User Reviews
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 COD's Finest Hour |  4.6
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by  PangTong_Blademaster
from Oxford, , England | Jul 23, 2008 |
It’s been a good few months since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released on the Playstation 3, the XBOX360 and the PC and as you will already know, it is highly renowned for its online Gameplay which just about every casual or hardcore gamer has sampled. If you haven’t got a copy by now you still have a chance on getting some marine vs. terrorist action. So what was all the hype about? Is the online really as good as they say? Does it have single player? This is Call of Duty like you’ve never seen it, this is Modern Warfare.
Story
Unlike a lot of conventional first person shooters, you mark the journey of not just one solider but two which is a pleasant change as it tells two sides of an epic story but at times you can get confused as to who you are playing as. Firstly you play as Sergeant “Soap” Mctavish who along with “Gaz”, Captain Price and other squad members are raiding a cargo ship on the Bering sea. It is being manned by terrorists but you soon manage to find what you were looking for, a hidden nuclear weapon. Suddenly you are attacked by MiGs surrounding the ship and as they start to blow it apart you grab the travel manifest and head back to your chopper. From the manifest you learn the bomb was of Russian origin. Meanwhile there is chaos in the middle east, a radical leader by the name of Al-Asad has seized power and executed the president Al-Fulani. The US decide to do something before the revolutionary leader can cause any more harm and so send in the marines. This is where the second half of the plot comes from. In the middle east you will be playing as Jackson. You will occasionally switch between the two as the story progresses. You soon find out that a ultra nationalist figure called Imran Zakhaev was behind the transport of the nuclear weapon upon the cargo ship. You also find out that Zakhaev and Al-Asad are working together. The uprising in the middle east was just a rouse to divert the attention of the US army from Zakhaev’s real plan. As he acquires all the nuclear firepower he needs, Zakhaev plans to change Russia back to when it was in the Soviet Union. Will he succeed or will Soap and Jackson be able to stop him and what will become of them?
 Gameplay
“The Gameplay is mediocre.” I look at that statement and analyse it in two ways. Firstly I suppose it is a little mediocre, it doesn’t have anything that no other shoot has but also the other tells me that Modern Warfare just feels so different from any other shooter that it isn’t mediocre. Firstly the controls setup:
L2: Secondary Grenade
R2: Primary Grenade
L1: Aim
R1: Fire
D-Pad: Equipment and attachments
Start: Menu
L3: Move/ Run
R3: Change Aim
Square: Reload
Circle: Crouch
Cross: Jump (Hop)/ Crawl
Triangle: Action
It looks fairly average but it’s the little things added such as the extra equipment and attachments along with the huge variety of weapons that makes it so intense. There are three stances in COD4 (Call of Duty 4) ; standing, crouching and crawling (otherwise referred to as being prone), when playing online the stance you are in can define the line between life and death. The equipment provided isn’t too great but still worth a mention, these include night vision goggles that could help you spot enemies in the dark and they are required for certain parts of the single player. Other equipment includes C4 explosives and Claymore mines that both play their individual roles in the online game. But the thing I found most different about COD4 is the actual shooting itself, probably the most important part of a shooter. Instead of employing one of these controller setups in which you have to click the R3 stick or press up on the D-Pad, instead you can zoom in on all guns by simply using the L1 button. In my opinion this style of shooting is revolutionary, having the aiming and firing button next to each other is a match made in shooter heaven. Shooting without aiming with L1 is referred to as “shooting from the hip.“ which means that you bullets scatter and you accuracy is appalling but when you aim you can ensure a direct hit on the enemy each time. Next let’s talk about the guns. In COD4 there are six types of gun available to be picked up excluding missile launchers. There are pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, light machine guns, sub machine guns and of course sniper rifles. For each type of weapon there are usually a few to choose from which vary in range, accuracy, fire rate and power, choosing the right weapon is choosing your chances on being killed in action.
