Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Rod Oracheski on 11.20.2007
Short, but sweet, with a good deal of multiplayer-based added value.
After mining the World War II era pretty thoroughly across three major releases (plus a slew of games that were offshoots or expansions), the Call of Duty series has made the jump to present day with the latest release: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
Infinity Ward, creators of both the original Call of Duty as well as Call of Duty 2 (an Xbox 360 launch title), are back on board for this release. Treyarch, responsible for many of the franchise's minor releases, handled the decent-but-not-spectacular Call of Duty 3.
Having the original development team back on board made gamers set their expectations high, with the hype escalating after E3's trailer presentation and then again as a result of the Xbox Live-exclusive multiplayer beta.
Does Infinity Ward have the chops to translate their World War II success to modern day?
Let's find out.
Gameplay: Single-player (spoiler-free)
As is the norm for the Call of Duty franchise, gamers are slotted into a variety of roles through the course of the game. At various points gamers will be put into the boots of Sgt. John "Soap" MacTavish of the British 22nd SAS Regiment or Sgt. Paul Jackson of the USMC 1st Force Recon. There are a few other personas: playing as a nameless and faceless gunner aboard an AC-130 gunship is the most interesting of the lot, but they all have one thing in common - they contribute to a single storyline.
In past Call of Duty outings, gamers played through disparate story fragments, often jumping from storyline to storyline in a way that made for a less cohesive experience than it could have been. That's largely been fixed this time around, and Call of Duty 4 offers up a story with a number of shocking moments that includes multiple character viewpoints, yet still feels very much like a single narrative.
If past games in the series were like TV show Heroes, jumping around continually to keep the entire cast in the mind of gamers and losing some emotional attachment as a result, then Call of Duty 4 is more like a movie - there are some jumps, but they all contribute to the story without detracting from its impact.
As with games like Half-Life and Half-Life 2, much of the game's storyline is done using in-game exposition as opposed to cutscenes. It's a technique that proves powerful during several of the game's key moments, really driving home the events taking place. It's during these 'what's going on' sequences that the total package of the game's graphics and audio really come together to make for a movie-like experience.
Having been revised over multiple releases, the game controls extremely well. Clicking the Left Stick to sprint works well, though it can be easily toggled on during the game's more frantic moments. Cooking grenades by holding the bumper in is decently implemented, with the reticle pulsing as a timer, though it can be hard to judge in the heat of battle. With enemies that are big fans of throwing grenades back to their source, especially on higher difficulty levels, it becomes an important skill to master.
There are a few negatives to the game, largely issues that have plagued the series from the start. Chief among them is the notion that a million enemies can pack themselves into a 10x10 room, continually running out as you mow down their predecessors until you cross an arbitrary line that shuts down that spawn point and moves it somewhere else. This is particularly frustrating on harder difficulty settings, doubly so when combined with another legacy issue: irregular checkpoints.
While Call of Duty 4 doles out checkpoints at fairly regular intervals, it seems like the game doesn't like rewarding them when there are enemies around. When you put that together with eternally spawning enemies, it can make levels more difficult than intended - the level near the end of the game called 'No Fighting in the War Room' is a particularly nasty example.
There are also a few game-breaking glitches, though they are thankfully rare and appear to be broken AI scripts for friendly NPC's. In 'No Fighting in the War Room' there's a sequence where an NPC will wave the gamer toward the door that leads to the next section of the level. Occasionally they will be stuck in the waving animation, never opening the door.
A problem may also crop up on the 'Heat' level, where you lead the way down a hill to the waiting exit helicopter. Even if gamers clear the field of enemies and advance past the line that stops them from spawning and starts the next wave, the NPC members of the company will sometimes stay put at the start point, frustratingly refusing to move while still regularly shouting things like "WE NEED TO GET GOING!"
The biggest knock against the single-player campaign, aside from the 'may happen, may not' bugs, is that it's almost criminally short. Played on less than the Veteran difficulty, the game can be beaten in six hours or less. Once the game is beaten once, Arcade mode is unlocked. This mode gives a limited number of lives and keeps score 'old-school' style, with killing shots yielding an amusing explosion of score bonuses from the fallen foe. This mode might not be for everyone, but it has a certain appeal to those that strive for high scores in a game.
In another 'old-school' throwback nod, there are also cheats available in the game, activated from the cheat menu that appears once the game is beaten on any difficulty. Cheats within the menu are unlocked by finding pieces of enemy intel during the game, with cheats for finding 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, and 30 intel locations. These range from having the game appear in black and white, making frag grenades into cluster bombs, and unlocking infinite ammunition.
