xiiredrumiix's Full Review: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox 360
There have been several war related video games that have been released throughout the years that depict battles from World War II, and those from what we see today. Games in the Tom Clancys Ghost Recon, Medal of Honor, and Call of Duty series are the main driving titles to these games. I have played through all these titles and enjoyed them, but nothing prepared me for what Activision and Infinity Ward were going to do for their next edition in the Call of Duty series. Instead of continuing the World War II based games, they went with modern warfare. Call of Duty 4 has combined an exceptional single player campaign, stunning graphics and a unbeatable Xbox Live experience that hands down has my vote for Game of the Year.
Campaign
When I first purchased Call of Duty 4, the first thing I did was start my war experience by going into campaign. This game offers a recruit, regular, hardened, and veteran difficulty that brings intensity to the game no matter what difficulty. That being said it brings up the first downfall of the game, and that is that the campaign takes only a half of a day to complete. The campaign is short, but no matter what difficulty you play on, it is filled with nonstop action right at your fingertips. If you enjoy first person shooters like this game I would suggest playing it on Veteran difficulty. It is the hardest difficulty the game offers, but you get the most out of the campaign which I am experiencing right now, and makes up for the short game play. The next negative thing I found in game play is that a player cannot interact with the environment like players could do in Gears of War, but other than that the game play is very enjoyable. While playing you will experience sinking ships, deaths of war leaders, special ops missions, and the operation of a AC-130 gunship in a story that has you playing as British Special Forces and US Marines. This is not all but I dont want to spoil what you encounter as you go behind enemy lines in the heat of battle. No matter what you are looking for in a war based game Call of Duty 4 has it all in its campaign, and will have you on your toes as long as you are playing.
Graphics
It is inevitable that the graphics of a video game will be talked about, because it largely determines the success of the game. If this holds true then Call of Duty 4 will become a very successful game. This game has some of the best graphics that I have seen in a shooter, only rivaled by Gears of War. The graphics of the environments and the objects that the soldiers are around in the game allow for the feeling that youre part of the battle. In many of the missions the soldiers use this in their tactics to avoid enemy contact and it is amazing to see how realistic the graphics are. It impresses me when I am playing a game that I can blow up a car, flatten the tires, shoot holes in walls, and just simply be destructive and I can see it. Whether it is a tall building, or a blade of grass the graphics of this game cover it all. The only downfall I noticed and mind you it wasnt that big of a downfall, is that the characters in the game are somewhat lacking, and they dont look as smooth and realistic as I would have hoped, but they still look good and it doesnt take away from the game play. Aside from that, Call of Duty 4 and the power of its graphics is simply stunning and has kept me playing ever since I bought it the first day it came out, and will be the driving force to the success the game will see in the future.
Xbox Live
The last feature of the game and the best part of Call of Duty 4 is the multiplayer online. The multiplayer for this game makes up for any other downfall that it might have. Call of Duty 4 offers the most in depth experience online out of any game I have seen. When a player gets online they have the ability to rank up, upgrade equipment, and earn different abilities that can be used during game play. There are also challenges that allow the opportunity to unlock things for each weapon available in online play. When the matches are going on a player can earn in game rewards that significantly make a difference. These rewards include radar UAV, an airstrike, and a helicopter that stays overhead until it is shot down by your enemies. There are so many levels and so many different game types that create an experience that enables players to be online for hours, and I will admit that I am one of those individuals. Anybody that has an Xbox Live account or that wants to start playing online needs this game. Playing multiplayer online is by far the best feature for Call of Duty 4 because it offers so much, and will have anyone who buys the game playing online for years to come.
There have been many great games that have been released throughout the year that I have really enjoyed playing, but none of them have compared to the experience I have had playing Call of Duty 4. The game offers so much through its campaign, graphics, and Xbox Live that makes it hard to put down. It has some negatives but it does not affect how good the game is. The bottom line is that if you are remotely interested in first person shooters, or have played them before, this game is a must have and is the best war based game out to date.
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