Released: 2008-02-06

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Platform:

Reviewed By: Nicholas Kaye

Modern similarities.

On display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard,” there is a list. This is no ordinary list though; it does not, say, describe the flavors of Hot Pockets that should be purchased during the next visit to the grocery store. Instead, this list details the many video game settings that have been absolutely, entirely, done to death.

It appears as if, somehow, Call of Duty series developer Infinity Ward has gotten a copy of this list and noticed the big bold letters that spell out “World War II.” So, in an effort to remedy the situation, they switched the series’ setting to the only slightly less overused locale of “unidentified Middle Eastern country in the midst of modern warfare.”

But rest assured, the setting change does little to dilute the classic, much loved Call of Duty series formula of cinematic action, exhilarating audio, authentic weapons and a huge amount of enemies to pump full of lead. Oh, and don’t forget grenades. Lots and lots of grenades. Call of Duty 4 is like playing an interactive version of Black Hawk Down, minus the depression that is standard fare in most war films today.

Like its predecessors, Call of Duty 4 has you playing through multiple storylines from the viewpoints of different characters throughout the game. You’ll be dividing your play time between British S.A.S Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish and US Marine Sergeant Paul Jackson. The single player campaign is divided into three acts, along with a brief prologue and epilogue. The campaign is really quite short and can be completed in, perhaps, five or six hours if you’re a moderately experienced gamer. However, the length is a necessary sacrifice, given the remarkable amount of diversity and polish in the campaign.

Previous Call of Duty games can be defined as straight runs through linear environments with the occasional vehicle sequence to liven things up a bit. The fourth installment, however, switches things up much more frequently. You’ll go from sneaking through Chernobyl to operating a gunship to crawling around in a field with troops swarming nearby, all in the span of a few missions.

The gunplay is also treated with a great amount of care. Just as Infinity Ward accurately replicated the arsenal of World War II, the instruments of modern day warfare are all recreated authentically here. It’s really quite satisfying to see and feel the result of your bullets impacting the enemy, forcing them to stumble and flail as they run away, using their rifle as a crutch to keep on their feet before the inevitable hits. The fluidity of the animation adds a nice polish to the whole experience.

A new element in Call of Duty 4 is the ability to shoot through cover. Most of the game’s weapons can penetrate materials that could realistically be shot through, with weapon caliber and distance being taken into account for damage. Many times your enemies will forget that they are in Call of Duty 4, will run behind, say, a pile of wooden palettes, only to be ventilated moments later. Of course, this can work to your enemy’s advantage as well. You can only stay in one spot so long before your enemies figure out where you are and tear it apart with suppressing fire.

You’ll spend much of the game plowing through enemies alongside your squad mates, who possess surprisingly decent artificial intelligence. Though your comrades will occasionally step into your line of fire prompting a “don’t shoot your pals, dumbass” screen which returns you to your previous save point, they are for the most part competent soldiers who help you rather than hinder you. It is quite a welcome break from the recent trend of abysmal teammate artificial intelligence in games. Enemies also present a reasonable challenge, and while they occasionally get stuck in awkward loops and are not very remarkable foes, they do their jobs to keep the pace and intensity of the game alive.

And, really, that’s what Call of Duty 4 is all about: the pure intensity and insanity of war. All the elements of the single player campaign work to ensure that you maintain a white-knuckled grip on your controller throughout the experience. The constant changing of setting and gameplay keep you on the edge of your seat, the shortness of the campaign guarantees that you’ll never feel bored, the authenticity of the weapons manages to bring about the thrill of being in the midst of a crossfire and the linearity—while artfully hidden at times—ensures that you’ll never be far from the enemy.

Working to augment the illusion that you are within a war zone are Call of Duty 4’s fantastic visuals and sound effects. The graphics are easily on-par with Crysis and Unreal Tournament 3, the top eye candy providers of late. The animation is fluid and the frame rate is silky smooth. Sound has always been the Call of Duty series’ biggest strong point, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. Here, the loud and realistic gun shots, frenzied screams of allies and enemies and the distinct sounds of grenades hitting the ground all add another layer to an experience that really brings the battlefield alive.

It may have been easy to overlook Call of Duty’s multiplayer sections in past installments, but the latest game changes that in a big way. Supporting up to 18 players at a time, or 24 via system link, the intensity of the single player combat is faithfully recreated online.

Gone is the limited selection of only deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag, replaced by a vast range of new and unique modes that even includes objective based Counter-Strike levels and node capture point maps akin to Battlefield 2. Also like Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 4 players can rack up multiplayer kills and spend them to call in things like air strikes and attack helicopters, which encourages people to play a little more cautiously than you might expect in a traditional match.

All this doesn’t even skim the surface of what makes Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer so engrossing. As players spend more of their time at the game, they are rewarded with RPG style points that level them up. Kill adversaries and complete map objectives and you’ll receive more points, which rank you up and allow you to equip “perks,” which lend you minor abilities. Some will let you spring longer, others spawn more grenades, or you can even gain the chance to take a shot at your killer as you lay on the ground, dying. Players are able to shape their character to fit their play style, which definitely helps to cement positions on the battlefield. Thankfully, Infinity Ward has also kept the RPG mechanics subtle, as to not leave high-ranking characters flying around as unbeatable super soldiers.

Call of Duty 4 is not a perfect game. In fact, it is very old-fashioned and lacking in innovation compared to current shooters like Crysis, that at least try to push the envelope. But, innovation has never what Call of Duty is all about. This is a series about taking some great concepts that already exist, cramming them together neatly, and then presenting them with top notch audio and visuals. Call of Duty 4 does all that, and it does it damn well.