Design
There is no doubt about it, COD4 displays some of the most wonderous in-game graphics from explosions popping left, right and centre spitting debris across the war zone to aircrafts and helicopters flying overhead. Each occurrence feels very realistic and the locations are also quite convincing. However the setting is again very conventional with Russia and the middle east being involved in nuclear war but if they would have changed the situation it would have probably changed the game’s outcome. Sound is also very convincing, even when you are not in a gunfight you can hear gunfire and shelling in the distance which again adds total realism. Each gun has its own unique firing sound which can be modified with silencers (in most cases) and the voice acting is very average but its very pleasing to hear the British voice of Captain Price which adds an old school army feel.
Online
There is no other online console shooter to match the amount of players logging onto COD4’s online mode each day. It’s quick, it’s intense and it’s rewarding like no other shooter you have seen before. The Gameplay remains the same as in the single player but there are some awesome features that make COD4 online the ultimate shooting experience. First off you will notice that instead of lobbies and servers there is a quick matching system that drops you into the game mode you want in a matter of seconds and you can literally just jump straight in without having to wait for the current game to finish. Secondly you will notice a nice ranking system. A symbol suspended by your name will indicate what rank you are, it’s just like levelling up in any other game. You receive Xp for every kill you get or for every objective completed along with being on the winning team. The max level is only 55 which is a little disappointing at first but you will notice as your level goes up you will be unlocking news guns and equipment to take to the field with you which is a great incentive especially if there is a gun you really want. Another thing earned by levelling is the new perk system. Weapons and equipment wont be available for picking up off the ground like in so many other shooters, instead you choose a class before spawning and use the equipment given but when running low on ammo you can replace one of your two guns for a fallen soldiers one. Upon creating a class you will be able to select: one primary weapon, one pistol, primary grenade and secondary grenade along with three “perks”. Perks are divided into three categories; blue, red and yellow. Blue perks focus on giving the player more equipment such as RPGs, claymores and C4s, the red perks buffer you classes raw stats such as granting them more health or increasing their damage dealt. Yellows are more focused at support including two perks that allow you to deal damage whilst dead, these being: last stand which triggers when you take a fatal amount of damage, your player will drop his primary weapon and draw a pistol. You have roughly around 10 seconds to live in which you can try and fell some enemies with your pistol. The other one is Martyrdom which is possibly the most complained about thing on COD4. In Martyrdom you die and then place a live grenade next to you, so if anyone steps by your dead body just seconds after you die, BOOM! They’re gone too. Gameplay modes include the classic death match and team death match along with favourite like headquarters, ground wars, search and destroy and domination. Maps are plentiful too. You will find that you’ll become hooked on COD4 multiplayer for quite a while. Referring to earlier when I said about level 55 being the max level, at 55 you will have all the weapons, perks and extras but you can give them all up. Why you may ask? it’s called prestige, basically there are several modes of prestige, once you go into prestige mode you will drop back down to level one and your equipment will be stripped from you. However the advantage is a new type of rank badge which may seem pointless at first but if you prestige enough times you will be granted with the legendary golden cross, the mark of a true hardcore COD4 player.
My top three highlights of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare1. The story mission set fifteen years in the past in Chernobyl in which you play as a stealthy sniper. 2. Calling in helicopter support in an online game. 3. Deciding whether to prestige or not. 
Scoring
Graphics: 4.6/ 5.0 -- Excellent with hardy any CGI if not none.
Gameplay: 4.6/ 5.0 -- Mediocre has finally gone hardcore. Really convenient control setup.
Sound: 4.6/ 5.0 -- Non Diagetic ambient sounds really heat up to war zone atmosphere.
Story: 4.2/ 5.0 -- Quite gripping but unashamedly predictable.
Online: 5.0/5.0 -- Prefect. You wont find better online shooting for a long time.
Design: 4.3/ 5.0 -- A bit too conventional for my liking but still darn good.
