Platform: Xbox 360

4.5 Pulses

For the latest entry of their highly praised Call of Duty series, Infinity Ward ditches the World War II scenario and moves 60 years ahead to give gamers one of the best shooters of the year.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare pits players as members of U.S. Forces and British Spec Ops fighting in Russia and an unnamed Middle Eastern country? a good idea with what is taking place in Iraq now.

The neat thing about the campaign mode is that you’re not just playing as one character. Along with “Soap” MacTavish, SAS Spec Op, players are also put into the role of Sgt. Paul Jackson of the USMC and the role of SAS Captain Price in a sniper infiltration. Although most of the game takes place in Russia as “Soap,” you’ll be fighting as Sgt. Jackson in the Middle East. As the story unfolds, the two sides eventually join to take down the enemy.

The writers and storytellers at Infinity Ward do an incredible job keeping every detail together and making sure each mission is an important and thrilling one. You’ll be put through rescue missions, escort missions, assassinations and, in one act, taking control of a AC-130 gunship picking off ghost-looking enemies in a white-washed environment using thermal vision.

By now almost every game on the Xbox 360 looks damn good, but some look better and COD4 is one of those as Infinity Ward put amazing effort into the graphics and detail. The environments, weapons and characters all look and feel amazing, like they’ve popped out of a movie.

COD4 is one of the most in-depth online shooters this year and can compete with the likes of Halo 3. Playing with up to 18 players on a number of wonderful maps and trying to rank up will keep you up all night, like me. The multiplayer mode is mad fun and so easy to get used to, but takes time to master.

The ranking system is very rigorous and not very hard to rank up either because, unlike Halo 3, it doesn’t matter if your team wins or loses, you still get experience points. After every match, a meter will show how many points you’ve earned and how many more experience points you need to rank up. Ranking up also unlocks new weapons, attachments and “Perks.”

As you’re ranking up online, you’ll be able to complete different challenges that will help you earn a lot more experience points during match-ups. Each challenge requires completing a different task such as getting a certain number of kills with a particular weapon or getting a number of headshots. Completing challenges is extremely helpful when ranking up, so try to complete as many as you can. There’s also a “Create a Class” option in which you can choose which weapon, attachment and what type of grenade you want to use. You also get to choose three Perks to use in that class. It’s a pretty cool idea where you mix and match what sort of arsenal you want to use.

The only issues I had with the game were some weak A.I. at times in the campaign and some lag issues online, but these are minor. Other than that, this game is a perfect war shooter and deserves all the hype it’s gotten. I won’t stop playing this game anytime soon. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a beautiful and thrilling title and a must-own for any fan of the genre. With its intriguing and realistic campaign story, it’s in-depth online multiplayer and it’s breathtaking visuals, it has to be considered one of the year’s best shooters.

Upcoming Releases

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