Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex Edition is the Wii version of the installment that pushed the venerable franchise into the future, or as the title implies, the modern era. The story behind the action isn't as silly or contrived as it is in
Modern Warfare 2, but is narrative strength really the main force behind these games? Of course not.
Modern Warfare is the story of a Russian Ultranationalist's attempt to restore the Soviet Union by any possible means. Of course, this starts an armed conflict, and you are thrust into the fray with an impressive arsenal of modern weaponry at your disposal. You'll spend most of your time playing as Sgt. "Soap" MacTavish of the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, but you'll also step into the shoes of Sgt. Paul Jackson of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Force Recon. If you haven't already played Call of Duty 4, all you need to know that it's an action-packed campaign with a few genuinely shocking moments.
The campaign's gameplay bears all the trademarks of a Call of Duty game: by that, I mean you must shoot enemies and complete objectives. The game changes things up on you by putting you in different situations. From a stealthy raid behind enemy lines in the Ukraine to an eerily calm support mission aboard the devastatingly powerful AC-130 gunship, the levels are intense and sometimes unforgettable. The campaign's biggest flaw is that it's almost criminally short. Since it's not the primary focus of the game, this is somewhat forgivable.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a phenomenon, and that's mainly to the credit of its staggeringly deep and fiendishly addictive multiplayer component. It is the meat of the experience, and it's what you'll return to the most. The sense of progression you get as you rank up and unlock new toys is a huge part of what makes this game such a success. There are a ton of modes, from Deathmatch variants to King of the Hill variants such as Domination. For the most part, the multiplayer fares well in the transition. There's an unfortunate disconnect between yourself and your opponents in this Wii port. This problem is unavoidable because it is native to the hardware itself; there is no voice chat, and let's face it -- nobody's a fan of the Friend Code system.
