Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360)

First published 29 February, 2008 | 2 Comments

After a quick and deadly little campaign I have finished "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" on the Xbox 360. Two aspects of the game really stood out for me. Firstly, it looked awesome, the graphics were detailed and life like. Secondly, moving the Call of Duty series into a modern setting was a very good decision. This allowed you to play through scenarios similar to those you may see occasionally on the world news, as well as the opportunity to give the modern weaponry a run.

The main story takes place in the very near future, during a fictional conflict between the combined forces of the US and England, against Russian Ultranationalists and Middle Eastern rebels. The story itself is an interesting one, and at times takes some unexpected turns.

You play as either a British SAS guy (throughout the European missions) or a US marine (in the Middle East missions).There's also a flashback mission set 15 years prior to the events in the game, played out at Chernobyl.

Gameplay wise, not much has changed compared to previous Call of Duty outings. It's run, aim, shoot, duck, shoot, run, aim, shoot. Lets face it, the Call of Duty franchise is firmly entrenched in the first person shooter (FPS) genre, there's only so much you can do with that set up.

What sets this game apart from countless other FPS games is the attention to detail, the atmosphere it generates, and the "realism". For example, you can't just charge into a room full of bad guys holding down the trigger. You'll last about 10 seconds if that's your strategy. The best way to get through the game is to advance, clearing each area as you go, paying attention to what the rest of your squad is doing.

If I have one complaint with Call of Duty 4 it is that the game itself is a little short. It leaves you wanting more, but then, perhaps, that was the game makers strategy.

Overall, this is the best traditional FPS I have played since I first played Halo 2. I'd rate it on a par with the rock-on awesomeness of Gears of War. Now I'm just saving for Halo 3 to see how that stacks up.