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Change is always risky business. It can bring in a much needed breath of fresh air to an established franchise, or it can damage a long-time fan favourite beyond recognition.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat is definitely a step in the right direction, and manages to both make the series feel fresh while still retaining the elements that made the previous instalments so popular. The big change Infinity Ward (Call of Duty 1 & 2) made is the changing to a modern setting. No longer is the series set in the played out WWII. No more storming the beach of Normandy or tearing down Berlin. No more firing single shots with inaccurate rifles. In exchange we get high-tech weapons with a great feel to them, new locations and a nuke.
But although there is a cosmetic change and new gadgets, CoD 4 still retains its biggest trademark; a powerful, action-packed experience filled to the brim with well-scripted events. And that’s not a bad thing.
The story does a pretty good job of engaging the player. Much of this comes from the fact that the game never lets the tension slow down one second to let you take a breath. It’s a powerful experience from start to finish, even if you don’t find the story particularly engaging, there is no denying the quality work that has been laid here by Infinity Ward.
You are placed in the shoes of both a US and British soldier, in the fight against a terrorist leader bent on causing all out war with the west. It’s pretty simple, but well executed and scripted events throughout the campaign make it far more interesting than on paper. It also never feels like the characters take easily on the events going on around them. It is definitely a gritty story, and from time to time you will find yourself leaning forward, trying to soak it all in. Although the story is focused on the Middle-East, you also get to clean out Russian houses in the night, sink a boat in the Atlantic and level a village with a helicopter. It’s a pretty diverse experience, although a short lived one. The whole thing clocks in at about 5-7 hours, depending on skill and difficulty. It makes the campaign far from repetitive, but also makes you wish there actually was something to repeat.
The story in this game, although perfectly fine, is nothing compared to the graphics the game sports. The models of characters, textures of foliage and the animations are all of high quality. When the commander stands up besides you in the ghillie-suit without you even knowing he was there, you cannot help but be in awe each time. Bombs, shots and explosions all have a proper bang to them, and seem to do some real damage to the world, and are very satisfying to use. Even more impressive is the fact that even in big battles, with tons of bullets and grenades flying everywhere, the framerate doesn’t dip. With short loadtimes only existing at the start of the level, this is even more impressive. You could say that due to the limitations in exploration, there is less high-def textures to draw in, but it is still one of the best looking games on the 360.
Something that the series always has had is big battles, but still confining you to a linear path through the level. This still stands true here. Although a few levels give you multiple objects in a slightly larger field, the majority of the game will lead you through a limited path with just enough wiggle room to not feel too constricted. If the linear nature of the series has plagued you before, nothing here will change that feeling, although it feels much grander in size compared to previous instalments. Nowhere in the game is the boundaries of your surroundings more clear then in a stealth-run through Chernobyl in the 1980’s. Here you must follow your commanders’ orders without hesitation. There’s a tiny to non-existing possibility to improvise through the level, but the intensity of that level still makes it enjoyable, as is the case with most of the rest of the game. It is clear Infinity Ward has no intention of revolutionising the genre, but rather perfect what works, which they do an excellent job of here.
After completing the campaign you unlock “arcade mode”. This works in the same way as Halo 3’s meta-game in that you get points for completing levels quickly and effective. You get points for kills (more points for difficult shots), multipliers both for difficulty and avoiding using up the limited number of extra lives. Higshscores are posted on leaderboards, and helps make this a fun addition. This mode works well in CoD 4’s design, due to its short levels and focused gameplay, although this is a mere diversion compared to the brilliant multiplayer that follows.
The multiplayer portion is very well crafted. It’s full of depth, but the first time you start playing, your options are very limited. You can choose deathmatch, team deathmatch and that’s about it. You get a limited choice of classes, but what you get will do just fine. But very quickly, your xp bar fills up from basically anything you do, such as kills, wins and supports. Each level does a fine job of giving you more and more options, and after few hours of play, all gametypes, classes and the enjoyable create-a-class is unlocked. And there are tons of gametypes. Sabotage, king of the hill variations and some other quirky modes make for a diverse list. And although there are so many options, players are never a problem to find.
But of all you unlock, create-a-class is definitely a big part in the entertainment here. Here you get to build your own fighter, except his appearance. One of the defining parts of this is the perks-system. Perks, three per character, are basically abilities, much like spells in RPG’s, and let’s you tweak your character to fit your playstyle. One perk, called Last Stand, let’s you pull of some shots with your sidearm before you bleed out. This can get you a revenge kill for double the experience, and can be extremely satisfying. Others include dropping a live grenade when killed, double firerate and giving you a RPG for shooting down helicopters. The many perks are fun to play around with, and unlock on a regular basis. The interesting part is that the high-level perks never feel like being too powerful, just gives you wider range of options to tweak. This makes for pretty balanced playfield between beginners and long time players to kill each other on, and you will do a lot of that. If you manage to kill multiple foes in a row, support comes into play. Kill 3 people in a row, and you get radar which scans the entire map for enemy positions, 5 kills lets you target an area for an airstrike. Get 7 kills, and a helicopter swoops around the map for a while, gunning down enemies in the open. The supports make for exiting gameplay, and can turn the tide of a battle if used properly, but never feel unbalanced. The helicopter can be shot down, a perk keeps you off the radar and the airstrike is very area-specific. There are a good variety of maps, continuous unlocks and challenges to complete, which keep the multiplayer staying fresh even after weeks of play.
Soundwise, CoD 4 is no slacker either. Weapons sound appropriately vicious, your squadmates sounds just right to be believable, and the music kicks in when it’s supposed to.
The scripted events are already well choreographed, and with the fittingly pompous music adding to the experience, this is definitely a game that benefits from a good surround system.
In a year that has included such behemoths as The Orange Box, Halo 3 and Bioshock, making a first person shooter that not only matches these great games, but also stands out is no easy feat. Call of Duty 4 manages to stand proudly with these giants, and is well worth your money and time With a exciting, although short lived campaign, leaderboards for score-junkies and an incredible multiplayer component, this is truly a shooter you owe to yourself to buy, and is definitely stands as one of 2007’s finest.