Lifespan: 4.5/ 5.0 -- The campaign could have been longer but the online will hook you like a warcraft nerd with a heavy wallet. |
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| COD4 |  4.9
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by  Mnmfan
from Athlone, , Ireland | Mar 15, 2008 |
Infinity Ward takes the FPS Genre to whole new heights with the 4th installment of this critically acclaimed franchise.
With breathtaking graphics, jaw dropping cutscenes, outstanding missions and an excellent Online Mode Modern Warfare is by far, hands down, with out a doubt the best First Person Shooter any console has ever seen.
Previous Call Of Duty games were all about WWII just like many other titles like Medal Of Honour however this time WWII has been pushed aside in favour of a modern day War Game. World War II games are old news. We've seen so many over the years that it's nice to finally see a developer steer away from the trend and take the genre in a new direction.
As the name suggests the game takes place in Modern times. This means all the WWII weapons that you've grown to hate over the years are now a thing of the past. Every weapon available to use in the game is what real-life soldiers use nowadays. The M1-Garand from past games is now the M16, the stick grenades the Nazis used are now proper Grenades with metal fragments and also Flash Bangs and Smoke grenades are thrown in for good measure too.
With a modern game comes modern gadgets like Night Vision Goggles, Laser Sights, Helicopters and Air Strikes.
The Story centres around 2 different perspectives of one main story. You play as 2 different soldiers throughout the game both fighting in the same war. The theme this time of course is terrorism, Al-Queda and ultimately the prevention of a Nuclear explosion.
After the initial tutorial and the Opening mission is when the game truly begins. The credits start rolling as you are being driven across town looking through the eyes of a terrorist. This alone is probably the best opening sequence ever seen in any game. The graphics are outstanding and as you are driven through hostile territory you can look around you using the right stick. You get to see a hell of a lot of fantastic sights along the way such as a prisoner being executed by a line of soldiers shooting at the poor guy, you'll see people cheering and shooting their machine guns into the air, you'll see a guy being chased over a fence by a dog and many more. I usually don't descibe cutscenes in my Reviews but that is one cutscene that has to be seen to be believed.
Anyway like I said you follow the story of 2 different soldiers fighting the same war. Every 2 or 3 missions you switch back to the other soldier and carry on where you left off the last time you played as him. Initially this might create some confusion especially if you don't pay attention to who it is you are fighting as but after a while you will appreciate the brilliance of experiencing the same war from 2 different perspectives in 2 entirely different locales. One soldier is a Rookie named Soap MacTavish. He's the guy you do the pretty impressive tutorial with at the beginning of the game and the other is a Ground unit named Paul Jackson who is already out there fighting when we begin playing as him.
Moving on to the Graphics and all I can say here is ....wow. Every single detail in every single aspect of the game screams excellence. Modern Warfare is far ahead of it's predecessors in terms of graphics. From the tiniest detail such as individual blades of grass in a field gently brushing side to side in the breeze to the specs of dirt on your hands after crawling through the grass, everything looks very real indeed. It doesn't just look real, it looks photo realistic at times.
The graphics aren't the only thing that got special treatment though. Everything around you acts as it should when it should. For example 2 Soldiers talking in a distance as they throw bodies into a lake is a wonderfull sight to see and adds realism. Acting as they should and sounding exactly right is minor yet adds to the experience of a real war. Small minor scripted events like that turns an otherwise bland mission into something of amazement.
The Gameplay is spot on too. In other games it might take an entire clip emptied into a soldiers chest before he finally goes down. Well not in COD4. Modern Warfare wants to be as realistic as possible without jeopardising the fun factor and it succeeds. 3 or 4 direct hits is all it takes to take down any enemy (like in real life). Visa versa is true too though. You are not Rambo. Take a few hits and your screen starts to turn red and your breathing becomes heavy. Those of you that have never player COD4 might think the game is too hard if you die after getting shot by just 4 or 5 bullets but that's not the case. By seeking cover and crouching down you can regenerate your health. Cover is everywhere too from burned cars to walls so don't worry, you won't be dying within seconds like the enemies do (unless you play on the hardest difficulty).
