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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Score: 97%
ESRB: Mature
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: First Person Shooter/ Themed/ Online


Graphics & Sound:

It rocks! That's it. I am done. This has to be one of the fastest and easiest reviews I've had to write. I have to tell you more about Call of Duty 4: Modern warfare? OK, um, it is digital sexiness. Not that kind; get your mind out of the gutter. I mean it is done well on all levels. Fine, I know you're not going to let me get away with just telling you it rocks, so allow me to elaborate so I can then get back to playing it.

It doesn't hurt that just I got my new machine and I got the opportunity to plug in this digital gem. There is a ton of detail to the look and feel. I would dare say no stone has been left unturned. It is cheesy, but I really think I could taste the dirt in my face as my bird hovered for a rope-slide entry. The cut scenes are remarkable in how they tie the game together with a Hollywood movie quality. The different landscapes were all unique and authentic. Same for the diverse interiors as you move in and out of buildings, each with an authentic purpose.

The sounds of war will ring in your ear like a sweet symphony. Ricochets and orders being barked out over a concerto of automatic weapons fire. Beautiful. For a change, I was not bored to tears by the in-game voiceovers, as each character was masterfully executed. There were multiple nationalities to portray and all of them came off as well as any movie was capable of.


Gameplay:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will take you on a trip through many roles as you play. Each story element intertwines to form the entire picture. The story itself can be very simple, but what part each of four characters plays out in that story makes it a very immersive and compelling story.

What is more important than weapons in an FPS? The weapons fire is very precise and is very easy to master. I really like this game design point. You have two ways to go when you have the conversation about weapons. You can have uber realism, which can make the game too sterile and lean towards the more conservative player. You, the player who likes to sit back and plan out the shots before charging in. Then you have the ridiculous damage-taking style where everything acts like a cartoon, and bullets don't hurt you, and so you just run in, guns blazing. I don't mind the in between for the game to be both fun and tactical.

There are new toys besides the weapons for you to play with. Everyone following the game has seen the footage of the night vision goggles being used with the laser sights on the weapon. This literally puts a direct dot on your targets. Not only does it look awesome, it works well and makes for some interesting close quarters battle. You have a more tactical role to play through the use of claymores and flash bangs. Again there is a very distinctive style of play for each of the roles you take on in the game. Some will call for boldness, others for patience and caution.

The multiplayer feature of the game is the icing on a very sweet cake. The fast paced multi-role play style makes for a great multiplayer game. The roles are not so rigid and limiting as they are in other games. And with the perks system, you can earn different bonuses that will grant things such as improving your bullet penetration so you can kill enemies easier through cover. There is a lot of material here to present. It will be easier once you buy it, and then meet me online so I can show you how it works.


Difficulty:

So it turns out that war may actually be hell, and indeed if you decide to stand up in the middle of a fire fight, you are a soft, fleshy medium used to slow bullets down. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of Rambo-esque moments for you to go charging in. I think this style of being able to be successful either way is an identifier of the series and makes for a more interesting multiplay feature. This mix of play styles makes for challenging opportunities on the battlefield. Sometimes these challenges will come against overwhelming odds. You were sometimes forced throughout the game to conform to the fighting style of the game in order to survive objectives. Everyone knows that the single player is just the tutorial for the multiplayer anyway, despite the well done single player storylines.

Game Mechanics:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has great graphics. It has excellent voice and sound effects. It also has a well done storyline, despite an extremely short overall single player game. Now, this is where we need to point out a few issues. There was a lot of space taken up with the graphics, but there were few issues that got in the way of gameplay. There were several immobile assets that caused the classic stickiness where you could not move through areas your character should have been able to navigate easily. These rare exceptions aside, there is little pick at.

The weapons show the same attention to detail the series is known for. Weapons have distinctive and well planned uniqueness and are suited to specific roles in combat. Weapons have the precision they are known for and the sounds that make them stand out on the battlefield.

You do not have any control of your squad-mates, and that means that more times than not they will be standing in your line of fire. There is friendly fire, so choose your target carefully. It can get a little hairy when you are working with units in a dark area, and everything can feel like it looks alike. There are plenty of distinguishing items, but you will have to pay attention in the heat of things.

It is a great game that has not left my DVD drive yet. If you have never tried one of the games in the series, either because you were not into WWII shooters or you have been under a rock, then you have no excuse now not to give this game a chance. It has everything you could want for the experience.


-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications
AKA Bryon Lloyd

Minimum System Requirements:



Minimum Requirements:
Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 2800+ processor or any 1.8Ghz Dual Core Processor or better supported, 512 MB RAM (768 MB RAM for Windows Vista), 8 GB of free hard drive space, Video card (generic): NVIDIA Geforce 6600 or better or ATI Radeon 9800Pro or better

Recommended Requirements:
2.4 GHz dual core or better is recommended, 1 GB RAM for XP, 2 GB RAM for Vista is recommended, 3.0 Shader Support recommended, Nvidia Geforce 7800 or better or ATI Radeon X1800 or better

 

Test System:



Dell XPS DXP061, XP Pro, Intel Core Quad, 2GB Ram, Gforce 8800GTX

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Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated