Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare - XBox 360 Review

Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Game Resolution: 720p / 1080i / 1080p
Display: Panasonic PT-AX100U
Reference System: Reference System 6
MSRP: $59.99
Style: First Person / Shooter
Rating: Mature (Blood, Gore, Violence)

Pros

• Obscenely realistic graphics
• Fantastic sound effects
• Engrossing single player plot
• RPG like multi-player elements

Cons

• Not enough multi-player maps
• Main scenario could have been longer

Introduction

Have you been murdered recently? I mean, like actually shot in the face or blown up by a nuclear holocaust? If so, then I doubt you are reading this right now. But, if you would like to experience those things without real pain or the sting of death, then you should be playing Call of Duty 4! My statement might seem a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s closer to the truth then you can realize from just reading a review. If you have a good home theater, then your time spent with CoD4 is beyond gaming entertainment, it’s a moving emotional experience.

Visuals

Where do I begin? The graphics are on a level unlike any game I have played before. Sure, there are titles like Far Cry, or previous incarnations of Call of Duty that seem real, but Infinity Ward have outdone themselves! This is THE most realistic first person shooter out there today. Yeah, you PC guys might be calling out “Crysis” in the distance somewhere, but it takes a pretty hefty computer to play it and have any decently realistic experience. I am playing CoD4 on my Xbox 360 after all! Most high-end PC video cards cost more than my entire game console... But I digress.

Playing the game, you can see a lot of detail in everything from the blades of grass, to the texture on the walls, to the face of the dog that just throttled your throat. The color schemes of the various landscapes seem very appropriate as well. In the desert towns, there are beautiful golden hues that project the heat of the surroundings. Alternately, in the mountains, cooler temperatures are communicated with the shades of blue that fill the display. The contrast in CoD4 is also fantastic! In dark buildings there is just a hint of what’s around you. Of course, Infrared goggles can be turned on, allowing you to sneak up on enemies in the dead of night.

Fire looks fantastic, the weapons look fantastic, the buildings look fantastic, the ground looks fantastic, the explosions look fantastic, the vehicles look fantastic… Did I mention that the whole game looks fantastic? Actually, it’s all fan-freakin-tastic!

Editor's Note: We have used up our quota of the word "fantastic" for the remainder of this review. - Clint DeBoer

Sound

Of course, beautiful graphics alone don’t make the game. The sound in CoD4 is also excellent! I am feeling sorry for many of the PC guys right about now. Though I have a small 7.1 setup on my personal computer, only a full home theater will do this game justice. You have GOT to hear this game! The music, the effects, the voices, etc. All magnificent!

Most games give you a plot that feels kind of so-so, then they throw in some half-baked voice acting and some corny music. Not so with CoD4! The voice acting is pretty good and the actors believably lead you into the main plot. Walking around your team members and on the battle field, the dialogue tracks realistically though the surround speakers. Also, the music is intense at times and lighter at others. Some of the music has incredibly deep bass that can be felt more than heard - with the right sub. The music seemed to be at the quality of a good CD and I wasn't particularly aware of the overt use of compression. The sound effects truly engulfed me during play and firearms had some good punch, as if I truly held them in my hand. In the middle of the battlefield surrounds allowed the bullets to literally fly right by your head. Sound alone could convey from where you were being shot. The explosions produce a lot of deep bass, though effects were very subtle. There wasn't a lot of mid-bass punch, but rather the low-low bass that is more felt than heard. It would have been nicer to have a little more mid-bass sonic punch, especially considering that many consumer level subs don’t actually reproduce the subtleties of 20-30Hz frequencies or lower. But if you are one of the lucky ones with a nice big sub or two, you’ll like the way it feels!

Gameplay

Yes, I have been raving about the audio and video, but how is the gameplay? It’s WAR! Yes, that’s right, pick your favorite war movie, then picture yourself as the main character. Now, put yourself in the middle of the action and fight! To be honest, I am not a huge fan of the war movies or war games, but CoD4 made the experience so real that I wanted to play more and more; even when my neighbor, Chris Seymour (of SeymourAV.com) kept pounding my face into the dirt. Put my frequent death out of your mind for a moment, and we’ll step into the first person scenario...

In the single player mode, you play several different characters and move in and out of their roles as you fight, kill, and die. Not only is this a first person run-and-gun game, but you get the opportunity to be helicopter gunner or even leader of a foreign nation for a brief time. The game felt similar to the previous Call of Duty titles, but was much more engrossing. The realism of the graphics and sound bring your emotions in play and drive you on to fight the enemy and protect your own. Of course, there are sweet guns, lots of grenades, stabbing, and lots of dying. Did I mention that you can shoot through walls with certain weapons? That adds a whole new level of strategy! Again, it’s war, so what can you expect? The first night I played, my wife watched for a while and even she was sucked into the action. Of course, I kept playing past her bed time. As she headed up to bed she said “Come home safe” as if I was really in some foreign war. *grin* I do have one complaint about the single player scenario… It’s too short! Yes, an experienced FPS player will probably complete it in the 5 to 7 hour range. Oh, and when you do finish it, be sure to watch the entire set of credits. There’s a little bit more at the end that you won’t want to miss.

Ok, back to me getting my face pounded into the ground… That’s right, I’d like to talk about the multi-player game. There are two ways you can do this, on Xbox Live, or locally. When you play a local game with up to 4 players per 360, you get quite a few weapon options that you don’t have when you play online. Yeah, I know, that seems kind of odd, but they have figured out a way to throw in some RPG elements to the game. You see, as you play online, you level up your character and you can create your own class with new weapons, grenades, and some special items, as well. It’s kind of cool how they do this, but it might be a little frustrating when you first start online as you get pwned by the masters with the cool stuff and you are just a little guy running for your life. I do like the weapons and the classes seemed pretty balanced for local play, however. I wish there were more multi-player maps. Only 9 are provided for local play, but half a dozen more would be great. There are more maps if you play on XBox Live. Of course, I am sure there will be more in the near future, but I doubt they’ll be free. In any case, there is plenty of great terrain to hide in, jump over, blow up, and die in.

Call of Duty 4 - Images and Conclusion

It's always difficult to convey the feel of a game with respect to the experience of running around and witnessing the magnificent imagery provided. With that in mind, here are some screen shots to help document the various types of terrain you may encounter.

Ah, a quaint little path that will soon be filled with the bodies of your foes.

Perhaps the mountains and warm burning buildings will soothe you before battle.

Can’t find your enemies?  Maybe it’s just too dark.  Try your night vision goggles.

Perhaps you need a scope to find them, you camping sniper punk!

Running through the grassy field makes you feel like a kid again... Naahhh!
Look at the detail in the stalks!

Yes, you might actually experience some damage while blowing stuff up!

Conclusion

If you enjoy war movies and war games, then Call of Duty 4 is for you! Of course, you’ll have to learn some FPS skills to get through it, but the plot, action, graphics, and sound are all well worth it. However, if you are the kind of person who hates war movies and war games, then perhaps you should try something else, like Pac Man C.E. (YES, the best arcade update ever made!!!) For me, I truly felt the call of duty. I was emotionally wrapped up in the game. I felt nervousness and fear. I felt anger as my men died. I even felt pride at completing the missions where some good was done! This is truly a worthy title for your home theater console-gaming action.

Ratings

Visuals – 5/5
You have got to see this game to believe it!

Sound – 4.5/5
Only down half a point because I wanted a little more mid-bass punch, but still awesome sound...

Gameplay – 5/5
Excellent single player mode; great RPG like elements online!

Value – 5/5
It costs the same as other games, but you just get more fun out of it!