Customer Reviews

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

5 star:		(226)
4 star:		(72)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

When it comes to FPS's, and any other shooter for that matter, you have your current kings, namely: Halo, Rainbow Six (and all of it's "spawns", like GRAW) and Gears of War (still). Throw BioShock in there if you want... whatever. You get the point. Now - take from each of those games the best aspects... throw them together, and you have Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Simply put - you'll love this game, even if you don't like military or first-person shooters. If you're the type that strictly plays the single-player mode, then I'd rent first, just to be sure it's for you. For me, even the story mode keeps me coming back. This game is a BEAST, and it's a BEAST on every platform it's on - 360, PS3 and PC.

Infinity Ward understands FPS's - their absence was noticed immediately in Call of Duty 3, which sucked. They're back. This game is a few MINOR elements away from absolute perfection, in my opinion. And you don't get better than perfection.

I'll get the little gripes out of the way:

1. No Co-Op campaign. As frantic as every stage is, coupled with the fact that there's really no point on the game where you're not at least with ONE other player - usually more - I thought this should be available. It's pretty much standard now in the next-gen FPS's, but surprisingly absent here. Hmmm...

2. The whole 'friendly-fire' thing... I realize that this is realistic, but it's pretty frustrating sometimes - moreso here than in a game like Rainbow Six, simply because there's no easily identifiable icon or marker. I don't need THAT level of realism in a game - just my opinion. Yes, your recticle is red if it's on an enemy and green for a friendly, but during all of the fighting, that's really hard to see. Coupled with the fact that a lot of the enemies are wearing uniforms pretty similar to YOURS, you may end up accidentally shooting your squad more than you'd care to admit, especially on the Veteran difficulty level.

(That's really it for the 'gripes' - the other is more of an personal preference for me. I'd rather have more gameplay modes available in the multiplayer right off the bat, but I can also see how starting off with just the initial two works.

You may notice that I haven't complained about the duration of the story mode... while short, I doubt that any of the other reviewers that are slamming it have "breezed through in a few hours" on any difficulty higher than Sick Infant - that's before Rookie, if you're wondering. The story is compelling; there are actual moments where your chest and heart actually POUND - tell me the "All Ghillied Up" stage didn't have you holding your breath in real life, I dare you. Other games, while significantly longer, don't always fill their time with substance. A game like BioShock doesn't have an online mode, so it's story HAS to carry it entirely. Halo 3 is longer, sure... but most of it is retracing your steps back through previously played boards. No thank you. Apart from an effective story mode, this game's "bread and butter" is in the online multiplayer. Just like Halo 3. Just like RB6: Vegas. Just like Gears of War. Online play is what will keep this game, and others, being played for years to come.)

...and that's it, folks. Nothing else bad here. AT ALL. Period.

Gameplay - the game is phenomenal. Even if the campaign is rather on the short side (took about 6 or so hours playing on Normal - Veteran or Hardened will probably double that time, plus some) it is undeniably entertaining. While it may not necessarily be breaking new ground as far as plot, it STILL is far more engaging that Rainbow Six: Vegas's campaign mode, which is great, as well as Gears of War and even the mighty Halo 3. (just my opinion) (A+)

Graphics - arguably the best on any console, period. I give it the nod over Gears of War and BioShock - this is the best looking game I have ever played, and it runs (with all the chaos going on) at a smooth 60 frames per second is 1080P HD glory. The word gets thrown around alot with these newer systems, but this game is truly Photo-Realistic. The only thing I've seen comparable would be Crysis, another military shooter -and that's (not surprisingly) a PC-only game at the moment. It absolutely does not get any better than COD4. (A++)

Sound - as good as anything out now. The musical numbers are all spot-on, and the dialogue and combat chatter is phenomenal. Top notch all the way around - no "forced" sounding acting here. This games sounds like it was recorded during actual combat. (A+)

