REVIEW - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

So, I've decided to make a blog dedicated to game reviewing. Don't expect me to review the latest blockbusters, for I am only a teen with zero income (minus 5-6 bucks YouTube revenue, but I can hardly buy Killzone: Shadow Fall with that sort of Money, can I?), I'm going to go through a list of games that I've played over my life. Some good ones, some not so good ones, just gonna try to have fun writing these things.

So, onto today's topic. The world renowned Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The fourth (duh) Game in Activision's premier shooter franchise and the first in a trilogy that spans- story wise - from 1989 to 2016. Released in 2007 to praise from every corner of the Planet, does CoD 4 do much to impress me in it's gameplay, story, modes and presentation? Well, let's start, shall we?

 CoD 4 begins in the Year 2011. The world as we know it is on the fringe of war. Arab and Russian rebels possess dangerous weaponry and it's upto you to stop them. For most of the game, you'll be playing as Sgt. Soap McTavish of the British SAS and their efforts to stop one Imran Zakaehev from launching a nuclear holocaust upon the United States. For the majority of Act 1 though, You'll be playing as Sgt. Paul Jackson of the United States Marine Corps. and his exploits in the Middle East trying to stop an Arab rebellion. CoD 4's plot was distant from other Call of Duty games at the time, as it portrayed a modern day setting rather than the typical Call of Duty plot that 1-3 had (i.e 'MURICA GONNA KICK SOME NAZI ASS). It was refreshing and eye-opening. It has some unbelievably shocking and unerveing moments, such as the Nuke at the end of Act 1. That Nuke shows the real power and damage that nuclear weapons can do the immense heartbreak it can cause upon people (although this is shown more in 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). The story in CoD 4 is filled with action packed set pieces and some intense firefights.

Gameplay in CoD 4 consists of moving from one firefight/setpiece to another. There are enemies in you're way and you must eliminate them. It's a typical First-Person Shooter through and through, although the missions that have specific requirments ("All Ghillied Up" for example encourages stealth since mobility and a Sniper Rifle aren't the best tools to go into a close Firefight with.) are definetely the highlight. What separated CoD 4 from everything else was it's deep and thorough Multiplayer suite. You were restricted to a class until you leveled to level 4 (Private 1st Class), but once you got to 4, you were free to create upto 5 custom classes. You could change Weapons, sidearms, and Perks which were like special abilities such as being able to reload faster or scavenge ammo from dead players.  In 2007, this was revolutionary and this type of multiplayer system would change the way people play First-Person Shooters for the coming few years, and it established Call of Duty as a powerhouse in the genre.

Presentation-wise, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a great looking game and still holds up today. Environments are tight and condensed and really give you that warzone feel. The textures are detailed enough but do look a bit murky up close. The models of guns are very detailed and look a lot like their real world counterparts. I'm very impressed by the accuracy of the noises they make and Infinity Ward took a lot of care with this game. The music is somewhat forgettable but the game is accompanied by amazing Voice Acting, I'm particularly fond of Captain Price's voice.

Overall, what else can I say? Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is what experimentation can produce. Infinity Ward took a risk and went with it and it paid off for them. It's not a perfect game but it's absolutely amazing. It's definitely worth a play.

Story: 10

Gameplay: 8.5

Graphics: 9
Sound: 6.5
Personal Enjoyment: 9

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Score: 8.3 out of 10