ic-games Review - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Information
Reviewer: James Collins
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Reviewed: Xbox 360, PC, PS3
Genre: First Person
UK Release: 09th Nov 2007
Article Date: 07th Nov 2007
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £49.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 96%

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Pros

Addictive multiplayer

Jawdropping visuals

Arcade mode

Cons

Slightly short campaign

Screenshots

2 of 10.5

Regardless of what you think about the Medal of Honor line of games, most gamers will probably agree that Infinity Wards Call of Duty remains the crème de la crème of the WW2 shooter genre. The trouble was, no matter how great the series was yet to become, it needed a bold decision or two to keep the series at the top and feeling fresh. That brave decision saw the developers throwing away the playbook from previous Call of Duty games, forgoing their usual WW2 era storyline entirely in favour of a more futuristic, Clancy-esque plotline, based around the Ukraine and Middle East (hence the Modern Warfare tagline).

It’s probably a good thing as well, as regardless of how good the previous titles faired, the plot was certainly wearing a little thin. In COD4, this time you’ll be teaming up with the US marines and the SAS as they try and thwart a monomaniac hell-bent on returning the Soviet Union back to its former glory.

Anyone used to the controls from any of the previous COD games should find COD4 equally accessible and even newbies shouldn’t find themselves struggling to get acquainted either. Even though you will be using real world tech like night vision goggles, flash-bangs, frags and even the ability to call in air support and air-strikes it’s all been moulded so perfectly around the controller you’ll never feel daunted or overwhelmed. Since a lot of the battles in Modern Warfare feature frantic firefights it’s great to see that the developers have kept things simple yet still allowing the players solid control over their character. You’ll be able to fire from the hip, aim down your sights or zoom in closer depending on which weapon you have selected and throw frags all by using the shoulder buttons, the clever thing is it all feels natural. If you do get stuck, the tutorial, which also doubles as a time trial on the Xbox Live leaderboard, has you testing most abilities in a tiny training area with pop-up targets and ample opportunities to use your flash-bang grenades. With your boss (Captain Price) barking out orders as you navigate the course you must shoot the targets, use the flash-bangs in the correct rooms and sprint to the finishing line hopefully in a good time. You’ll then be told what you did right or probably wrong and ultimately what level you should be playing the game on from beginner, novice, regular and hardened to the famous veteran difficulty level.

Visually you are in for a treat and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say COD4 features some of the most impressive graphics seen so far. The opening cinematics, (using the game engine) look almost lifelike it’s hard not to be moved as the story begins to unfold before your eyes. The character skins and animations deserve separate praise as they are the most convincing we have seen in a combat shooter to date. Lips move in perfect synchronization with the voice acting, the models move realistically and the animations as your team member’s move in and out of position looks breathtakingly accurate. Infinity Ward went on record early on saying that they wanted the latest in the series to feel just right, it was a bold statement, but it’s one we certainly feel they succeeded in. Quite simply if you were impressed with how the multiplayer portion felt during the beta sessions, be prepared to be blown away when you set eyes on the finished product.

Naturally, with this being a COD game you can expect to see a variety of impressive scripted scenes, although to be fair the developers have left the missions pretty open ended allowing the player to decide how to complete the objectives. Certain sections however are still linear, with the plot funnelling the player in certain directions yet you are always given ample opportunity to use skill and tactics to survive, regardless. Of course, graphics and scripted visual treats are one thing but all of that pails into insignificance if the gameplay is as rotten as an apple. Thankfully that’s just not the case here; most of the usual stumbling blocks like poor AI have been eliminated. Team members act as expected and even help you out of what seems like impossible situations and odds. It’s not a breeze though, as the enemy troops, especially on veteran, act intelligently and rarely take the easy option and run towards you like cannon fodder. You’ll also find yourself impressed with some of the intense firefights (again, especially on veteran) that will await you. For once you really are going to need to use your team and your head if you want to survive on the toughest difficulty level the game throws at you. Personally, to get the most enjoyment out of the game and of course to train you for the inevitable multiplayer sessions there really is only one difficulty level to opt for.

There may be a few grumbles from certain quarters that the single player portion is perhaps the shortest of all of the COD games but these voices seem almost misguided when you take into consideration the excellent arcade mode that awaits anyone who completes the single player campaign. Like the training mission at the start of the game, each section can be replayed and best times and scores will be uploaded to the Xbox Live leaderboard service for some online gloating and muscle flexing. Similar to HALO 3, the arcade mode offers you the chance to replay missions, this time with the scoring system switched on, with multiplier bonuses awarded for quick kills, accuracy, lives not lost and overall time taken. The countdown timer is especially nervy as it doesn’t matter how accurate you have been or how deft your tactics are, if you fail to complete the mission in the required time your score is wiped and you’ll have to start again. It certainly adds to the replay value of the game if you wish some offline training or the multiplayer side turns you off.

That being said, most of you will probably already be accustomed to the multiplayer portion of COD4 and if you have managed to escape the hype then props to you. Infinity Ward wisely enlisted thousands of recruits when they released the multiplayer beta on Xbox Live earlier this year. Bugs were spotted, glitches were ironed out and what was left, even in the beta form, made for a tantalising prospect of what was to come. Months later and with the retail release just around the corner for Europe, we can safely report that things are playing and looking even better than you have already seen. There might not be a massive amount of changes to report, albeit the exciting prospect of playing on new territory and the ability to earn new promotions but the multiplayer section is still what makes COD4 game of the year material.

One of the reasons that the multiplayer side is so pleasing to play is how the game systematically rewards players for racking in the hours online (and of course doing well). Score a few kills and you rise in rank, rise in rank enough and you’ll in turn be rewarded with new features, better weapons, perks and further customisation options that allow you to create clans, alter weapon load out and for sheer flattery earn stripes. The addiction is so great that Infinity Ward didn’t even need to throw many achievement points at the online side, saving most for the single player experience. That’s a wise decision in our books because there’s always another promotion you can aim for, another perk that you just need to unlock and you will find yourself signing online just to have another crack at it. Even when you have reached the ultimate rank, with every perk unlocked, you’ll probably then just sign on so people can ‘oooh!’ and ‘ahhhh!’ you as the young whippersnappers try and best you.

Given Infinity Wards impressive pedigree, it might not surprise many that COD4 is heading for some well earned recognition in the impending game of the year awards. Still, when you’re at the top of your game it’s very easy to take your foot off the pedal. The single player game, the arcade leaderboards and the mouth-watering multiplayer sections show every budding developer how it should be done when you are at the pinnacle of your game. For once a title has exceeded our expectations and some. It all goes without saying that if you want the best Call of Duty experience to date look no further than the forth in the illustrious series, it’s quite simply a corker. Groan if you must, but war has never been so much fun.

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