Developers: Infinity Ward
Platforms:  PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
Release date:  9th November 2007

Winner of over 40+ E3 awards says it all really!

Call of Duty is a very successful franchise, one of the top dogs in the first person shooter genre with every release to date.  Previous releases have always focused on Word War 1 & 2.  This latest release tries to push the Call of Duty franchise on to the modern battlefield providing you with up to date weapons and tactics.  Will Activision fall short with this leap of faith, or is Modern Warfare set to be the next best thing for FPS fans worldwide?

Graphics and Presentation

The menu screen is very dark, grey scale in colour with a very simple but effective looking interface.  The background consists of the outline of a kitted out soldier with an animated smoke or mist.  This effect combined with the music creates a very eerie and daunting atmosphere.  Menu specific options are presented on the right hand side of the screen as opposed to the left, making it clear for you to alter settings and switch between the different types of settings.

As PC components can vary depending on the build of your machine graphic settings may need to be altered to enable your copy of the game to run smoothly.  The game provides you with an option to set all properties to the optimal settings for your machine, allowing you to get the best performance possible.  These settings can be changed individually if you’re unhappy with the results. Always check your system specifications against the games minimum system requirements.  If you do not at least meet the minimum requirements then your system may be unable to play the game.

If you are lucky enough to have a system that meets the minimum system requirements then you’re in for a treat.  Call of Duty Modern warfare offers the best graphics the franchise has seen to date without a sacrifice in performance.  Enjoy beautiful dynamic lighting whether it’s from the explosion of an RPG or the faint red tint of a warning light against the metallic surface of a sinking ship.  Character models are superbly textured along with detailed faces.  Rural environments are lush with realistic looking vegetation and the more urban settings are full of rubble and burnt out vehicles.

Sound

Firstly I have to mention the voice-overs.  This game has some of the best voice acting I have heard from any game let alone the FPS genre.  You can really hear strong accents, these do not sound fake unlike many other titles this really adds to the realism.  You can also hear true signs of fear and emotion in character voices.

Weapon sound effects are very crisp and cut through any ambient noise that may be occurring.  Everything from footsteps to the tell tale sound of helicopter blades seem accurate and clear.

Soundtracks really do a great job of adding to the tension and increasing intensity during action packed sequences.

Gameplay

You will start Call of Duty Modern Warfare as a new recruit to the British SAS and form an elite squad.  First you must complete your basic training course, a clever way of incorporating a tutorial into the story of the game.  The training course covers all game aspects such as shooting, movement, weapon selection and even abseiling.  The results of this training course will even recommend a difficulty setting, and once the training is complete an in game option is then presented to you, which will allow you to choose from all the available difficulty settings.

The first mission really submerses you in to the action, as you must escape from a sinking ship as it contorts, twists, and breaks apart around you.  It really showcases all the physics and graphical prowess modern warfare has to offer and will leave you with a strong hunger for more.  However the developers don’t use all their tricks at once.  There are plenty more action packed sequences and events that will leave your mouth wide open.

During single player mode you are automatically assigned weapons by default at the start of each mission but existing weaponry can be swapped with any that may be lying around the map.  The weapons that are assigned to you are normally well suited for the mission and will serve you well in the scenarios thrown at you.

Game play always runs smoothly as long as your PC meets the system requirements.  The frames per second count seems to always be steady as a rock even when there are multiple vehicles, smoke effects and large numbers of AI on screen.  Loading times are average amongst games of this genre but you will often find them going un-noticed as mission briefings and intel reports are played during loading times.

Multiplayer extends the games playability life. Ranking systems and challenges add to the online experience allowing you to rank up and unlock new weapons and perks.  You can create custom player classes, which are basically save slots, for creating different weapon and perk layouts.  Perks range from claymore detection to extended sprint times.  These custom classes are great for creating unique playing experiences and relive a lot of bottleneck situations, which are a common occurrence with a lot of FPS titles.  The dynamic respawning positions also help relive this by keeping action constantly on the move.

Closing Comments

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a solid action packed first person shooter through and through. There is something for everybody here due to its story driven nature, which adds a sense of purpose to all the action.  If you have a system to handle the game then I’d suggest you buy Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare now.  The longer you leave it the longer you’re missing out on this epic adventure.
 

Ayden Thomas.