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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review

Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Infinity Ward

Reader review 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.

If you are a veteran of the series, then you know that it’s like a wild rollercoaster ride that won’t let you go. But this time around, Infinity Ward made this ride so beautiful that you won’t want to get off even after the ride is done. The graphics have been finely tuned and masterfully rendered. No small detail is overlooked. You can see the detail of every leaf that blows in the wind and distinct facial features on all the enemies that you take out. The weapons all look eerily familiar, if not real. It is not in the big things that make this game amazing (though the environments all look remarkable), but rather all the little details that have not been neglected that make this game wonderful.

Unfortunately, just like every ride at Disneyland, it ends just when you start having fun. At a maximum of 6 hours, this shooter achieves top rank as one of the shortest on the Xbox 360 to date (probably, even shorter than Gears of War). But in those 6 hours, you definitely get a lot more than you bargained for. Each mission is jam-packed with different things to do. For example, In one, you take on the role of a sniper (dressed in full Ghillie suit too!) slowly crawling your way through literally the entire Soviet front line, while in another you “bring the rain” as they say on Transformers, and provide air support by blowing buildings and opposing forces to kingdom come. There are also a myriad of ground based missions where you get to fire your shiny gun. So in short (almost as short as the game), the game packs of large wallop in the little time you will spend on the single player campaign.

Yet where this game really shines is through its multiplayer. Although split screen options are available, what you really want to sink your teeth into is the online play. With over 20 game modes, Call of Duty 4 is definitely full of variety. I guarantee that the online multiplayer is so addicting that it take away time from your relationship (unless you’re reading this in the basement with your D&D set). It will feel like a different war everything time despite having such a limited number of maps in rotation. Think Counter-Strike, but on Ecstasy. Each multiplayer map is expansive and thoroughly well-balanced. There are multiple ways to enter every building, so you can never sit next to a door and feel safe.

The game also implements a leveling system (very similar to an RPG) that unlocks more perks and challenges as you level up. Upon completion of these challenges, you receive bonus XP that helps get you to the next level quicker. These challenges vary a lot and go from sprinting 26 miles to winning 30 Team Deathmatch games. It leaves you a lot to do in the game which more than makes up for the short single player experience. There are also a variety of perks that give you different advantages such as “iron lungs” which hold your breath longer for easier sniper shots, to “martyrdom” which drops a live grenade when you are killed. Call of Duty 4 even lets you equip three of these perks and save them in customizable classes to quickly access the ones you like the best. This innovative system works well except for the fact that you cannot switch perks in the middle of the game. But still, what say you about that, Halo 3?

In online multiplayer, there are a total of 55 levels to reach, and once you have climbed this ladder, you are given the option of going “Prestige.” If you choose to do so, you lose all your perks and weapon attachments, and you have to start all over. To compensate for this loss, you do receive a “prestigious-looking” badge that is proudly displayed next to your gamertag. There are a total of 10 prestige modes, and though it may seem redundant, the prestige mode actually does bring a breath of fresh air to the game every time you decide to go through with it.

If you are a fan of the first person shooter, you definitely cannot pass up Call of Duty 4. It is a visually stunning masterpiece that will leave you breathless from start to finish. You may come for the single player campaign, but you’ll stay months (even years) for the multiplayer. Just make sure you get to work on time!

+ WWII is finally over!
+ Visually great thrill ride
+ Addicting Multiplayer

- Single Player is too short!
- Your girlfriend may break up with you

Rating: 9/10

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