The shooting in COD4 is accurate to real life (apparently, I've never shot an AK47 to compare). Recoil happens with almost all guns meaning pointing at an enemies chest and firing a couple rounds might leave one in his chest and one in the wall behind him if he's far away. You will adjust to this though and eventually it won't pose much of a problem.
The Missions are pure brilliance. Almost every mission is excellent in it's own way. In other FPS games the first mission is usually the best and everything that follows often feels rushed and bland. Not in COD4. Each mission varies greatly to the last and each mission has it's own 'wow' moments. The one that stands out most though is 'All Ghilled Up'. Probably the best mission ever in any FPS and one you will be playing again and again just to experience the Convoy of tanks rolling past 2 feet away as you hide face down in the long grass.
The wide variety of missions takes you from being on the ground fighting waves of soldiers to being a passenger in a heli using it's on board turret to clear the way for ground troops to being a Sniper 15 years ago.
The enemy AI is superb too. You do get the odd eejit that stands out in the open wondering what to do next but for the most part the enemies are smart. They jump behind cover, throw back grenades, use flashbangs on your position, call for help and stab you if they get a chance. However the Ally AI is a bit of a let down at times. Sometimes they'll use the same cover as you and end up being in your way, sometimes as you're shooting an enemy an ally would run past your line of sight causing you to accidentally kill them which results in Mission Failed. They can be very slow movers too sometimes however lucky you never have to wait for them. They always seem to be right behind you even if you forget about killing the enemies and just run straight through to the next Checkpoint.
Speaking of Checkpoints they are everywhere. After almost every major gun fight there is a checkpoint and through every door is a checkpoint. This makes dying not a bad thing and nothing to dread as when you die you'll probably just be sent back 30 seconds or something.
Which brings me on to my next complaint. After finishing the Campaign 4 times I've figured out how it all works. If you come to an area with a lot of resistance simply staying in one spot causes the enemies to respawn 4 or 5 times before the waves stop coming however if you keep moving forward those soldiers stop spawning. So if you're having trouble getting passed an area due to high resistance simply run as fast as you can to get passed them, when you've reached the next wall or cover all the enemies that were behind you magically disappear. It's both a shame and a blessing as some areas are a pain if you try to take out all the enemies however this does take away from the realism of the game...slightly.
The Replay Value is very good. The Single Player is slightly on the short side though however finding all the collectables might improve the replay value for some gamers. The Campaign takes roughly 7 hours to complete, although it will be a memorable 7 hours I can guarantee you.
If you have your PS3 hooked up to Broadband then expect those 7 hours to multiply by 20 as the Online Multiplayer is quite simply outstanding.
Going Online truly brings a whole new gaming experience to COD4. With a ton of modes ranging from the usual CTF and Deathmatch to the totally original Headquarters, Sabatage and Hardcore the online multiplayer will keep you coming back for more.
COD4 Online brings something new to the FPS Genre in the form of unlockables, perks and ranks. Unlockables are weapon upgrades, new perks, new camo, new weapons, new options and more challenges. After every match you are rewarded points for your performance. When you reach a certain amount of points you gain a rank. That extra rank brings with it extra stuff. For example getting to Rank 4 gives you the ability to join a Clan. Another rank later and you might unlock a new weapon, a rank later and you might have more challenges to complete.
I'll break it down individually:
Weapons: You might start off at Rank 1 with a measly weapon, however as you advance through the ranks you gain access to more powerfull weapons with better accuracy and range.
Weapon Upgrades: Upgrades are unlocked by killing a certain number of people with a certain weapon. These come in the form of Grips that improve the weapons recoil, Sight/Scopes that improve the range and attachments like RPG.
