Realistic military first-person shooter
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare is a fast-paced military first-person shooter game. It’s no exaggeration to say that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare changed the world of gaming when it was first released in 2007. Now over ten years old, Call of Duty 4 shows no signs of showing its age. Infinity Ward’s masterwork combines simple but solid gameplay with an undeniably cool premise. Whether you’re fighting to stop global nuclear annihilation in the campaign mode or taking out opponents on the online battlefield, Call of Duty 4 is a must-play.
A genre-defining masterpiece
When Call of Duty 4 first came out in 2007, it took the gaming world by storm. Previously, the Call of Duty franchise had been relegated to the battlefields of World War II. Call of Duty 4 was the first game to take the fight into the modern era.
Old WWII bolt action rifles and steel helmets were replaced with assault rifles and night-vision goggles. Airstrikes, attack choppers, and guided missiles all completely redefined the world of first-person shooters.
The game’s setting wasn’t the only aspect to receive an upgrade. The graphics also received a major overhaul, and still hold up against some current-generation titles. Modern Warfare does have a remastered version, but the original’s graphics are still on par with the remaster. The same can be said for almost everything else about Call of Duty 4.
Despite being over a decade old, the game still holds up and remains a must-play for any gamer, whether you’re a more serious player or just playing for fun.
Pulse-pounding story mode
Central to the Modern Warfare experience is the game’s campaign mode. The intense storyline feels worthy of a Tom Clancy novel and addresses themes that are still relevant in today’s world.
As the main character, you’ll take on the role of Soap McTavish, a rookie soldier in the elite British Special Air Service. Despite his rookie status, Soap soon finds himself completing high-risk black ops missions and racing against a plot that could spark World War 3.
You’ll meet legendary characters like Captain Price and take on iconic missions that have earned an unforgettable spot in the gaming world. For example, donning a ghillie suit and stealthily creeping through the eerie ruins of Chernobyl to assassinate a target is an experience that no player will soon forget. It’s not as true-to-life as, for example, the ARMA series, but the plot still feels vivid and real.
Once you pick up the controller, you won’t want to put it down until the credits roll. You won’t want to stop at one playthrough, either.
The game offers collectible Intel items that will unlock a whole host of classic gaming cheat codes that will make you want to start another campaign immediately. A silent-film style camera filter and Matrix-esque bullet-time mode are only a few of COD 4’s available easter eggs.
The gold standard for multiplayer
Though it might not have the same depth as more recent entries in the series, Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer action still offers fast-paced, addicting gameplay. Online multiplayer employs a now-standard formula for online shooters. It’s more of an arcade-style experience than the gameplay in the rival Battlefield franchise.
As you play and rack up kills, you’ll level up your character and get access to better guns, perks, and other rewards. You do so while playing classic game modes like free-for-all and team deathmatch.
You’ll use more than your guns to increase your firepower. You can also customize your loadouts with perks that allow you to up your accuracy, increase your sprinting speed, and take more damage before going down.
Modern Warfare was also the first game in the franchise to introduce the iconic killstreak rewards. If you can chain together kills without dying, you can call in UAVs, airstrikes, and attack choppers to take out your enemies.
Despite being just as addictive as the campaign, Modern Warfare’s multiplayer does have a few flaws. The majority of the player base has moved on to other games in the series like Black Ops, leaving the servers a bit bare.
The leveling system also gets repetitive as you progress to higher levels. There’s only so many times you can prestige your character before it gets stale, and the rewards for doing so aren’t all that substantial.
An essential classic for any gamer
Whether you’re new to the series or one of the many devoted Call of Duty fans looking to return to your roots, Call of Duty is worth the download, and is just as good as the newer remastered version.
It’s rare that a game this old will still hold its own against current-generation titles, especially when it’s no longer receiving updates or new content. However, COD 4 is one of those once-in-a-generation games that will be sticking around for years to come.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the new action-thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward, the creators of the Call of Duty® series, delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever.
Armed with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern day firepower, players are transported to treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world. As both a U.S Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy and communication are essential to victory.
The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay.