Most players at this point are probably
familiar with the Call of Duty franchise, which up to this point has
focused on World War II. However, with this installment, the series takes
a quantum leap forward in terms of setting and presentation. Instead of
recreating the past, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is set against a
contemporary backdrop focusing of the global war on terror. Instead of
battling Nazi forces, you are instead focused on terrorists and insurgent
forces worldwide in a variety of evocative war-torn locales. Make no
mistake, this is a sleekly designed shooter through and through that sets
a new high-water mark for its genre. Everything from the high-tech
interface to its selection of sniper rifles, night-vision goggles and
remote control mines gives the player a visceral sense of being on a
battlefield. One of the key changes this time around isn't on the
battlefield, but in what you can do there. Instead of relying solely on
the soldiers around your character, Call of Duty gives you the ability to
call in air support to take out entrenched enemies, which is extremely
helpful when you find yourself locked into a battle with a seemingly
intractable force. A few hits and you'll find that the path has been
cleared for you. Using Air-power is definitely not a failsafe option, but
another impressive tool you can use on the battlefield to your advantage.
It's been integrated into the standard gameplay quite effectively, and
this makes it feel like something that's essential to the game instead of
a cheap gimmick.
In addition to the standard on-foot
ground attacks, players will also encounter numerous sequences where they
find themselves inside a vehicle. In these areas of the game, your mission
is to provide covering fire for your team while someone else drives. These
make fairly good breaks from the norm and give Call of Duty 4's gameplay
an impressive sense of variety. One of the cooler aspects of the game is
its cover system. When your character takes too much damage, your screen
turns red and you have to go and find cover, where you can regenerate your
health, before you're stuck again and your character croaks. While this
system is still controversial, the ability to restore health during the
course of each mission helps to make the gameplay flow much better, and
reduces the need for backtracking. Of course, there are still points where
you will indeed fall to enemy fire, but the developers have placed
numerous checkpoints throughout the game so you never really lose to much
practice. This goes a long way in explaining why the series is so much
more accessible and popular. However, it also reduces the real risk
players face and makes playing through the single player game much less
challenging, which is a shame because a game like this, with so much
attention paid to its smallest details and realism would probably benefit
from a harder difficulty level. That said, the AI is much stronger this
time around, with multiple flanking attackers swarming you from every
direction, so Call of Duty 4 is by no means a pushover when it comes to
its basic combat mechanics.
COD
4 features what is easily the most intense, cinematic sequences seen in a
war game to date. Massive firefights are punctuated by screaming F-17's
overhead, massive tank battles ensue over bleak terrain while you try and
survive the chaos. The sheer ferocity of the enemies is almost
breathtaking. These are relentless foes and they'll attack you from every
angle without letting up for a moment. It makes the previous installments
seem almost tame by comparison, gives you very little room to breathe.
However, you rarely find yourself lost since the next objective is usually
quite clearly marked. Call of Duty 4 accurately captures the intensity of
battle in a number of ways, from the sense of impending disaster lurking
around every corner to the constant chatter and yelling from every corner
that gives you a sense of controlled chaos. Call of Duty 4 marks a huge
leap forward for the series in a number of ways. While the basic structure
and control scheme from previous games is basically intact, the game's HUD
has been upgraded and now gives you a better sense of on-the-field action
while not becoming obstructive to the battle at hand. You can easily see
where your next objective is by taking a quick glance at the bottom of the
screen where your directional compass shows where you need to go. You can
also get a fairly good idea where to go next by looking at where your
fellow soldiers are headed. This is easy enough to do in practice, but
it's not as easy as the previous games, since the enemies seem to lurk
behind every corner and doorway, making your progression much slower this
time around. A good strategy in the game is to hold back a little and get
the lay of the land. One of the better aspects of the game that you'll
immediately notice is its use of multiple levels and planes of sight,
which sets it apart from many other shooters, since the enemies come at
you from all directions.
The game's controls are fairly easy to
use and take good advantage of the PS3's controller. You aim and shoot in
the normal ways and switch weapons using the d-pad. The soldier's
position, standing or crawling is simple to use as well. Players change
the viewpoint between the normal firing mode and the weapon's scope easily
and can also enable the night-vision goggles with a single button press.