Camo: Unfortunatly you can't unlock camo for your soldier however you can unlock camo for your weapon by getting a certain number of Headshots with the weapon.
Perks: Perks are where it's at. These are special abilities unique to your soldier. 1 perk might make you drop a grenade when you die, another might allow you to listen in to the chatter on the opposing team, another might allow you to carry 2 main weapons, another might make your bullets stronger, increases your health, gives less reload times, when you die you can have a perk that allows you to carry on shooting using your pistol as you lie on the ground in your final seconds.
Perks are a great addition to the game and really helps make COD4 a memorable online experience.
Options: New options can unlock the ability to join a Clan or do Prestige mode (I won't tell you what Prestige is. I'll let you discover that yourself.)
Challenges: Challenges are a great way of gaining ranks quickly. As you progress through the ranks you unlock more challenges. These can be as simple as getting 10 headshots to as difficult as killing two people with one sniper bullet. Everytime you complete a challenge you get more points which helps to advance.
Online is fierce and challenging but always great fun. The maps are very well balanced and the modes are all a joy to play.
There are some outstanding players in the world so watch your back.
Summary
As I said COD4 is by far the best shooter any console has ever seen both online and offline. It's incredible graphics, great gameplay, brilliant sound, outstanding story and cutscenes not to mention it's immersive online multiplayer will have you coming back for more time and time again. With almost zero glitches and no framerate issues this game hangs on the balance of perfection.
Well done Infinity Ward. This is the Game Of The Year.
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| The Best Game Out! |  5.0
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by  Nufcbiggestfan
from , , England | Feb 2, 2008 |
THE GOOD:
It creates realism, as soon as you step into the game, you can tell your not playing on any ordinary FPS game and that your playing an evolutionary game, one that you will foresee that will change your life around.
Great variety in guns and additional add-ons.
Detailed graphics are splendid.
You can even split open Melons around, and move objects from the tiniest box, to blowing up a car.
Once you pick this game up, it leaves you drooling for more action packed fun.
THE BAD:
Slightly Laggy, but the patch should fix that up.
The ability to glitch out the map and so forth is very annoying on Old school free for all.
SUMMARY:
You start the game, and all you can feel is like, wow, I can imagine this in real life, me here, taking this step through a strand of grass, laid down on your stomach wearing a Ghillie Suit.
It's a revolutionary game, it really is. Every aspect, Beautiful.
For example, you could spend hours on your own walking around the map, taking in all the wonderful detail in the scenery, from lightning, to the sunniest day ever.
Once you set eyes on this game, you will no longer want to play any other FPS out there, Call Of Duty 4 is dominant, by a long way.
So, what could you possibly wish for more than Call Of Duty 4 for Christmas? (Apart from a Mic, to talk to people) Nothing.
It's the best game out so far, and with a few patches, will be for a long time to come.
Ok, About the game.
The real change comes in the combat. This is one intense shooter, mainly because there are just so many enemies. And they are smarter thanks to some refined AI. Granted, there are going to be moments when enemies get stuck in dumb routines or stand in the open waiting to be mowed down, but overall the bad guys prove themselves to be resourceful and without mercy. Though a linear shooter that essentially funnels you through corridors, there are a considerable number of side paths. These almost always lead to flanking positions. If you do not flank the enemy, rest assured they will flank you. Enemies usually know to stay in cover. And they also know that you, being a well-trained soldier, aren't going to fight in the open. That's why they fire RPGs and toss so many damned grenades. They are trying to flush you out. And since most cars explode and will kill you if you are standing beside them, quite often you'll be forced to move.
