Reviews// Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

In fact, you have a vast array of weapons at your disposal with which to spit death from above. As a seasoned (real life) C-130 passenger, I found this section interesting in a number of ways: the barrelling way the aircraft moves, the measured tones of the crew directing you to targets and the gunnery display all make the action feel realistic.

Engaging the enemy with the Javelin missile was also a high-point in the game. Made by US defence giant General Dynamics, the Javelin is designed to eat tanks for breakfast – it’s now in use by the British Army.

Fired from a shoulder-mounted tube, the projectile zooms upwards before slamming down into the enemy vehicle’s roof. Most recently it has been proving its worth in southern Afghanistan where it has terrorised Taliban fighters.

Infinity Ward has recreated the way the weapon looks extremely well. In an early section of the game, players need to take out enemy armour to retrieve the crew of a disabled friendly tank; the Javelin is the obvious weapon of choice. The sighting and target-acquisition system looks authentic, while the behaviour of the warhead after firing is impressive.

At the other end of the support weapons’ spectrum, players also get to try their hand at sniping. Clad in an authentic Ghillie suit – a garment that renders the wearer near-invisible in foliage – you are taken to the Chernobyl death zone in the Ukraine where you are tasked with eliminating a key target.

Authentically, troops are deployed in pairs, with the boss spotting targets and you pulling the trigger. It is a testing section of the game that places the emphasis of sniping on what it is really about: movement, concealment and patience – rather than simply being a matter of blasting away at targets.

There are few negative aspects of Call of Duty 4. A relatively brief-single player campaign and the limited scope of the battlefields, for example, are at top of the list.

Action is frantic, but you are restricted as to where you can move and pretty much guided on rails to areas of action. It matters little when the bullets are flying because the emphasis is on combat and self preservation. It is a shame that in other areas of the game, however, there is not more freedom of choice over what objectives to tackle and where you can go as there is in EA’s Medal of Honour Airborne.

Nonetheless, this is a small gripe in an otherwise flawless package. First-person shooters do not come any better this is a well-researched, well-constructed and polished offering which exceeds expectations on just about every front.

SPOnG Score: 98%

Conclusion
Call of Duty 4 has the look and feel of a live operation and offers a superb gaming experience. Infinity Ward and Activision have set the standard for others to follow.