Easily the Best Campaign in an FPS since Halo.
I'd like to heap mounds of praise upon Infinity Ward for creating the best single player first-person shooter experience I have ever played. This game perfectly depicts the dark and visceral aspects of war. Expect a couple of "Holy $*^t" moments that will leave you in disbelief as the story progresses.
The story unfolds through the eyes of a U.S. Marine named Paul Jackson and a British S.A.S. officer named "Soap" McTavish. Battles occur throughout the Middle East and the former Soviet bloc as the "good guys" seek to defeat terrorist forces. The overarching story line is the usual fare, especially with the state of world affairs nowadays. However, this does NOT mean that the action in this game is anything standard.
The whole world is blowing up all around you. Bullets whiz through the air, enemy helicopters patrol the skies, and wave after wave of infantry soldiers block your path. The graphics in this game are downright gorgeous and flaunt the power of the PS3. More impressive in my opinion though is the sound. All hell is breaking loose all the time. Crank this game up on a good surround sound system and strap yourself in.
The campaign is broken up into a prologue, three acts, and an epilogue. It lasts between 6-10 hours depending on the difficulty setting. That in itself may seem short, but make no mistake, this is a HEAVY 6-10 hour journey. Some games I can play non-stop for 6-10 hours if I really put my mind into it. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had to be taken in 2-3 hour chunks. I literally felt exhausted by the end of my play sessions because I felt so immersed in the world. I can't praise the game anymore than that.
In addition to campaign mode and online multiplayer there is an Arcade Mode in which you can go back and play the game again for points. You are timed and given points depending on your accuracy and the difficulty of the game.
The weapons found in this game are pretty standard fare for the first-person genre. They're all high tech and look cool. Go figure. My personal favorite weapon in the game was the Javelin. The Javelin is a super badass anti-tank, rocket launcher that launches a missile high into the sky before raining death upon the unfortunate target. This game controls very well and I don't really have much to say about it in that regard. As far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing if we don't waste our time talking about the controls.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also employs a couple of different mini-games that add variety to the typical shooter. In one mission, you board an AC-10 gunship and provide cover support to your troops. This mission takes place at night and you rely on your heat sensors to differentiate between friend and foe. Yes you are ridiculously powerful and yes you blow a lot of stuff up. It's a welcome diversion.
The thing about Call of Duty 4's single player campaign that impresses me the most is the AI. My favorite character in the game was Captain Price; the way he leads you through the battlefield is so impressive. After you destroy everyone, he'll state, "Everyone on me." He'll issue commands like "Stack up, cover the left flank, etc." Everything is done with such polish and flair that it truly does set the bar up to another level. Your friends will more than competently take care of themselves. The only thing that I would've liked for Infinity Ward to add is health for your teammates. It's kind of unrealistic how they can get shot to death a million times and never flinch. It would be better if they got injured and we, the player, have to heal them before moving on. I think it would add a sense of realism to the game. Overall though, the AI is superb and really impresses me.
The game runs at a rock solid frame rate that never stuttered during play. It also looks and sounds magnificent. Although it would be nice to have an option for on-line co-op, the AI is so outstanding that it's not a huge deal to me. If I had to rate this game on the merits of its single player I would give it a 10. Yes, it is THAT GOOD. If this game didn't ship with multiplayer I would probably have to give it a 9.5.
Online multiplayer is deep and varied. Although I ran into a number of problems at first, these problems worked themselves out and now I am enjoying myself online. This is THE online FPS to play if you own a PS3. There are many unlockable weapons and special abilities to be gained once you get good at the game.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is hands-down the best First Person Shooter available for the PlayStation 3. I don't see this game being topped anytime soon because the campaign is THAT good. Killzone 2 has its work cut out for it.