Gameplay: Multiplayer
Where Call of Duty 3 had a leveling up system, it was confined to specific battles. While you could gain the ability to do things like call in air strikes it was lost once the battle was done, and you were back to square one for the next round of fighting. That returns this time around, with three kills in a row earning the ability to call in a UAV. This spots enemy positions, plotting their location at the time of the 'sweep' on the minimap, for 30 seconds. A five-kill string earns the ability to call in an air strike - obviously something that benefits from having the UAV functional. A seven-kill string brings out a friendly attack helicopter, though in large-population games this craft has a remarkably short lifespan.
In addition, Infinity Ward added in an almost RPG-like progression system - one that is persistent from battle to battle, and applies not only to the gamer but also to the weapons they use.
Gamers 'level' their character primarily by winning battles and killing enemies. There are also challenges to complete, both character- and weapon-specific. Character-specific challenges include Marathon (sprint 26 miles) and Crouch Shoot or Prone Shoot (killing enemies while in specific stances), and reward gamers with experience. Weapon-specific challenges revolve solely around killing, and reward both experience and equipment at completion. Kill 25 enemies with the M16, for example, and earn experience as well as unlocking the Red Dot Sight. This also opens up the next level of challenge, which offers up a new reward. Each weapon has three levels of challenge, in two categories: kills and headshots.
As they gain experience, gamers will find themselves advancing through the ranks, with a max rank of 55, unlocking new features and weapons along the way. At the max rank, gamers can choose to reset to first level, with an indicator that shows they're now on their second time through the ranks. This can be done five times in total.
Those with less time on their hands can look forward to rank four, when the option to Create-a-Class is unlocked. This gives gamers the option of setting up to five loadouts of weaponry and Perks to go into battle with, in addition to the default class settings. Perks are the character traits that define the class, with more unlocked as higher ranks are achieved. There are three ranks of perks, with each focusing on a different aspect and containing multiple levels of power.
The first level of Perks revolves largely around explosives, including the ability to carry three more frag grenades, use C4, or use Claymore mines. There's also the Bomb Squad Perk, which allows gamers to spot explosives more easily, and the Bandolier Perk that grants increased ammunition carrying capacity. Claymores tend to be a popular choice for those who take up residence in a building, while Bandolier is more popular with the spray-n-pray crowd. C4, while often overlooked, is excellent for ambushes - particularly when triggered by a double-tap on the reload button, so the gamer isn't left defenseless while they wait for targets to hit the killzone.
The second level of Perks focuses more on improving character abilities directly. Juggernaut grants increased health, while Sleight of Hand makes reloading happen far faster. There's also UAV Jammer, which prevents the UAV from picking up the player, though firing a weapon will still betray location unless it's had a silencer attached, and Overkill, which allows gamers to carry two primary weapons instead of a primary and secondary (pistol). Two perks at this level, Stopping Power and Sonic Boom, instead enhance the weaponry carried - bumping up the damage done by bullets or explosives, respectively. Choices at this level of Perk are more difficult and can depend on the map. UAV Jammer is an excellent choice for those who want to go heavy on silenced weapons, as enemies can become too focused on the minimap when their UAV is active. Juggernaut and Stopping Power are both solid picks as well, while the reload bonus offered by Sleight of Hand can be tough to overlook on the heavier weapons. Overkill sounds overpowered, but the appeal of two primary weapons doesn't bear fruit on every map - that power often goes unused.
The third level of Perks is again focused primarily on improving the character, with Extreme Conditioning (sprint longer), Steady Aim (more accurate hip shooting), Iron Lungs (hold your breath longer as a sniper), and Dead Silence (make less sound when moving). There's also a touch of weapon improvement at this level with the overused Deep Impact, which allows bullets to penetrate thicker materials than normal. Last Stand and Martyrdom round out the list, both taking place once the gamer takes lethal damage. With Last Stand active, gamers drop to their back and pull out their pistol. Death is staved off for only a few seconds until bleeding out, but it offers the chance to exact revenge on the enemy. Martyrdom is similar in intent, dropping a primed grenade on your body. With this Perk active, gamers will often see the +10 of an enemy death appear on their screen as they respawn. This is another level with tough choices to make, and though Martyrdom is tough to beat it's likely Dead Silence will make an appearance on some stealth-based builds.
