Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review

Overall Rating

A "real" experience of the nature of modern warfare.

Not enough freedom provided on the levels.

Wowza. Its taken 2 weeks (give or take a few days of college work) but I've finally finished it!
Call of Duty 4; Modern Warfare has had a lot to live up to! Its predecessors (COD 1 and 2) brought the Second World War back to life with stunning graphics, gameplay and realistic character interactions. But, hey, that was back in sunny old 2003! Its 2008 now and I expected to see something that appealed to all of my senses; which knocked me off my chair when the grenades started popping. So, what did I think?
The game has taken a dynamic new approach to first-person warfare shooters, deciding to leave WW2 behind for a bit while it explores a more modern approach to war. I was extremely happy to see an integrated SAS training course at the very beginning which decided what difficulty level I should be on (I admit, I wasn't given rank of "Veteran"). Another great addition to this was that the SAS were British for once!
The levels are dyanamic, real weather, life like orders being shouted at you, realistic weaponry fire, an array of support options such as air support and C4. Brilliant.
Just as I thought that this was JUST an SAS game, the marines were introduced as you fight through levels of desert and crumbling towns (never before depicted in the WW2 versions). The banter is great, especially during the joint missions when the SAS meet the Marines. One mission that is brilliant in conception is the sniper mission. Two snipers, on their own, behind enemy lines, one target, silence, speed, stealth...
The story is widespread and intriguing, the opening scene very shocking and depicting further horrors to come. Many dangerous men situated around the world. And its your job to stop them. The traditional jeep getaways are there too, don't worry, with a unique, never-been-done-before gunship support level. And for once, all vehicles are destructible!
Technically, the game is sound. The graphics are near perfect, the maneuverability of the world around you is pleasing and varying storyline's are winners. The music provides engaging support in your actions and the world reacts to your presence. Perhaps the game is a little too "real"...
The only criticisms lie in two main areas. The Call of Duty series always provides a path for you on its levels (as do a lot of shooter games) and you are often restricted when it comes to making decisions. If anything, next time, they should make some levels dynamic in ways that they allow freedom. Or perhaps you could find your own way round or even plan the action yourself! That would be great.
The other criticism is the size of the game files. Nearly all new computers play the DVD game superbly. However, most people don't have new pcs and this can cause problems and annoyance. Altering the graphics options just to quicken up your pc seems very frustrating, especially when you pay for the fantastic graphics in the first place. I'd probably more recommend this game to people with new hardware. Its not a problem, but as with many new realistic games, you might need to buy some patience in the shop too.
Overall, I applaud Activision for a fantastic representation of modern war, where the tin helmets are replaced by kevlar armour and the M1 Garands are replaced with Javelin Rockets.
A real entertaining gem...