Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Perhaps it doesn't revolutionize the way first-person shooters are supposed to be played, but nonetheless Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is perhaps the best representation of what modern-day shooters are supposed to be; "Point and Shoot" is the name of the game, but with tight controls, outstanding visuals, a frame-rate that hardly breaks no matter how much chaos is going on screen, a gripping and intuitive story-line, this shooter certainly stands out.

I personally haven't played the online mode, but only because I've been busy going over the single player campaign-- that ALTHOUGH may be short (depending on what difficulty you play on), it just never seems to get old each time you play through it, or even selecting an individual mission. Don't be surprised to open the manual and find that it's probably the thinnest you've seen in a while amongst nex-gen games, however there's really not much to learn here-- the controls are as mentioned easy to pick up, and to play the game (especially if you've already played most shooters), getting into the action shouldn't take much time.

Gameplay is fast-paced shooting and you'll realize there's hardly a dull moment in any level you play (unless you camp in a corner away from the action...but watch for the grenades). Objectives are some-what linear, but accomplishing them is what takes the "Kingdom Hearts 2" effect away from it. You can also search around levels to find enemy intel, which sometimes takes some thinking and sometimes not-- adds to replayability and not to mention unlock cheats.

Graphics are more than impressive. Just looking at the weapons almost makes you feel like you're holding one. Levels are well designed with a natural feel as if things should be where they are. Frame rate seems to be a good 30-40 frame per second, and handles extremely well when there's stuff blasting, bullets chasing through the air and hitting objects (that will ricochet and injure you too).

Sound is just sick. You gotta hear this game. Every battle is believable (from far away or nearby), every gun fired sounds like it would do some serious damage.

Story line is a brilliant depictation of warfare, and I respect it for being realistic (although in a ficticious backing) and that's one reason why I hold such a high bar for playing this game. There are some levels I just don't want to play due to the story as a matter of fact, but regardless the story is brilliantly written.

The game is much larger when you incorporate the Multiplayer into it, but as I've said I haven't played it and I'm not sure when I will. However, I'm sure there are other reviews that capitalize on it. Overall, Call of Duty 4 is a very impressive game that rightfully deserves it's place as one of the greatest games ever made. Period.