Cauldron

Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Courtesy of IGN MODERN WARFARE brings a new aspect to the popular Call of Duty series.

It took me a while to jump on the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare train, but I haven't gotten off since.

In CoD4, developers Infinity Ward take a well-deserved break from the World War II setting; instead, as the sub-title suggests, the game takes place in the near-future. You start off as Sergeant "Soap" MacTavish, who is the newest recruit to the 22nd SAS Regiment, the special forces branch of the British military. The player also takes control of Paul Jackson, a member of the U.S. Marines. The story is a ripped-from-the-headlines plot about the British and American military forces working together to stop terrorists from detonating stolen nuclear weapons-not exactly a revolutionary storyline, but there are some powerful moments.

At one point, the player takes control of an AC-130 gunship, and while it's admittedly kind of fun to blow away the enemy from 20,000 feet in the air, there's also a seriously disturbing sense of detachment from the killing. Most of the action takes place in unspecified parts of the Middle East and Russia, but there are also a couple levels in a suitably creepy Chernobyl.

The single-player campaign is fun but can get a bit tedious at some of the harder points. Even though the enemy A.I. is pretty good, enemies always spawn at the same points, leading to predictable firefights when replaying or restarting a mission.

The online multiplayer is where the game really shines. The big thing that CoD4 brings to the multiplayer table is the ability to customize the abilities of your character. There are several weapon classes to choose from, and even further breakdown within each class. You can also add different attachments to each weapon, such as scopes or silencers. You can also choose three different "perks" which are specific enhancements to your character-the ability to sprint longer, more health, stronger weapons, etc. The customization is impressive, and it gives you the chance to adapt character-types to specific situations or maps. There are a wealth of gametypes online, including the standard free-for-all and team deathmatch, CTF-type scenario, and a head-to-head gametype. Split-screen multiplayer is also available.

CoD4 multiplayer definitely takes some time to get used to-being a relatively realistic game, it only takes a couple of shots to be killed, so expect a lot of that when starting out. Stick to your guns though, and you're bound to get some rewarding experiences. My favorite was jumping off a second-story balcony onto the shoulders of an enemy, where I proceeded to stab him in the head. Ahh, good times.

The graphics are great throughout, and the framerate is consistent. The sound is clear and crisp-play long enough and the sounds of the battlefield will become familiar, from the ricochet of bullets near your head to the clinking of a grenade landing at your feet.

CoD's publisher, Activision, recently repackaged the game as a Game of the Year Edition. It comes with four new multiplayer maps that are also available as a $10 download. The Game of the Year Edition is available on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for $59.99.

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