Multiplayer - time will tell if it will stand up to the insanely deep Halo Multiplayer mode, or the ridiculously addictive multiplayer modes on GoW or RB6, but even in this early stage COD4 is more than holding it's own. Choose from a preset variety of classes - sniper, assault, heavy gunner, etc. and get to killing. Kill enough and eventually unlock the ability to create your OWN class - and that's where the fun really gets going. There's a rank structure, but with there being absolutly ZERO offical multiplayer achievements, hopefully this will minimize people's tendency to cheat. (big problem on RB6) Ranking up does have it's privileges, however... different weapons, customizations for those weapons (scopes, skins, etc.) How new players feel about playing months from now when the majority of their combatants have superior equipment remains to be seen... balancing could be an issue there. The way it's set up though, if you're good at FPS's (and you know who you are), you will be alright. There's some work to be done with the team balancing... and I would prefer the ability to choose which maps I play on during ranked matches, but all in all, pretty solid. (A)

Replay Value - extremely high, even with a relatively short campaign. All of the achievements for the game come from the Campaign mode, yet over half of them require you to beat the game on one of the two harder difficulty levels. (not recommended for first-timers - frustration WILL ensue... as well as bullets, grenades and dog bites) Hell, even the TRAINING MODULE is fun and gets replay - Halo can't say that. This game is ridiculous. Even as varied as multiplayer is by nature, the Prestige Mode adds a new level to it. Make it all the way to Level 55, then you have "a tough decision" to make... (A+)

Overall - Dangerously Good. I give it an A+, or a solid 9.9998 out of 10 (I stand by the fact that a co-op campaign would render a potential Call of Duty 5 pointless) This is one of the best games ever. After playing the Beta earlier this year, I proclaimed that this could be a sleeper for Game of the Year, while everyone else was obviously sold on Halo... maybe a few for BioShock. This has them both, hands down. The only surprising part is how convincingly better this game is than the other GOTY frontrunners. All other FPS's (particularly military FPS's) need to take notice - this is BY FAR the best ever. (Note to Tom Clancy and the folks at UbiSoft: you have work to do for that next Rainbow Six. The bar is WAY up there now... don't disappoint)

A definite must own, especially for online players - this is the best for this year. No not Halo - Call of Duty 4. Period. The only thing I see that could pull people away from this even for a moment would potentially be Grand Theft Auto 4.

From the moment you turn this game on you are swept into a reality that is all to similiar to what is going on in today's world. The storyline is something you have probably heard before on the news. Out of control regimes in the MidEast and potential anarchy in the old Soviet Union. The two factors make for a very intense game. I don't even know if game is an appropriate title for something so realistic. Your mission is to stop a rogue government from getting their hands on nuclear weapons. Obviously a big challenge for anyone.

If you have played previous Call of Duty games you know the quality that goes into the gameplay. Never overly to difficult for a first timer. Much of the combat is very similiar to previous COD games. The objectives are always short enough to keep the player involved. What sets this Call of Duty game apart from it's previous incarnations is the amount of realism that has gone into it. The graphics and sound are so real that you could almost think your watching a movie....Actually more real than a movie. The only thing that may be lacking in this games single player missions is the lack of co-op play and the overall shortness of the game. Most will have it completed under six hours. Of course you can always give it a try and a more difficult setting.

The online multiplayer is amazing. To say the least I didn't expect it to be this intense. From the moment you start an online challenge you are thrusted into battle. The game seems to keep the online working in such a way that it seems incredibly realistic. What I also enjoy about the online is that it allows you to rank up rather quickly but you must have enough skill to be an asset on the battlefield. Online there are numerous different missions that keep the game extremely fun and fresh. Although you won't have access to these challenges until you prove your abilities. What also keeps it fresh is the ability to gear your soldier differently as you advance thru the online. This game will definatley have people playing for many, many months.

If you enjoy shooter games and most importantly like realistic war sims then this game is for you. The graphics are amazing, the environments almost look too real, and the sound sets this game apart from others that have flooded the field. If you ever wanted to have an idea of many of the challenges that today's soldiers have to deal with then you need Call of Duty 4. This may possibly be the game of the year.

Call of Duty 4 is a really fun game with extremely intense battle sequences. The downfall is that you can only play in single player mode unless you want to do/are set up for online play.

