	Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
	Developer: Infinity Ward Publisher: Activision Release Date: Out Now Players: 1, online multiplayer 2-16	Words By:
There are countless World War II shooters on the market for a reason. And after several months idle thought I have come to the conclusion that the reason is not because of all the amazing battles and documented acts of heroism but actually due to colouring. Think about it, when you played with those plastic toy soldiers years ago in your youth the goodies were nearly always green and the baddies were a sort of blue/grey colour. Everything was clear cut and straightforward wasn’t it? Not like today where you haven’t got a clue whose head you are blowing off. Except I actually liked to play most of the time as the blue/grey guys because their uniform was snazzier and they had better tanks… Infinity Ward appear to have become bored of ‘axis versus allies’ hokum and have tried their hand at the theatres of war of today. This means taking control of British and American special forces and tackling the more subtle and secret dangers of international uprisings and terrorism. This is a potentially dull prospect on the face of it because the Call of Duty games have always been straight out shooters that rely on mass firepower and the impression of being a small cog in the middle of a great war. Today there are no Normandy landings to recreate, no Stalingrad horrors to survive and no El Alemains to send your tanks into. Today things are done via a push of a button and a stonking great missile…. But have no fear because Call of Duty 4 uses some brilliant cinematics and cleverly constructed levels to put you into the thick of the action, so much so that you almost wish you were back at D-Day 1944 because, well, that was a safety in numbers breeze on a lovely sunny beach compared to this. Because you are always the member of a small squad there is a feeling of exposure in this game that is hard to match. Right from the start there is a claustrophobic feeling when you are required to infiltrate a ship which bobs about on rough seas. It gave me a hint of motion sickness for the first time ever in gaming due to the realistic camera tilts as I sneaked over the rocking gangways. Turning green and breathing heavily into a bag has never been so rewarding, believe me. This adrenaline rush and realistic theme continues in every theatre that you visit and is the game’s big strong point. So much so that even the annoying US Marines’ trait of saying “oorah” or the ridiculous, almost sexual name of your character Soapy McTavish and his cor blimey Brit mates cannot spoil it. Sure, there are several occasions where the game looks and plays almost identical to its World War II predecessors when it comes down to a simple firefight or building clearance, but there are several occasions where it pushes for that bit extra. One of the shining lights for me is where you can take control of three different calibre weapons from a circling gunship. The action is viewed from a grainy black and white night vision camera and looks as authentic as if Norman Schwarzkopf was gleefully talking you through it on the news. A feeling of terrible power is delivered as you unload ordinance upon brightly lit, fleeing enemy troops. Shock and awe indeed. Another great moment which had me wrenching the sixaxis due to intense concentration and no small modicum of terror was where I followed my commanding officer on an assassination mission in Chernobyl. Crawling through long grass to avoid the zig zag sweeps of troops and APCs, and then sneaking through deserted radioactive houses to end up taking a long range, wind affected sniper shot was almost more than my poor non-combatant heart could bear. On a technical front the game excels and the developers should be congratulated on providing the tricky PS3 hardware with an excellent multi platform title which runs smooth as butter and has no deficiencies compared to other versions. Light and shadow is realised beautifully here, smoke effects are stunning and the character models are amazingly realistic. The game engine is clearly made for slick frame rates and excellent medium to long distance details. If there is a disappointment in the graphics it is with the close up texturing which is bland on walls and vegetation, but such is the nature of the game with its sniping shots and firefights that this is a minor issue. The sixaxis controller feels surprisingly tight with its accuracy too. The new firing system where you can hold a shoulder button and target down the barrel of your weapon so it will lock on to any near enemy helps no end in keeping the game slick and fun during intense moments. Not everything is rosy though. Although the enemy AI is generally decent there was an instance of failure when I had to drop my injured commanding officer to the floor so he could help me defend an area from advancing enemies. In the middle of the ensuing battle I turned around to see how he was doing and noticed a Russian shooting him at point blank range for about ten seconds with no effect! And many times grenades which are so deadly within ten feet seem to have no deadly effect whatsoever on my team mates, even though they were closer to danger than me! And once I spotted these things I began to notice other little details such as helicopters hovering over tall trees and their rotors making absolutely no impression of wind upon their leaves and branches. In a game that strives for realism in so many things it’s oversights like this that unfortunately take you out of the game. Having said that, simple little things like bullet holes riddling nearly everything you hit and certain weaker surfaces offering little penetration protection for the enemy helped to bring me back into the immersion within seconds. More damagingly tough, and why this game cannot garner a top score from me is the length of the single player game which in a cinematic effort like this is still an important factor. It can be completed in a few short hours and despite a tense countdown finale doesn’t feel completely satisfying and nourishing despite its nerve wracking brilliance. Nevertheless, once finished, a neat Arcade mode is unlocked which provides a time limit challenge and a leaderboard to help with replay incentives. And of course, most of the longevity of the game comes from its amazing online element which is vast and comprehensive and will keep you playing for months with its varied modes. It’s a class based system in which you can level up and unlock perks that increase and modify your abilities. When allied to the 16 maps and many unlockable game modes and objectives this makes for almost endless entertainment and competitiveness if multiplayer gaming is your thing. At the end of the day Call of Duty 4 is a brilliant package and the ultimate achievement in the series. The single player may be a brief war of shock and awe but just like the continual war on terror, the online battle will be continuous and with us for a very long time.

Best Bits
- Fabulously realistic graphics engine
- Ear shattering sound effects
- Clever ‘down the barrel’ lock on targeting system
- Brilliant use of cinematic techniques
- Varied objectives and locations
- Comprehensive multiplayer options provides longevity
- Funky modern tech such as Javelin missiles and night vision are always a pleasure

Worst Bits
- Single Player mode is way too short
- Some questionable AI moments
- Fairly linear ‘run and gun’ gameplay


by: 4thy