Call of Duty 4 simply is one of the best First Person Shooter experiences you will ever have the pleasure of playing.
Seems like I'm going crazy all over this game isn't it? Well there is good reason for that. I've never played a Call of Duty game before, because I frankly didn't give a youknowwhat about World War shooters, so why care, right? When I heard that Call of Duty was going modern, I was still less than impressed – who gives a (explicit) right? - because frankly, the latter half of this year has seen some serious first person shooter games come out, that honestly make you almost forget that you've got other things to do . However, after reading the reviews and hearing several testimonies, I decided to fork over some cash and get into the game.
Infinity Ward gives us a new experience that screams to be played. Even though it houses a short – roughly six hours – campaign, it does however give you one of the best single player experiences ever in the first person shooter genre. You literally feel the tension, almost as if you are being part of the whole experience. Coupled with magnificent production values, this game is just a blast to play. Ever mission was memorable, including, bar none, one of the "sickest" – this (explicit) is off the hook basically - levels I have ever played in any game. Playing something like that will just make you smack your head and say, dam what have I been missing?
Even though the campaign seems to have a twisted sense of what a happy ending is, making the ending difficult to enjoy. Without giving too much away, you become attached to your team mates; something which I haven't experienced since Half Life 2. I think you get the general idea right? I'm amazed, at how much they were able to squeeze out of such an short campaign. As if that wasn't enough, it has one of the deepest multiplayers ever. Having rpgesq elements, it promotes the idea that the longer I play, the more stuff I can get, and thus the better I can equip my player. It lends it self to be a good team oriented game, with guns ablaze, you do well to work with your team, instead of just running wildly.
That being said, I felt that some parts of the game detracted from the experience. The team AI in the campaign, although helpful at times, was rather weak; it lacked assertiveness, or the ability to really help you get out of a jam. At times when you feel like making a dash across to get better cover, you can't really rely on your team because you might find that they are too far back and unable to really provide assistance. The multiplayer, although deep, doesn't seem to specifically reward good players. Experience is generated regardless of how good or bad you are, so you could be better than another player, but share the same rank. The multiplayer would have benefited from some form of bonus system that deals with rewarding good performances. However it is still highly enjoyable.
Call of Duty 4 is a magnificent game to look at. I was able to max it out at 1080i on my PC, while playing it on my HDTV, and it was a gem. The missions dealing with the Middle Eastern threat, looked stunning; they created an incredible atmosphere that really helps to bring the experience home. The character models looked fantastic and the animation was top notch. It also has some great sound, the musical score only adds on to an already impressive atmosphere. Presentation wise this game is amazing. Multiplayer interface is also well done, being a regular Steam user, I was really happy when I found a similar user interface which made it simple to quickly get into a game and enjoy the experience.
When it's all said and done, if you're an FPS buff, then this is a must, and if you are a gamer, I highly recommend this game, because it will just knock your socks off. It's a bit short, but (explicit), a lot of first person shooters these day are. However, don't let any of the negative aspects of this game deter you from getting it, because the positives simple out weight the negatives, big time. You won't regret buying this, because a game as good as this one this doesn't come out often.