In single player Campaign mode, you're a first person shooter (soldier) on the frontlines, and primarily you're playing two separate, interlacing missions as two different characters. You also play a cool, flashback side story as a sniper in a ghillie suit (camouflage clothing). But mostly you play in current times with a team of characters that are truly your band of AI brothers; the help you might get from your team is based on the difficulty setting you've chosen.

You arrive in boot camp just like in Call of Duty 3, and you get a brief tutorial on how to maneuver around, shoot your weapon & throw grenades (you'll be using smoke, stun and explosive). Then you're immediately strewn into various battles.

You fight your way through some intense chapters. The weapons are much more sophisticated than the ones in WWII era CoD3. It's the present in CoD4, and you're mostly shooting whichever modern-day weapon you happen to have picked up (mostly from dead soldiers on the ground) along your objective route. Your objectives that guide you along are updated regularly as you complete each task throughout each chapter. And some of those tasks are brutal.

Perhaps the best feature of the campaign mode is the frequent checkpoints. I think I remember even reaching new checkpoints without firing a single shot in CoD4. Contrarily, in Resistance: Fall Of Man, sometimes I'd be playing for like 20 minutes only to get killed and respawn back before what seemed to take an eternity to complete. Not an issue in CoD4.

There are some areas where the AI won't let you clear an area of enemies no matter how hard or well you fight; the AI will keep sending enemies at you until you get to a checkpoint. That was a bit confusing until the realization dawned on me that my AI brothers and me were just not going to take down everyone in some areas.

No matter which chapter you're in you are mostly using your primary weapon (some kind of machine gun) that on some models has an effective grenade launcher attached. You'll also need to engage in some exhilarating hand to hand combat (with dogs!), you'll need to guide air support, attach and arm explosives to enemy stuff, use night-vision goggles, and man other stationary weapons. There was no driving necessary in CoD4 (unlike CoD3).

All of the chapters are really fun. Some of the chapters are really difficult, and some like I said earlier feel like I did nothing in order to succeed. I think that the easy chapters are designed more to challenge you to correctly navigate yourself and your team to the correct objective, but that doesn't require a lot of effort if you just follow the on-screen compass.

On-line play is a different world. No AI brothers here...just your fellow gamers. You'd better have your FPS skills honed if you think that you'll beat some of the CoD4 online players. Man, I stink so bad I'm getting meleed to death by these guys before I even fire a shot. But online play is truly addicting. The more you play, the higher you rank allowing you to unlock more (fine tuned) weapons....Just wait 'til I get my hands on some of those, all you online vets!

So all in all Call of Duty 4 is major fun, but like I said earlier, the biggest drawback to this awesome game is that multiplayer mode is only available with online play. (No story co-op...not even on-line). Co-op worked terrific in Resistance: Fall of Man....Why I wonder couldn't it for Call of Duty 4? Hence, that is the only reason why I've deducted a star from the overall rating, but by no means do I suggest that anyone with a PS3 miss out on this super-fun game.

Add it to your cart, soldier!

EDIT: 11-06-07

Let me also start by saying that I was able to purchase the game early from a mom and pop store here in Chinatown NYC. ALso, I never played the three previous COD games.

PROS:
1. The game has that shiny polished look of Gears of war, but the feel and control of the game is like Halo 3.

The company that made this game, tried to make it as close as possible to real war and they did an excellent job. what I like better about this game than GOW and HALO is that your teammates are not a bunch of retards. They actually kill enemies as opposed to you doing all the work. heck, sometimes I even felt as if I was not apart of the game because my CPU teammates were doing so much. This brings me to my second point.....

2. The game starts out real slow and its going to feel as if your teammates (CPU) is doing all the work. I would frequently get lost trying to keep up with them. But after the first mission things get crazy and really difficult (keep in mind im playing on the easiest setting)...

there will be more enemies, you'll hear bullets zip past your face, ppl screaming and moaning as they die, Rocket propelled grenades flying over your head... the sounds from the air planes zipping by will send chills down your spine (seriously)... Keep in mind I have no type of surround system, no 1080p TV, none of that crap. Just a simple 20inch TV.

3. The story line is just dope! Your playing two stories/characters at a time and it keeps going back and forth (make sure you stay focused cuz its easy to get lost on whats going on). I have not completed the game but so far it seems that there can be several outcomes to certain situations depending on how you play the mission. I will def have to replay this game about 3-4 more times...

