| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare |
| Posted on 12th January 2008 by Matthew Cooper |
Having been an avid multiplayer fan of the Call Of Duty games on the PC, I am experienced in the knowledge that Infinity Ward create truly atmospheric shooters, containing awesome set pieces, brilliantly placed writing and an addictive “oo rah!” wanting, for more of the same. Luckily for us gamers, COD4 is absolutely no exception.
Call Of Duty 4 brings the franchise into the 21st century, a bold move by Infinity Ward, going up against a horde of rivals in the likes of Halo, Bioshock and Crysis. With the subtitle “Modern Warfare”, this pits you in a present day battle, caught up in affairs in the Middle East. Without giving away too much of the storyline, prepare yourself for Jack “24” Bauer style all out action! Throughout the game, you play as several different soldiers and therefore are given a wide variety of missions to complete, from on-foot ground action to undertaking attack from the air in the form of an automatic placed gun stand on a helicopter. Some levels require you to be as stealthy as possible as well (including one unbelievably intense mission, a scene I personally will not forget in a long time), so this game requires you to have the balls to either run in all guns blazing, or to actually think about your strategy. Such a large array of mission types and styles is a terrific accomplishment, there are very few shooters available where the gamer will WANT to go back and play through it all again.
As I mentioned above, I have preferred the COD series so far on the PC (only 1 and 2 were released on the format), and as a general rule, this has always been my personal choice for the first person shooter. With this in mind, I had doubts as to how the controls would be mapped out, and how easy it would be to access all the options available on screen. As soon as the game is loaded, have a quick check of the Controls section and all seems dandy. Five minutes into the game, and I’ve not looked at my gamepad once. Not only is the onscreen action extremely visceral, but the controls are the sweetest I’ve managed to learn in a very long time. Everything is fluid, responsive and it feels like IW really have put a lot of time into making the default pad settings as comfortable for the gamer as they possibly could. Developers, take note, this is how the console FPS controls should be laid out.
Into the game and the graphics instantly scream to me, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2! The settings are gritty, dull and realistic. The detail is crisp and clear, without making you go “oooooh!” with awe. You can see where you are going with ease, and the character models look exactly how they should, detailed but not over the top. Something IW have also worked on after the “cartoony” design to the prequels characters. The CGI cutscenes do their jobs really well, without asking much of the 360’s capabilities. Nothing to really write home about here, they do the job and make the 360 look good in the ongoing graphics battle with the PS3.
IW have always taken pride on creating atmospheric set pieces within the series, and they do so effectively with the use of sound and music. Second only to the Halo franchise, the orchestral symphonies played in the background of “COME ON!! RUUUN!” from your Sergeant, the screen shaking as Claymores and incoming rocket spears explode around you, creates an aura in you that you absolutely must succeed or face a tearful ending. If you do indeed fail, you won’t be reaching for the tissues, that energy goes straight into your hands, you raise them over your head and let out frustration, then replay from the previous checkpoint. I’ve found myself repeating this several times when I die, the occasional curse thrown in to the fray as well, dampening my possible stress levels.
For the true heroes of console FPS, try it on a harder difficulty setting than “Regular”! If you feel you have learnt enough on the dynamics and accuracy required to beat the campaign on a hard difficulty, check out the multiplayer via Xbox Live or split screen/console link up. Don’t gear yourself up too much for it though, as you have to unlock the best multiplayer modes, guns and attachments by completing specific tasks, for example, to unlock a “Red-Dot Sight” for your RPD, you need to get 100 kills with the RPD. It’s maddening, frustrating and hampers the freedom which should be available. Also included in the multiplayer is the ability to “rank up”, used effectively in RPG’s such as World Of Warcraft (lovingly referred to as “leveling up”), you gain EXP for your kills, how you get your kills and where you finish at the end of the round. The more you level up, the more you unlock in the form of guns and challenges. For the RPG fans out there, this is a real “Hallelujah!” moment, a multiplayer that is not only challenging, but also rewarding. But for the more casual gamer, like myself, this is a true kick in the nuts to this brilliant game. Bring back the gun select menu as used in the previous installments, drop the crossover breed and let’s get down to some tactical killing, or, like myself, “Spray ‘n’ Pray”!
Overall, Call Of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare is a real winner. A brilliant achievement by Infinity Ward to create a 4th title in a series which seems to get stronger as it continues. A high range of missions, weaponry and storylines moulded in a fantastic atmospheric setting create the latest “Must Own” game for the Xbox 360. But if you are looking for an easy to pick up multiplayer to go straight in for instant action on Live, be warned, it is NOT to everyone’s taste. |
Single Player Score: 9/10
Multiplayer Score: 5/10
Overall Score: 7/10 |
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