Outstanding!
CoD4 was started in earnest around the same time CoD2 wrapped at Infinity Ward's studios, and it really shows. Players are treated to a terrifyingly realistic ride with the threat of global domination and nuclear disaster weighing heavy. You'll assume the roles of three brave Western soldiers; two SAS guys and one rock-hard US Marine.
It's War
The way that the scarily feasible story is told gives you some appreciation as to the level of research and planning that goes into a game such as CoD4. Expertly played out over 19 incredibly intense levels, the single-player campaign delivers an experience that you'll want to replay more than once. There are four difficulty settings to choose from the outset, and depending on how your rookie SAS training times fare, you'll be given a suggestion as to which is appropriate. Things get significantly harder when the step from "regular" to "hardened" is taken, and you'll need more than a steady aim and a guardian angel to survive on "veteran."
CoD4's mechanics are superb. The sense of aiming down your gun's barrel and unloading a full clip into an enemy feels perfect. The sense of impact behind a well-placed shot or three and the sense of danger as you try to bail out of the blast radius of a frag grenade is amazing. The game moves at a pace that's determined by you; online matches are likely to be speedy sprinting affairs while the single-player content could consist of taking a slow sniper approach. It's really up to you how you play. A wide variety of real-world weapons like M16 and AK47 assault rifles, MP5 and Mini-Uzi sub machine guns, shotguns, light machine guns and sniper rifles comprise the game's arsenal, as well as tertiary weapons like frag, stun, smoke and flash grenades.
Advanced techniques like learning how to use bullet penetration through surfaces come into play too; there's no other feeling like gunning down a guy that you just saw duck into an outhouse for cover simply by riddling the wall with light machine gun fire. Combat just feels right; most other games in the FPS genre just don't achieve the same levels of competency, but Modern Warfare is about as solid a shooter as we've seen.
While the average shooter fan will be able to clear the offline content in around 7-8 hours (more if you select harder settings), the online multiplayer game offers near-unlimited replay value. The combination of both a superb single-player story and the flawless online gameplay make CoD4 hands-down one of the best games to ship this year.
Perky
The genius behind the competitive online play is threefold. First, the leveling system employed (based on xp for kills, completed objectives, etc.) makes you feel like your character is really progressing as you play. Secondly, the "Create a Class" feature lets you tweak various aspects of your online persona, allowing free choice of currently unlocked weapons, grenades, explosives and perks. Thirdly, the perk system provides another level of customization and gives you the chance to experiment with different special and unique combat abilities.
You'll be able to take your online character all the way to level 55 by playing a variety of excellent game types. These range from familiar modes such as Free-for-all, Team Deathmatch and Domination, to more exotic modes like Search and Destroy, Headquarters and even Old School and Hardcore. Hardcore removes all of your HUD and increases the amount of damage you take from enemy fire. Old School lets you jump twice as high as normal and you'll be able to soak up more damage; perks and weapons become icon-based drops scattered around the maps.