COD4's single-player is made great because it is such a white-knuckle experience. That would not be possible if the sound and visuals weren't impeccable. This is a gorgeous game from top to bottom. It runs almost perfectly, with only a few rare framerate hiccups, and offers rich details, great texture work, excellent animations for your allies, awesome particle effects, and some stellar lighting. The sound is equally impressive. Combat is loud. The shouts of your allies, the curses of your enemies, the ominous clink of a grenade falling at your feet, all go to creating an immersive experience. You may well lose yourself in combat, drawn in by the visuals and the sound. This is a technically excellent effort that won't disappoint.
Beginning with a handful of pre-made classes, COD4 quickly opens up once you reach level 4. At this point, you can create your own class. As you gain levels, you'll earn access to new weapons, scopes, and perks. On top of this, you'll find dozens of challenges for each weapon, which open up further augmentation options. There are also more generic challenges, such as killing two people while in the air and scoring a certain number of headshots. All of this creates a robust challenge system that encourages gamers to keep COD4 in their system so they can continue to plug away online. |
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| Best shooter around |  4.8
0 comments |
by  Nozza_1000
from Near Manchester, , England | Jan 15, 2008 |
THE GOOD:
Graphics: The graphics in this game are stunning, the lighting is superb and the attention to detail is incredible. This may not have the best graphics available on the PS3 but it is up there with the best. Also unlike many other games out there i can’t find any annoying glitches or any frame-rate issues.
Sound: The sounds in this game are very realistic. The bullets ping off the steel, metal screeches in an explosion and it helps add to the realism of the game. At times the sound that is coming at you can be overwhelming which of course adds to the atmosphere.
Gameplay: This game plays like no other, it feels real like when you jump of a wall you don't continue running as if nothing happened you steady yourself and continue, the enemy never gives up even when they have been shot they can fall to the floor and carry on shooting unless you finish them off or they might drop a grenade in an attempt to take somebody with them. They also attack realistically they setup with snipers on roofs, gunners in windows and if you hide in cover they will flush you out by throwing grenades at you so you have to make a dash into the open to avoid getting blown up.
Atmosphere: Unlike other war games where war doesn't seem that bad this actually gives a negative unpleasent atmosphere. This is done by a subtle use of music and some incredible cut scenes. This game brings you closer than any other to the unpleasantness of war.
Variety: One thing you cannot accuse this game of is a lack of variety. There are so many different missions from taking out enemies from your helicopter, to stealthily assassinating somebody, to providing air support to advancing ground troops from a plane plus so much more. There are so many different types enemies too from tanks, helicopters, dogs and so much more also. The environments vary so much too from the heat of the desert to the cold emptiness of Russia to the roughness of a ship.
THE BAD:
Pretty short story line: The one criticism most people agree on is the short story line, It can be completed easily in a weekend even by somebody who only plays it for 1-2 hours a day. Despite the short story line it does have good replay value and if you intend to play it online it won't really affect you that much
Slow minded team-mates: This is only a slight annoyance that only applies to the 2 or 3 timed missions but it is frustrating never-the-less. When you are told you must do something within a certain time you team-mates lack the urgency that you want from them instead they opt to progress slowly killing everybody in their path when you need them to rush through and ignore the dying man on the floor
Linear at times: Again this is only a small issue that you will barely notice only on a few levels. At times you will find that you are restricted just a bit too much, like for example you might see a balcony that has a perfect view of the battlefield but you won’t be able to get there because there is an un-openable door in your way and you are forced to follow the pre determined route into an awkward bottleneck. I may be getting a bit picky at this point but a bit of variety can never go awry.
SUMMARY:
Call of Duty along with Medal of Honour were the games that stamped their mark on the World War 2 genre but recently it was getting a bit old, a bit stale and a bit "been there done that". So Call of Duty have decided to move into the modern warfare genre, a genre which doesn't really have any recognizable games in it but now that has all changed. Call of Duty 4 has now becomee the mark by which all other games in this genre will be judged by and with a benchmark like this many games will fall short. This is a must-have game even if you don't have online you will still get many hours of enjoyment out of it. |
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forums
4.83/5.0