CONS:
1. This is not really a con, but I've gotten so used to Gears of war style of cover and shoot... Their blind-shot shooting is dope. COD4 approaches it different. It's just too real (which is a good thing actually!)


2. I sometimes have difficult distinguishing teammates from enemies. on the second mission where you have to rescue the Russian snitch, you'll see exactly what im talking about... I dont have a 1080 TV, so maybe my TV just sucks? DONT FORGET TO USE THOSE NIGHT VISION GOGGLES!!!!


3. The game gets increasingly difficult and im playing on the easiest level! I can only imagine what its like playing on VETERAN.. whoa..

OVERALL- im not a hardcore gamer and I cannot judge this game based off the previous 3 installations because I never played them. But i wll say that out of the box, COD4 is simply amazing. The storyline is constantly twisting and turning. Anybody who does not like this game simply has mental problems. period.

Just a quick review, been playing for two days.
1. great story
2. best graphics yet
3. great audio track
4. responsive controls
5. first game that reminded me of "playing army" when I was a little kid
6. online is a lot of fun

First of all, this is a fanTAStic game overall with outstanding realism. As a licensed gun dealer, former law enforcement officer, and former US Army infantry, I can verify that this is as real as it gets. Five Stars for game play, realism, sound effects, ballistics, etc., etc.

The only problem for me was the complete lack of any documentation, gaming guide, manual, etc. I'm admittedly a newbie to PS3 gaming. This is my first, and I am handicapped by not being born with a PS3 controller in my little hands. It takes a lot of practice to move and shoot with the required fluid and instinctive motion (not in real life, but with a PS3 controller). I could find no game information on the DVD, in the packaging, or on the Activision or Infinity Ward web sites, something I think is inexcusable.

Thank heaven there are game sites that have great information, but mostly directed to strategy and cheats. What a newbie like me needs is basic information about the game and what to do in general.

To the rescue is the BradyGames Official Strategy Guide. It provides invaluable information to a new player like me and great strategy and intel info that can lead to bonus features, a great advabtage to even the hard core gamers. The strategies and some intel info are available for free on some of the web sites, but it's nice to have a hard copy to pick up while the game is paused to figure out what the heck is going on. A great value for about $15 but something the publisher should have provided with the DVD.

I've read that some players were disappointed in how short the game is. That may be true for a dedicated and experienced gamer, but for me it took over two months of playing an hour a day to complete the game, so if you're not a full time gamer, the program should prove to be quite entertaining and quite a challenge, even at the Recruit level. At the rate I've been going it will be years before I can play at the Vetran level, so a great value for $59.

OVERVIEW:
Call of Duty 4 is an amazing game that truely defines the genre. The game takes place in a modern times instead of World War 2 like in previous games. The story revolves around a war that never happened that involves ultranationalists, terrorists, and nukes. The game is viewed in first person perspective and never goes into a third person view.
GAMEPLAY:
Call of Duty 4 plays great. The controlls feel tight and responsive and the action is frantic and demanding. The intense firefights in every level make the game an entertaining expierience the whole way through. There is a good variety of weapons ranging from AK-47's and M16's to M5's and Javelins. The AI is great and when you play on the harder levels it can be frustrating trying to kill your enemies. Also, this Call of Duty adds some interesting gameplay mechanics. For example, now you can shoot through materials like wood, sheet metal, and walls and the bullets will still damage opponents. This game is great in the gameplay area.
GRAPHICS
To sum it up this game looks incredible. In some of the nighttime levels it almost looks photorealistic. The character models look great and the levels are realistic. The weapons are exactly the same as their real life counterparts and the game runs at 60 frames per second. Any framerate hitches were not noticed and I expierienced no slowdown while playing the game.
SOUND
The sound in Call of Duty is the strongest point right next to gameplay. The weapons sound realistic and with surround sount it sounds like your actually on a battlefield. Squadmates will yell their positions and if they are outnumbered. The enemy will yell in their native languages. The background music is not the best I've heard in a game but it is still very good. All of the sound effects are great.
MULTIPLAYER
The multiplayer in Call of Duty 4 is exceptionally well done. With the abilily to make your own classes, enhance your weapons, and complete the weapon specific challenges COD 4 online feels somewhat RPG like. The action is faced paced in multiplayer and you seem to die fast. However you can see who killed you with the kill cam feature. After you die you see the aiming reticule of the person who killed you and it gives you an instant replay of your demise. There are alot of gameplay modes including your standard Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag but there are also many other modes you will probably want to try. The only concern I have with multiplayer is that occasionally it will take up to a half-hour to get into a party. This sometimes doesn't happen and it depends how many people are playing the game. The game also supports 4-player split-screen and LAN games.
REPLAYABILITY
With the single-player campaing lasting around 5-6 hours COD 4 is not a super long game. However, even if you don't have a PSN account its still worth a buy. Everytime you play the enemy acts different to different tactics and cover options. Everytime you play through it will be like fighting entirely new battles. Then you could spend forever playing multiplayer. So COD 4 scores well in this area.
PROS
Amazing visualls
top-notch gameplay
stellar multiplayer
engaging story
sound is great
CONS
Single player campaign is a little bit short
No co-op

