Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Reviewed by Jason Venter (November 16, 2007)

It's not the plot twists that will keep you playing so much as it is the sense that you're a part of them. As you head through the cities and the farmlands of present-day Russia, you're not some tourist dropped off somewhere to look at the pretty scenery; you're a soldier (multiple soldiers, actually, since the game shifts perspectives over the course of its 20 or so missions) exploring an unforgiving, hostile landscape where one careless step could spell disaster. This is a war. People on all sides will die and your goal is to make sure that you come through it all in one piece.

Reviewed by Brian Rowe (December 11, 2007)

COD4 is epic in scope and short on time, but brevity can be a powerful tool in capable hands. Over the course of two days, I stormed terrorist bunkers, marched a tank through city streets, and held an entire militia at bay. I was exhausted, and yet, so moved by the climax that I immediately began the battle again.

Reviewed by Carlo84 (December 11, 2007)

For many, it is difficult to perceive a first-person shooter as nothing more than an opportunity to blow the brains out of some intricately rendered enemy soldiers. But, if the art of videogame lies in giving players agency; in immersing them in an interactive, sometimes visceral, experience, then the humble first-person shooter is capable of so much more. Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward’s modern take on first person military combat, understands this and hints at new ways of experiencing narrative...

Reviewed by huister (March 21, 2008)

In 2003, Infinity Ward (formed by the developers of the infamous Medal of Honor series) was bought out by Activision. In turn IF began developing the Call of Duty series, and as they say, the rest is history. Fast forward the story 4 years later, and we now have Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Jam-packed with all the same thrills as the previous installments, CoD4 lives up to the hype and does the franchise proud.

Reviewed by Suskie (January 29, 2008)

A world map hovers on screen and whirls around until the Middle East pops into view. The screen zooms in to a city along the west coast of Saudi Arabia, possibly Jiddah. We’re taken in closer, to the computerized image of two figures carrying an immobilized President Al-Fulani. A moment later and you’re looking through Al-Fulani’s eyes as he’s being thrust into the backseat of a car. As you’re driven through the war-torn city, you can do nothing but watch as masked terrorists fire guns, raid hom...