As noted earlier, the interface and HUD is streamlined, simple and easy to
understand, and shouldn't take much time to get used to. You have a fairly
decent selection of weapons with the usual sniper rifles, machine guns and
pistols at your disposal along with some cool extras like rocket propelled
grenades and mines. You can fire either your standard weapon or your
grenades using the shift button. There are also several other weapons such
as anti-tank missiles that can be used a limited number of times during
the game. Unlike previous installments, Call of Duty 4 gives the player a
few more options on the battlefield which opens things up and makes you
feel like you're immersed in the action and less like you're playing an
on-the-rails shooter. The gameplay is still quite linear to a large degree
and you have to get to the predetermined checkpoints in order to progress
through the missions, but there seems to be more paths there. Call of Duty
4's maps are much more complex and realistic than before, and there are
more alleys and hidden areas, which makes several things happen. The first
is that you have more places to find cover but conversely, there are more
places on each map for the enemies to hide. They're smarter now as well,
and attack in groups, track you down and fire at your position
relentlessly until you fall, making the gameplay feel much more dangerous
with higher stakes.
Call of Duty 4's engrossing
single-player game offers some fairly intense battles, Call of Duty 4's
multiplayer online modes are equally impressive. Instead of merely
offering the usual modes of play with little reward, the online experience
here rewards successful players with a slew of unlockable content that
includes extra play modes which go beyond what's typically offered. For
example, there's a cool mode where you have to work together as a real
team would in order to defeat your opponents co-operatively. The more
victories you build up, your character becomes stronger and additional
modes become available. Players can also choose their gear and weapons and
customizable characters to further personalize their online games. In
addition, there are a number of community features such as matchmaking and
leader boards that make for an extremely well polished online component
that's just as engrossing and challenging as the main game. There's an
impressive array of maps and levels available online, though we did
encounter a few glitches here and there that made the experience less
smooth than it could have been. Hopefully, this will improve with time.
While
the previous games in the Call of Duty series won praise for their
accurate recreation of the past, its impressive visuals look just as
brilliant when applied to a contemporary setting. The game's levels are
truly astonishing in the level of detail they create. The animations on
each of the soldiers is incredibly detailed, with fluid looking, life-like
characters battling in near photo-realistic environments that are stunning
to behold. Every weapon has also been rendered expertly and these
authentic arms add more credibility to the experience. You'll find
yourself battling through Russian forests, dangerous Middle East cities
and other locations, and this range of areas shows off the graphics
engine's power and versatility. You'll face a variety of weather
conditions ranging from rain to snow plus day and night missions. COD 4's
graphics engine is probably the most impressive we've seen in quite some
time, with an excellent interface used between rounds that feels both
realistic and slick. This makes for quite an impressive package, and the
total effect when you're in the heat of battle can be some of the most
visceral and exciting war sequences ever seen in a video game. Call of
Duty 4's engaging storyline is unrelenting, with the urgent calls and
shouts from your fellow soldiers combining with the enemy's calls to
create a real sense of being in the middle of battle. Huge explosions and
the constant white noise of gunfire keeps you alert throughout each
mission, and the consistent frame-rate and incredible sense of detail
immerses you into the action in ways few previous games have. This is
definitely one of the best-looking shooters in any genre to date, and
Infinity Ward deserves credit for making such a highly-polished and at
times stunningly realistic game look so effortless.
It would be easy to dismiss Call of Duty
4: Modern Warfare as just another shooter, but those tht do are missing
out on one of the more impressive examples of the genre to date. The sense
of being in the middle of a combat zone is something that the game has
pulled off well, and is quite an accomplishment when you consider the
sheer number of actions going on at the same time at any point in the
game. It can be a bit difficult to keep track of everything, but if you
focus on the task at hand, things become easier. It's not always easy
during the heat of battle to stay on mission, but that's one of the key
skills you'd need as a real soldier. While the new setting might have
caused some problems, the series seems to have made a successful
translation and is more intense than ever. However, the game isn't perfect
with the biggest flaw we've encountered being the too-easily rejuvenated
soldiers, their ability to regain health simply by standing in a corner
somewhere makes Call of Duty 4 a little bit too easy at parts and reduces
the challenge to a large degree. Additionally, while the developers give
the player more freedom than in previous titles, the action still feels a
little bit constrained. However, the enemy AI is a lot smarter this time
around and their relentless attacks have been ratcheted up in their
intensity and danger, which helps mitigate these problems. Call of Duty 4:
Modern Warfare isn't flawless but it's definitely one of the best military
shooters on the market in terms of graphics and intensity, making this a
superb choice for gamers who want a slick combat experience that's
authentic and intense.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: A
