Superior quality single player campaign. Even better multiplayer. Fantastic shooter. Best game of the year.
It's hard to pinpoint the best features of this surprisingly enjoyable game. The market has been flooded with shooters and there hasn't been a game to come close to Gears of War quality in that arena - until now. COD4 is everything and more that you'd want in a next-gen 1st person shooter. Yes Activision has updated the locale of its battlefields, but more than that, it's the perfect blend of technical achievement and level/art design that make the game a clear champion for the long running series.
The graphics are phenomenal. Player models, weapons, explosions, clothing and vehicles have been rendered with incredible detail and care. Animations have been taken to a new benchmark. But the most impressive graphic component are the intricate and lifelike environments that your epic firefights take place. The campaign is thoroughly enjoyable and offers a wide variety of indoor/outdoor missions that take you to war zones that will tempt you to put your weapon down so you can take it all in. The multiplayer maps are equally as beautiful (if that can be said for a battlefield). From pounding rainstorms, dusty helicopter sweeps, decaying cities and everything in between your jaw will be left dropped in awe at the attention to detail.
The game sounds just as good as it lookms. The impact of firing your weapon and getting hit is visceral. Explosions are terrifying. Chatter is imersive. The soundtrack isn't bad either.
The game play is even better than it was in the last game. There are a ton of new options - especially in the multiplayer game that keep things interesting and challenging. Radar sweeps, air strikes, helicopters, weapon upgrades and player perks are some of the things you'll be "dying" to unlock as you progress through the ranks. The single player campaign has been called "too short" by a lot of reviewers, and while I agree that it would have been nice to have it be longer, its not as short as you think. I was fully satisfied, if not impressed by the campaign. It was about 8 - 10 hours on regular difficulty. The quality more than makes up for its lackluster length. I think most players will be left wanting more. The final level is one of the most exciting game experiences ever.
If there are any short comings with COD4 it could be the fact that multiplayer throws any and all players into the area together - no matter what your skill level. It can be difficult and somewhat frustrating to face opponents that are 50+ levels higher than yourself. A grouping system would be a nice feature. The game also has a bit of a learning curve. Figuring out how each weapon performs and how the upgrades affect game play takes some patience and diligence. Overall Call of Duty 4 is this year's best game. If the game offered an online co-op campaign with some more lasting power, COD4 could have taken the top spot as the best Xbox360 game yet. This is a very close 2nd to last year's Gears of War in my opinion. Bottom line is that this game is highly addictive, completely immersive and fun to play.
Final Rating = 9.8/10