Infinity Ward returns to the franchise they created and brings it into
the present with its best entry yet. The gameplay is a little tweaked
and improved, but it isn't any leap forward there that makes it easily
my favorite in the series, it's all about the presentation. Previous
games were more or less historically based since they took place during
World War II, so there was little room for them to surprise you in any
meaningful way. But this one has its own storyline, one that manages to
be more interesting and emotionally affecting than I've ever expected a
war shooter to be. There are plot twists and tense cinematic moments,
including a sequence at the end of the first act that left me feeling
completely drained and in awe. They do a lot more to mix up your
objectives, and while there's still plenty of the same sort of huge
battles the series is known for, there are also some very fun quieter
moments, like playing as a sniper on a covert mission in a flashback
level.
Part of why it was so successful is it looks and sounds
so good. I'm not obsessed with graphics, but I disagree with anyone who
says they're not important. I can enjoy a game with bad graphics just
fine if it's fun, but if it looks amazing, there's simply more they can
do with it. The parts of Call of Duty 4 I love best simply couldn't be
pulled off in the first game's engine. You still see some tired video
game stuff like glowing outlines of where to place your explosives, but
in general it's an extremely immersive and fun shooter. The gunplay
isn't really much better than the field's, but it feels solid and works
just fine. Your abilities are a little expanded, with a nice knife
melee attack, quick access to multiple grenade types, and even the use
of air support in some levels. I haven't played too much multiplayer,
but it seems pretty cool, and I like the idea of leveling up as you
keep playing. It's a little disappointing to learn that Treyarch is
taking the fifth game back to World War II, but we'll see how that
turns out.
