You can choose to play simple team deathmatch, free-for-all, a flag capturing/defending game called domination, and many others. Playing online also gives you the opportunity to gain experience, which will raise your rank and unlock new weapons, accessories, and perks. Perks give each player their own special advantages, such as extra health, stealth, more grenades, and even the opportunity to take an enemy down with you when you die. You can create several of your own customized classes, that allow you to choose a weapon set with accessories and camouflage, along with a set of perks to give you that slight advantage over the opposition. There are plenty of maps of all sizes, and the variety will ensure that everyone likes at least a few. The weapon selection is small at first, but as you gain experience, you'll unlock enough weapons to where you probably won't use more than half of them all that much. Leveling up isn't always a speedy process though, especially since playing with other people is a lot harder than playing against AI. Getting killed constantly is normal for a lot of players, while others seem untouchable. It takes a some time to learn how to keep yourself hidden while progressing through an area, but just practicing some will significantly help anyone survive longer and score more kills. Players also have the option to call for a radar, air strike, or a helicopter after achieving a number of successive kills. Depending on how they are used, these can drastically change the direction of the battle. It also motivates players to play it safe and carefully pick their kills rather than rush into a danger zone and risk death.

The gameplay is nearly perfect, but there's a big problem that's beyond the actual gameplay. Connection issues. I get kicked out of lobbies pretty often for no obvious reason, and there's a bit of lag every now and then. Sometimes there's a longer than expected wait to get into a game, and other times, you can't get into a game at all. You'll constantly get kicked out of the lobbies, or you'll get an error message. Every once in a while, the game will freeze up a little and you'll get a “connection interrupted” message. When the host leaves the game, the game ends. This one isn't a constant issue, but it happens enough for me to be annoyed. Hopefully, these connection problems are only temporary. If it weren't for the connection issues, the multiplayer would get a 10/10, easily. In my opinion, this is the best game to play on XBOX LIVE right now, and it's a shame that the connection is usually quite poor.

Buy, or Rent?

If you have XBOX LIVE, buy this game. The multiplayer will likely keep you entertained for weeks, if not longer. This game isn't something to miss out on. If you DON'T have XBOX LIVE, I'd suggest renting it first, because the single player is short enough to finish in less than a week if you play more than an hour a day.

Final Score - 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/06/08

Game Release: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (US, 11/05/07)