Infinity Ward Call of Duty 4

Russian Nationalist Imran Zakhaev is Hell-bent on returning his country to its former Cold War glory, and he has recruited some powerful allies to help him in his quest to topple the Western world. That is, unless the West's most elite special forces units have anything to say about it.

Sights and Sounds

Wow, just wow! The line is blurring between video game and reality. Of course, people have been saying that about video games for years, and then when we look at those same games after a few years, we see how flawed they are, but I think Call of Duty 4 might have set a new standard.

Straying away from World War II (Finally), and choosing instead to do a modern game with an imaginary war, Infinity Ward accomplishes quite a bit considering that they more or less started from scratch.

The first thing that you notice is how realistic the faces, expressions, and animations are. very infrequently do you see anything that seems out of place: like avatars floating up stairs, or pathing glitches.

The second thing you notice is how detailed the weapon avatars are. Okay, you might not notice that as much as I would, or the fact that when you go into nightvision mode, there is a infrared laser targetter coming from the AN/PEQ-2 at the end of the M4. MILITARY GEEK OUT! Okay, you might not think its cool, but I do. Infinity Ward consulted OIF and OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom) veterans to ensure accuracy.

The third noticeable point are all of the sounds. From the sounds of bullets whizzing near your character's head, to the differences in caliber from the m1911 pistol to the AK-47, there is meticulous detail in recording these weapons as they really sound, rather than using canned sound effects that were left in the studio.

Controls

It is your standard FPS shooter fair for the most part, so I won't bore you with details. The one cool thing is that you can "snap on" to a target by just being near the target when you hit the aim button (the left trigger on the 360). In this way you can quickly and efficiently snap from target to target, instead of flailing around trying to hit a target father than twenty yards.

Gameplay

Intense, challenging, but original. There are occasional interludes where you either are not in a combat situation, like when you see life through the eyes of the President of a middle eastern country. You see the injustice of this new military regime through the back of the car of your captors. Also, the game takes a minute to show you a few of the elements of a full combat force, including a mission where you render air support in an AC-130.

Could it be better?

Yeah. My only complaint is in the way the scripts were done. I don't know about the SAS, but I know Marines are rough around the edges, loud and profane individuals, just like everyone else in the US Military. A little more cursing, or an enthusiastic "Ooo-rah" would have been nice, but you can't have everything.

Final Verdict 9.9/10

Official Website: http://www.callofduty.com