'a new approach to war ?'
 Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Category: : Action
Multiplayer: 1-16 (Xbox Live)
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: COD3
Date posted: 29 January 2008 (Updated)
Written By: Ian
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Calling For Duty
Call of Duty games are now seemingly expected every year thanks to the vast numbers they sell for Activision, and after 2 years, developer 'Infinity Ward' are back at the helm and ready to impress with a new setting and revamped multiplayer.
But does this new approach pay off for the WW2 game developers?
Infinity Ward returns with new gameplay ?
Gameplay-wise, Infinity Ward decided the only innovations they could be bothered to come up with in 2 years were in terms of multiplayer and changing setting from WW2 to the modern day.
The same, highly linear paths are back (not always a bad thing) in single player, and mission structure is pretty much the same as in previous games.
There is no co-op, and only the traditional multiplayer modes to participate in.
The single player, whilst creating even more moments of tension, and having some truly incredible moments that stand far above any other entry in the series, is also flawed. The traditional COD difficulty spikes return with a vengeance never seen before.
Some levels have sections that are so improbably difficult that it is sheer blind luck and grind that get you through. Two sections of the game near the end must have taken upwards of 100 tries each on veteran. That's just not fun.
In the first games, when these moments arose, you at least could see what you were doing wrong, or could rely a bit more on your squad to help you through. Unfortunately this is not here.
  
The multiplayer, however, is improved in many ways. Whilst the player count and number of modes are lower than in 3, the action remains fast, furious, and well-thought out.
There is a pretty good selection of maps, and you always start with a proper weapon, in fact, weapon pickups are now just a matter of choice rather than a mad dash for the ultimate noob-pwner in some obscure part of the map.
The balance, in fact is excellent, and so is the matchmaking.
As you level up (by killing people and getting streaks etc, which is the best new innovation in the game), you get access to better weapons, more attachments for your weapons, new camo etc. But, you will be playing against people of the same level as you, so this never ruins things unless you play in a party where everyone else is a much higher level.
Multiplayer is pretty realistic in terms of health (i.e. 2 bullets will probably kill you) so it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
But ideas such as airstrikes and helicopters as bonuses for great performances are an amazing idea and work really well. This is Halo rivalling stuff and can get pretty addictive. The one sore point is the lack of achievements for multiplayer which is pretty lame.
Graphics and Sound
Call of Duty games, when coupled with surround sound, have always been an aural pleasure, with meaty, realistic effects on the weapons, pounding explosions, and great chat from your team.
COD4 is no exception, and improves on the previous games in the series, particularly in terms of explosions, which in 5.1 are probably the best sounding explosions ever heard in a game.
Whilst music is rarely used, this adds to the realism of the game, and pretty much everything sonically is perfect.
  
Graphically, everything, however, is not so perfect. The game uses the aged COD2 engine, but still does not run in a full HD resolution, and is instead upscaled to fit TVs.
Whilst the overall result is actually fine in terms of jaggies etc, and the frame-rate is rock-solid, the actual graphics themselves are a mixed bag, which makes the resolution a bit of a shame really.
Lighting effects are much, much improved, and look great, so do all the motion blur effects, and cut-scenes rendered with the in-game engine.
However, some textures look really old and low-resolution, and quality is variable.
Some levels are stunning, and up there with the best on the 360, whilst others struggle to reach COD2 levels, which is a real shame. Some colours also have a tendency to look drab, giving some levels a bit of a dull feel to be quite honest.
Conclusion
I must be the only person who doesn't see the true greatness of COD4. Personally, I think 2 was far better, with graphics nearly as good, multiplayer that was pretty much as good, just 8 player rather than 16, and frankly better and better balanced gameplay.
The difficulty spikes in COD4 are just insane, reducing parts of the game to an irritating grind that leave a bad taste in the mouth. High difficulty is ok, but veterans of COD2 and 3 will breeze through most levels (I did) only to be met by seemingly insurmountable difficulty barriers in 2-3 of the levels which tear most of the fun out of the game.
The story is not really any better than before; neither for most part are the graphics. In some places they are stunning, but the game clearly still uses the now aged COD2 engine, and looks pretty wonky in some places, a curious mix of crap and greatness.
The sound is amazing, but always has been. The multiplayer is more robust, but with no achievements allocated, and arguably levelling up giving some players a big advantage over others being a love-it-or-loathe-it situation, has flaws, although the effort here is undoubtable. Bioshock was longer and more innovative (where's the co-op IW????), Halo was (mostly) more epic and more fun.
"Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (or COD4) is an infinitely polished and well-thought out game. But the niggles are enough for me not to like it as much as either 2 or 3 on the 360. But its still worth a play for sure, even a flawed Call of Duty stands far above most games on the system.
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
85 % |
Graphics:
90% |
Music & Sfx:
95% |
GamePlay:
90% |
|
This game scores
on our 5-point Rating System
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