It's almost disappointing that there are only five custom class slots, as the game's 16 maps and multitude of game types call for a wider range of loadout freedom. There's a decent variety of levels, ranging from small maps for low-population play all the way up to large maps for the 18-player encounters, and having more variety in the custom classes would make for less scrambling before the match begins. The level design is a mish-mash of quality, with maps like Crash, Ambush, and Backlot that offer a good variety of open-field encounters, building-to-building fighting, and multiple routes through the chaos. Then there are maps like Bloc and Countdown, which don't feel as well laid out. Bloc, for example, features opposing apartment buildings with an open courtyard between - wasted space as it's a killing ground that nobody dares to enter. Games on that map wind up being unsatisfying assaults on a room or two that the enemy holes up in, or building-to-building sniping encounters. The killcam, where those killed can see where the shot came from, eliminates the ability to find a good spot to snipe from, even for those who go with a stealth build and sneak into the middle ground to pick off enemies from a normally empty vantage point.
The spawn system needs some work, as often a player will be killed and respawn nearby, only to be shot again. This is mostly a problem that crops up in Free For All play, but team battles have their own spawn issues. Being killed by an air strike and spawning in the middle of it again, an issue that happens in both single and team battles, seems unnecessarily punitive. Still, they are relatively minor problems that can, hopefully, be rectified by an update down the road.
Graphics
Call of Duty 4 offers a stunning package graphically. The proprietary engine offers a variety of effects, from advanced lighting and shadowing effects to the increasingly overused depth of field effect. Fortunately the effect is well utilized here, particularly when sighting down the barrel of a weapon, and doesn't detract from the experience. Even in the heat of battle, framerate drops are rare and the battle flows along at a breakneck pace.
In the single-player campaign, gamers will be treated to levels that are highly detailed, if somewhat linear and limited in scope. Often there will be artificial barriers put in the way, a roll of barbed wire that's stretched out as the player approaches, for example, only to have it removed later when it's time to move that way.
There are a variety of small details here that combine into great presentation: the ability to hide in the grass, the animation of allies and enemies, the reaction of both bodies and environmental objects to explosions. It all comes together to create a very solidly presented environment. Looking over a meadow, then calling in an air strike and seeing it disappear under a veil of fire and smoke is an outstanding experience - even if the bombing leaves the field untouched after the excellent smoke effects have cleared. Maybe next time around, or next-gen, there'll be environmental degradation.
Audio
Call of Duty 4 offers up the best audio quality of the series, particularly for those with a surround sound system. Explosions and gunfire will echo from all sides during firefights, adding a considerable amount to the already impressive presentation. Weapon effects are well done, and the vocal work is similarly solid. There could be more variety in the various shouts of enemies and allies alike though, something that can become grating when replaying sections of the more challenging missions over and over on harder difficulty levels.
Lasting Appeal
As stated, the single-player campaign is short enough to be an issue for offline gamers, even though what's there is top quality stuff. The Arcade mode adds some replay value, but it's a bit disappointing that there's no co-op play, something that's really come into its own as a feature that should be standard in a first-person shooter (FPS) game. Higher levels of difficulty, where the combination of ever-spawning enemies and infrequent checkpoints cause some frustration, can also make the offline game seem a bit limited.
Gamers that are into multiplayer at all will find a good deal of depth here. With 16 maps and a slew of gameplay types (though some are locked at the outset), there's a considerable amount of variety to be found. Games are simple to set up, with a party system that's no problem at all to work with. The online community has largely been good, though as always there are a few players that it's best to just mute and forget.
Fun Factor
The single-player campaign, though short, offers up some amazing moments. The Arcade mode is a nice diversion, and the ability to turn on cheats that are largely aimed at making the game more fun is a nice bonus. Multiplayer is a blast, especially when you find a good group to party up with.
The 411
Though the FPS genre is a crowded one on the 360, Call of Duty 4 carves out its own niche near the top. I've already had several experiences during matches where I cursed the lack of Halo 3's Saved Films feature, something I hope can find its way into the almost inevitable Call of Duty 5. The time I stuck two packets of C4 to the ceiling of a popular camping spot and wiped out the entirety of the other team with a single explosion? Boy I wish I could show you that...
While it's short, the single-player campaign is worth experiencing, though if you're one of those devoutly offline gamers it might be enough to just give this one a rent.
Graphics
9.5
Impressive visuals backed by a solid framerate. Some muddy textures, but overall a really solid visual experience.
Gameplay
9.0
Great controls, but there are a lot of legacy issues here like infinite enemy respawns and one rare, but game-breaking, bug that drag it down.
Sound
9.5
Great weapon effects are matched by great vocal work. Solid surround effects, if you have a 5.1 (or better) system.
Lasting Appeal
9.0
The campaign is extremely short, but the Arcade mode will add some replay for offline gamers. If you're into online play, bump this to the 10.
Fun Factor
9.5
A great storyline makes this one a solid pickup even if you're not into multiplayer action. The higher difficulty levels seem a bit frustrating because of design, but overall it's a good time.
