It’s safe to say that the Xbox 360 has it’s fair share of quality first person shooters (FPS’.) From perennial Game of the Year candidate Bioshock to the lesser known Timeshift, owners of Microsoft’s powerhouse have no shortage in this genre. But, on November 5th of this past year, Activision launched what is now the benchmark of all FPS’, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game puts you in the shoes (initially) of a British S.A.S. agent by the peculiar name of Soap Mctavish. After being introduced to the game’s mechanics (aiming down a weapon’s sights, using your combat knife, etc.), you are thrown into your first mission: extracting a vital piece of ‘information’ from a Russian tanker on the Bering Strait. Without revealing too much of the game’s plot, I’ll just say there are plenty of twists and heart-breaking moments to keep you playing until the very end.

Gameplay:

Developer Infinity Ward has struck the perfect balance between tight, responsive controls and practicality. War should not be a rosy walk in the park, but a challenge to the idea that you will be around in the next minute. Thankfully, this is a video game (sometimes you may forget that), but it is a testament to advanced technology that we as gamers are enthralled into combat by merely booting up a disc. The enemy A.I. is top notch (especially in Veteran difficulty, more on that later), but your ‘elite’ partners can use some work. Many times has an enemy Spetsnaz (Russian) or OpFor (unspecified Arab group, but it’s obvious who they’re modeled after) soldier stood straight up mere feet in front of us, and comrades Captain Price, Gaz, and others would stare and hope a meteor killed him. The many acts in CoD4:MW have intricacies that will keep you returning to make sure you retrieved every enemy intel item (laptops with information on them), aside from the achievements every 360 game offers. You’ll find yourself scavenging through corpses to find an assault rifle better than your’s, or find that extra pack of cowards hiding from your small team.

Playing online has never been so fun as it is with this game.

There is much criticism about the length of CoD4′s campaign, but you won’t find any from me. Asking for more from this story would be overkill, especially seeing as the final minutes of the story ‘closes the book’ well. No open questions, scenarios, or conspiracies. Each and every mission in this game is over-flowing with action (horribly cliché line, but it’s true) and danger, especially on the higher difficulties. However, what gamers care about is the fun they’ll have playing a game. It’s the reason you’re reading this review, and I’m glad to inform you CoD4 will entertain you. Greatly.

10/10

Controls:

This game wouldn’t be nearly as epic if it weren’t for its tight, spot-on control reactions. Wii owners may brag about their accurate IR aiming, but I find no problem nailing a window with a grenade to blow some snipers into the next world with the right joystick. If there is any negative in this category, it would be a personal opinion, as I don’t recognize any flaw in the controls.

10/10

Visuals:

This is, as many would say, CoD4′s calling card. It’s what brings you in, but won’t stop calling you after the first date. Every intricacy is detailed, down to the fuzz on Captain Price’s beard. Thanks to the 360′s power, you’ll be able to quickly recognize distant enemies, especially with a nice HDTV in front of you. The foliage jumps out at you, tracers indicate where the shooter is, and clothe ripple when their wearer is moving.

10/10

Audio:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare supports 5.1 surround sound, but even without it you won’t miss a beat. Every grenade can make you jump out of your seat, and the banter of enemies and team mates alike can either tick you off or set off a love affair with a certain British squad mate (*cough*Gazcough.) There is a nice bonus; if you happen to know Russian or Arabic, you’ll get a giggle out of the enemies’ rantings. Pump up the volume, shoot off some rounds, and treat your ears to quality audio.

 

Stunning visuals help create the mood for one of the most intense games ever created.

10/10

Lasting Appeal:

I finished campaign mode more than 2 weeks ago, and you’ll find me replaying this game on any day of the week. Thanks to the achievement system and CoD4′s own online multiplayer, you won’t get bored for a long time. Speaking of online multiplayer, did I mention it’s one of the deepest online games this gamer has ever played? You gain new weapons and upgrades with specific level ups, and once you reach that magic number of 55, you can restart and enter ‘prestige’ mode. With hundreds of thousands of potential buddies looking for matches on Xbox Live, you won’t have any trouble finding a game.

9.5/10

Overall:

Unless you have a deep hate for FPS’, war, fun, or all of the above, get this game. Prepare for a complete assault on your senses, as you will see an intricate graphics engine, hear bullets whizzing by, feel the anxiety when everything is ‘too quiet’, taste the grass when an enemy machine gunner pins you down, and smell the sweat on your palms build up. Suit up with the best of them, because this is the best first person shooters available.

Gameplay: 10/10

Controls: 10/10

Visuals: 10/10

Audio: 10/10

Lasting Appeal: 9.5/10

Overall: 10/10

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