This is the latest, and in my opinion, the best in the Call of Duty series. Taking a shot at modern conflict this time rather than replaying old World War II fights. This game pulls no punches, the story is well defined and flows easily. The settings are realistic, though a bit repetitive (have I seen this barn before?).

What's Good:
-Graphics. This game is beautiful in 720p HD, crisp clear and sharp, just like you would expect from a third generation game console.
-Sound. The audio is incredible and more so in Surround. There are times, like during multiple explosions with jets flying over, where it seems to just mash together, but single sniper shots and running gunfights sound real enough to make you duck.
-Gameplay. There is an incredible variety of weapons to choose from. From the M4 SOPMOD to the G3, R700 sniper rifle and the AK-47u. The addition of claymores, flashbang grenades, and C-4 charges adds further dimension to the game. Nothing is as satisfying as hearing the distinct click of a claymore followed by the explosion and wild cries of the dying. The controls are intuitive, easy to learn and master as well as being straightforward (I hate games that use the R3 or L3 buttons for tasks that you do all the time, like ducking). The one downside is that you won't have access to some of the weapons unless you play multiplayer (the .50cal SNiper rifle for example) and some weapons appear rarely in the story mode (can we get some love for the P-90 please?).

What's Bad:
-Replay. Once you beat the game on any difficulty level you unlock arcade mode, which is fun, but is essentially the same game only with time limits and life limits. So you get maybe 2 replays through the game before it becomes repetitive. Its fun trying to get really high scores on Arcade mode, but after a while you learn where to go and what to do to take maximum advantage of the scenario. Sure there is some variety on the higher difficulty levels (like adding BMP's in some stages or additional troops/helicopters). This is truly a multiplayer game. If you are looking for something to play solo for a while, this game will probably bore you after a few hours.
-Story. Now this is a touchy issue. I'm in the military so I am not badmouthing the armed forces. The story is well written and defined, but it can also be interpreted as a bit slanted. Every arabic person you meet in the game is an enemy trying to stab you or shoot you. It would have been more realistic if they had added a few arab nationalists who were not bloodthirsty terrorists. As a soldier who has served in Iraq/Kuwait I would say that the view thrust forward in the game could be called politically incorrect. The majority of people in that region are peaceful, law abiding people who want to see an end to this as much as anyone.

COD 4 is a much better and more realistic game than Ghost Recon 2. The only thing it lacks is length. I think they could have had another mission. There are a few different bad guys out there that they could have put in the game. After 6 hours of gameing the story ended. The game itself was very realistic, made me feel I was back in Iraq sometimes.
The little mission after all the credits is probably the funnest mission of the game. There should be more of those in the game next time. So once you beat this game let the credits roll through there is one more mission after the credits.

Just a post script on my last review, you CAN turn off the chat voices. During the match hit 'select' then move the cursor over the little punk who's voice is annoying you and hit 'X', their voice icon should change to black, and presto, no more swearing, bragging, etc. You can do this to multiple players at once, it helps when playing with some of the 10 year old mamma's boys that jabber constantly.