They say war is hell. Infinity Ward's Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
takes you to the very depths of Hades. The long-awaited COD4, IW's
follow-up to the excellent Call of Duty 2, is a jarring, intense, and
gripping take on war in the new millennia. The enemies are smarter, the
weapons are deadlier, and the grenades all too plentiful. COD4 will
shake loose your fillings and have you begging for more.
Infinity Ward was born out of the success of retelling some of the
greatest battles in World War II. The company has become synonymous
with the virtual beach at Normandy. So it was quite a gamble to break
from the comfort zone of Nazi-occupied Europe and leap into present
day. The gamble paid off. Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and every other
military-based shooter has been put on notice. There is a new standard
to judge this sub-genre and it is Call of Duty 4.
The meticulous care IW took to faithfully recreate WWII-era weaponry
was also given to bringing modern armaments to life. Many of the
incredible tools of war used today come into play in COD4. You'll man
the weapons of the AC-130 Gunship, which flies above the battlefield
and fires 105mm rounds that decimate the enemy; make big explosions
with Javelin missiles, which drop straight down to hit the thinner top
armor of tanks; and cycle through a small arsenal of both light and
heavy guns featuring a variety of scopes and augmentations. With an
astonishing number of enemies in the field (half of whom seem to carry
rocket launchers), you are going to need every last bit of modern tech
to survive.
Unlike Infinity Ward's previous iterations of Call of Duty, Modern
Warfare tells one contiguous story. Though you will hop between
perspectives of the British S.A.S. and the U.S. Marines, each leap
continues the progression of a single storyline. It's an effective
tool. While the story itself--which revolves around stolen Russian
nukes and Mid-Eastern terrorists bent on destroying the Great Satan
(that's you and your grandma)--isn't exactly cutting edge, it's
enjoyable. And more importantly, IW finds ways to make you care for
every last one of your teammates. Of course, no good guys die in war,
right? There aren't so much "twists" as there are shocking moments in
the storyline. You may find yourself in disbelief not only at some of
the events that take place, but in the direct manner in which the most
startling moments are often told. There are a few too many
shell-shocked slow-mo moments that seem to drag to the point of almost
being frustrating, but credit Infinity Ward for not backing down from
wartime melodrama.
If you played the original Call of Duty or its sequel, then you will
have little trouble hopping into COD4. This is not a revolution of game
controls. Infinity Ward maintains its smart system of rewarding players
for aiming down the sight before firing; you can run from cover to
cover (an absolute necessity to survive the utter insanity in some of
the levels); you have a one-click melee attack; there are a few
highlighted spots that require a button press to interact with (how
else would one plant C4 on an AA gun?); and yes you can once again pick
up live grenades and throw them back at the enemy.
The real change comes in the combat. This is one intense shooter,
mainly because there are just so many enemies. And they are smarter
thanks to some refined AI. Granted, there are going to be moments when
enemies get stuck in dumb routines or stand in the open waiting to be
mowed down, but overall the bad guys prove themselves to be resourceful
and without mercy. Though a linear shooter that essentially funnels you
through corridors, there are a considerable number of side paths. These
almost always lead to flanking positions. If you do not flank the
enemy, rest assured they will flank you. Enemies usually know to stay
in cover. And they also know that you, being a well-trained soldier,
aren't going to fight in the open. That's why they fire RPGs and toss
so many damned grenades. They are trying to flush you out. And since
most cars explode and will kill you if you are standing beside them,
quite often you'll be forced to move.
Also, the enemy has access to perhaps the greatest weapon in modern
war: dogs. Yes, there are dogs in COD4 and they can be real bitches
(get it?). Dogs are a major pain in the ass. They don't have fear; they
don't worry about flanking you or dying by your bullets. They want one
thing: to rip out your throat. Often they will. Dogs move fast and
attack sometimes before you turn to see what all that barking's about.
If a dog attacks, you will hit the ground and enter one of the shortest
mini-games of all time. You have perhaps two seconds from the moment
you hit the ground to perform a melee attack and break the dog's neck.
Otherwise, the dog will rip out your throat. That means you die.
