Having served a tour in the world's current hot spot, I have had my own personal experience with war. I can see how many people might take exception to the Middle Eastern theme used in the latest chapter of the Call of Duty series. Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare pulls no punches and drops you face first into some fictional Middle East action. The idea of using that region of the world for anything in the entertainment field is almost always going to be looked at through a very fine microscope. Having stated the obvious, and having prepared myself for a few things that I might see as offensive or just too ridiculous to fathom, I came out of this much coveted title relieved that Infinity Ward and publisher Activision did nothing with their story that hasn't already been done in any other form of media. The plot and visuals are mature, gritty, evolved and dramatic for the sake of storyline. The game fortunately avoids any questions of nationality by placing the conflict in a series of fictional nations, but the overall themes will be familiar to anyone who has read the newspaper lately. It covers the usual post 9/11 storyline equation: Terrorists + Special Forces x Drama = Call of Duty 4.

Like most gamers, I have already gunned down my fair share of Nazi soldiers. Fortunately I came out of COD4 with a feeling of relief, as I was expected that I would have an overwhelming feeling of WWIIitis. The Call of Duty series was born and raised in WWII and I was afraid that the game would not be able to shake it's over used WWII lineage. After spending some quality time with gameplay in mind, I can safely say Infinity Ward has done a decent job of masking it's WWII roots. If you’re wondering where I'm going with this, I'll spell it out for you: Call of Duty 4 is very good, but after playing it I still came away with thinking that this was just Call of Duty in a long overdue setting.

The single-player campaign will have you traveling back and forth between British and American troops as they work to stop all hell from breaking loose on the edge of the Middle East and former USSR. Throughout your missions you will encounter many 'wow' moments that will make you stop for just a second to soak up the scenery. Make no mistake about it, the action is intense, the graphics are beautiful and story will keep you on your toes from start to finish. Every firefight is laden with shots coming from all sides with yelling from squad mates and enemies alike. All of this plus being forced to think on the fly as the action can shift all over the screen, from one engagement to the next.

Once you get the single player missions out of the way, you are now ready to partake in the beauty that is online. Depth, strategy, and thinking on your feet are the order of the day in this RPG meets FPS offering. Varying weapon types, character classes and a plethora of maps keep the variation at a maximum level, as the multiplayer options pack more punch than most games have on their entire disc. CoD 4 uses a ranking system similar to Halo 3, which awards you with each new rank. Kills and other varies actions will grant you experience points and as you reach new ranks, you are rewarded with new weapon packages and character types, allowing for a very in-depth multiplayer experience. The game even allows you to see how many points you've gained with each kill, right as you make the death shot. I could go on and on with the multitude of options, adjustments, and game play tweaks this area of the game allows. If your the type of gamer that picks your games for their multiplayer aspect, than you wont go wrong with Call of Duty 4's offering.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I have to say while the changes made to the Call of Duty setting and options are a more than a welcome addition. It is not going to win over many new fans, as it doesn't truly bring any changes to the table but make no mistake; Infinity Ward has done it again. The campaign is tense, gritty, and full of all that drama that makes the series so great. Pair that up with one of the most impressive online offering we have seen in awhile and you have a winner. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warface is an excellent title and deserving of any accolades it receives within the genre. I say kudos to Infinity Ward and Activision for their ability to see the need for a change in what is arguably one of gamings most important franchises.