Best Call of Duty Game Yet
I have been following the Call of Duty series since the first game, released back in 2003. I have always played them on the PC and was disappointed when Call of Duty 3 was released on consoles only. I was afraid one of my favorite series had been lost to the consoles, but thankfully COD4 made its way to the PC this time around.
I was afraid when I heard that COD4 would not be set in World War 2, but rather in a series of fictional, modern-day conflicts. I feared it would lose that special touch that let me know I was, in fact, playing Call of Duty. That was not the case however, as there are plenty of cinematic moments offered in this latest installment to the COD series.
Call of Duty 4 places the player in the combat boots of Sgt. Soap McTavish, Sgt. Paul Jackson, and we even get to play a bit as Lt. Price. Anyone who has played the previous Call of Duty games knows who Lt. Price is, our infamous British friend. I thought it was neat of the designers to carry him over from the WW2 setting to the new one.
On to the game itself...
Call of Duty 4's graphics are simply amazing. My rig is by no means special (Athlon 64 3500+, Nvidia 7600GS, 1.5gb RAM), but I was able to play at medium-low settings with a stable FPS of 30-35. The lighting in the game is awesome. The picture all over Gamespot of Cpt. Price smoking his cigar in the chopper shows the attention to detail the designers have put into both the lighting and all other aspects of the game graphically.
Call of Duty 4's gameplay really reminds me of a COD game. It still feels like the run and gun shooter the past games were, yet it still retains a "realistic" feel. What I mean by that is one can't just run out into a hail of machine gun fire, but the game is able to keep the fast pace with its health system. COD4 uses the system seen in games like Halo; stay out of combat for a few seconds and the player's health regenerates. I love the different settings of the game. The player gets to fight all over the world, from the middle east, to Russia, in both outdoor, urban, and inside environments. The constantly changing setting keeps the game fresh and I never felt like I was in the same place twice.
The game keeps true to the COD series, with many scripted events and not a lot of room to stray from the intended way to play the mission. I think this works best however, as it helps create a cinematic environment. I actually felt like I was in the game, even right from the start. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but in the very first mission of the game, I thought my character was going to die on a ship. I won't give anything more away, but the scripted events are used expertly in COD4. Be aware, the sniper mission is quite possibly one of the best levels ever designed for a first person shooter. It ranks up there with Medal of Honor: Allied Assault's Omaha Beach mission. The feel of the mission is incredible. Your teammate is realistic and I truly felt like I was playing with another human.
The sounds of the game are very well done. You can hear bullets snap and whiz as they just narrowly miss the player. The soundtrack is generally well done. I thought a couple of times the music was annoying, but I think music is more a matter of personal preference.
I didn't spend much time with the multiplayer portion of the game. I have never been a fan of the series' MP aspects. I know a ton of people are enjoying it though, and the few times I have played, the game has been stable with little lag. If you are interested in knowing more about the MP game, I suggest reading some of the other player reviews, or the GS official review.
It was unfortunate the game was so short. The SP game is 6-8 hours at most. I wish it was a little longer, but I had a blast playing the entire time. What little there is, is quite good, as the saying goes. Maybe change that good to amazingly awesome and it fits better.
COD4 is an amazing experience and a sure bet to add to any gamer's collection.
