You can’t dispute the power of a new Call of Duty release. Whether or not it’s all over the social airwaves, the numbers this franchise does would be envious of any publisher. One of their strongest brands, Modern Warfare, had a stumble in its last entry, and one that’s more based on a short timeline for creation than anything else. With four years of development and the lead studio taking the helm, Infinity Ward is back with a first, and it’s a four. Is this Modern Warfare game four-midable? Or four-gettable? Let’s find out together.
Campaign
Consequences. Oftentimes the actions of one affect the masses, and the theming of consequences echoes throughout the campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Although several players in this story are culpable for the ensuing chaos, the ending carnage has a high cost, and also leads further than expected.
Modern Warfare 4 opens rather expertly, showcasing the people and places of the world. First, the South Korean squad you'll spend a bit over half the game with are on patrol, and they're a legitimately loveable bunch. Joking around as they make a stop at a convenience store, the banter is just what you'd imagine. Everything suddenly becomes serious as an unknown weapon disrupts all electrical systems and renders many discombobulated, and as the bombs rain down from North Korea, the tone shifts from silly to somber.
Their story reminds me a lot of how I felt as a teenager playing the original Modern Warfare series. They're all fresh, inexperienced, and afraid, but that doesn't stop them from pressing on to do what they've signed up to do. You feel for them in each tragic moment that occurs. My personal favorite is Corporal Dunn, the lone American of the group, as his brash exterior is regularly wiped away by the harsh war around him to show just how human he is. Following him is Park, the player character, who gets to participate in a lot of great set pieces along the way.
Second comes Captain Price. The initial mission that sets his journey up occurs four days before the events in South Korea, building to the use of the aforementioned super weapon. Drained of any empathy from the loss of Soap and murder of General Shepherd in Modern Warfare III, the descent into the darkest parts of Price is well constructed. His introductory mission is immaculate, reminiscent of a John Wick scene as he enters a club to find Makarov. It's a horribly kept secret that you'll kill Makarov quickly, and the way it's done seems fitting given what he's done to Price.
That feeling, however, fades as Modern Warfare 4’s narrative goes on. Price's lack of control even seems foreign to him by the time he reaches the midway point of MW4. As consequences begin to mount, he realizes, although somewhat too late, that his quest for vengeance isn't worth the cost. The lives he's convinced himself of saving are simply invisible statistics compared to the real people he sees die. Everything you'll encounter works, even if certain parts are somewhat contrived or predictable.
To no surprise, the weakest part of this campaign might come down to the villains. North Korea’s leaders are actually great, with Ri Seung-Ho (the new Supreme leader) being more of a misunderstood character. Ri Ju-Young, his sister, is a vicious army commander that lusts for power, and will do anything to get it. While a bit one-note, her motivations at least make sense. Valeria is a product to move the story forward, and Mads Mikkelsen’s “The Archer”? Let's just say I would have more of an opinion if he was in the game for longer than ten to fifteen minutes. My disappointment lies in the fact that he delivers great character work in his limited time, held back only by a painfully basic plot line.
Even with those issues, Modern Warfare 4 manages to have heartfelt moments. As much as I enjoyed previous story beats in the rebooted trilogy (except for you MWIII), it felt like Infinity Ward chased nostalgia a tad too much. Evoking memories of what was is fine, but that didn't need to happen here. Sure, some characters return, but it never feels like they're baiting me with those cameos. The way the game closes enforces this thought, paving the way for whatever comes next for Modern Warfare.
Where Modern Warfare 4 shines most is in its gameplay, which shouldn't shock anyone. Call of Duty always boasts world-class gunplay, and mechanically it's still the best at what it does. What might be more impressive to me is the flow of the campaign, however. Most campaigns do the whole “jump between multiple parties shtick”, but MW4 does it with aplomb. The cadence is stellar, with pacing that compliments each chapter. I also love the gameplay variety – rarely did I feel weary of what I was doing. There were slow paced stealth sections, fast moving chase sequences; heck, even a level that had me playing Call of Duty: Frogger Warfare.
There's one section that does pull in an open-level, and that space is a lot of fun. It may be the best one any Call of Duty team has done yet. I had thought it was essentially a taste of DMZ (which we'll discuss soon enough), but it turns out this is a bespoke map and experience, even if it might resemble the mode. Infinity Ward also accounts for those who may not want to stop and smell the roses, allowing you to fast travel directly into the narrative-led events. It's a nice touch, letting you be as much or little involved as you'd like. The ending might be even better, a large-scale firefight that lets you jump between three squad members. I'm reminded of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat’s hot-swapping; MW4’s use of the idea in today's tech is exhilarating.
Speaking of Battlefield, one other mission of note has you taking back South Korea, and it's a humongous space. We've seen Call of Duty set grand stages before, but Counter-Attack might take the cake. From storming multiple buildings to blowing up enemy fortifications, you feel the war efforts as you drive out the occupiers. Next to the first two missions, this might be the strongest.
I'm unsure why year after year Call of Duty games never get recognition for the stupendous visuals they offer. It's deserved; the mocap and art teams have truly outdone themselves once again. Price, Mads, Gaz, Park, and more look lifelike. When you step into the convenience store at the very beginning, you're greeted with a rush of color and vibrancy. Every facet of Modern Warfare 4 is incredibly detailed, an award-worthy display. I heard about several different initiatives over my time with the developers describing their work on implementing new HDR and ray tracing tech, and it shows.
Following right behind is the audio design. One of the best parts of playing a Call of Duty game is listening to the sounds of gunfire and explosions around you. This title is no different, as MW4’s guns make you feel like you're actually firing a gun, just through the sound. Weapons like the Axion assault rifle feature the chonky bangs you'd expect it to provide. The Striga submachine gun is more of a pop, but still sounds like the weapon you're looking at. I'm almost always happy with Call of Duty’s audio design choices, and it's fantastic here.
For the most part, Modern Warfare campaigns tend to be strong. Modern Warfare 4 continues that trend, with a fresh perspective with matching fluid gameplay and mission flow. If the quality here is indicative of MW4’s online suite, we're in for another great year of COD.
