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ESchmitt89's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)
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| [January 14, 2008 12:32:50 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
This time around I decided to play the single player campaign of Call of Duty 4. In the single player campaign you play as either the British S.A.S. forces or the American U.S.M.C. in many missions that take place in the Middle East and Russia. The campaign is incredibly action packed and i would describe each level as the best action movie you have ever seen. The levels are very well scripted but at the same time do not feel scripted. There is always plenty of action going on on-screen so you never really feel bored or like you are waiting for something in interesting to happen.
The single player campaign consists of an Epilogue, three acts each consisting of multiple missions, and a bonus mission that is very short but VERY fun. While playing through the campaign I noticed how much each mission varied from the others. One of the problems I have found with single player in first person shooters is the lack of variety. In many FPS games each level seems very linear and similar to the previous level. While environments may change, the core gameplay does not. This is not true in Call of Duty 4, where each mission is very different from the next and you are never really sure what is coming next. They constantly mix up the gameplay and this makes for a very action packed and enjoyable campaign.
DESIGN
I would consider Call of Duty 4 the biggest innovation to first person shooters since GoldenEye 64 for the Nintendo 64. There are so many innovative features in this game including shooting through walls, the perk system, the concept or hiding in plain sight, along with many others. These features combine to create one of the best games I have ever played.
In many games of the past if you could not see the enemy you could not shoot them. For instance if you were shooting at an enemy hiding behind a waist high wall and then he decided to crouch and hide you were out of luck. In Call of Duty 4 you could shoot at the wall where the enemy is hiding and actually kill them. Of course this depends on the strength of your weapon and the thickness of the wall, but many of the surfaces in the game are penetrable by most weapons. This adds a really interesting element to the game because you are no longer safe if you are out of sight.
Another great feature of this game that adds to its replay-ability is the perk system. When playing online, each character has three customizable perk slots to which they can choose abilities that accommodate their personal play style. These perks include 3 frag grenades as opposed to 1, silent footsteps for the stealthy kills, more health, less kickback on weapons, holding your breath longer which is useful for snipers to get that headshot, along with many more. This adds a new element to the FPS genre and gives players much more freedom and creativity when making their character. Now not only must you decide on your favorite weapon but also which three perks you feel make you the best all around player.
One moment that made me sit back in my chair with my mouth hanging wide open in a confused stupor was when a bush killed me. Now it wasn't really a bush, but a enemy player in a guille suit crouched down in some shrubs. A guille suit for those of you that do not know is a suit consisting of shrubs and other plant material that real life snipers use to hide from the enemy. At a glance this character blended in so well with the environment I was shocked. Since then i have also learned to use the environment to my advantage as well. Grass is no longer just for looks but can be used to hide from enemies when the bullets start flying.
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| [January 13, 2008 11:47:09 PM]
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SUMMARY
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first person shooter that takes place in modern day as the title suggests. The game is incredibly realistic both in gameplay and visuals. It features a single player campaign along with a stellar online multiplayer mode with game types including free-for-all, team deathmatch, along with many other variants.
GAMEPLAY
The first thing the player will notice when they sit down to play Call of Duty 4 is how realistic the game looks. The characters, environments, special effects (dust, fire, smoke, etc.), lighting, and movements are all incredibly detailed and will make you sit back in your chair and say "Whoa!". Sometimes I consider this game more of a "movie that I control" rather than a video game simply because it looks so good. I know that I sometimes will sit in one place in-game gazing in awe at the graphics and will get killed because my character is standing out in the open.
This brings up another interesting aspect of the game, which is the concept of cover. Cover can include hiding behind walls, fences, in buildings, etc. This is not your typical FPS where players are running and jumping around a level shooting rockets and driving hover-cars into each other. In COD4 cover is your best friend, and any good player will learn to use it early on. The reason cover is so important is because as stated earlier, this game is very realistic, so 1-3 shots with most weapons is enough to kill you. Many times when you are killed the only part of the enemy you can see is the top of their helmet and their weapon poking out of a second story window 100 yards away. In fact, the game is so realistic and that sometimes I run right buy enemy snipers wearing guille-suits laying prone in the tall grass. Many people's first reaction to the game is "I didn't even see the guy that just killed me!?!?" but after some practice you will have other players screaming the same thing.
Another aspect of this game that separates it from numerous other FPS games is the online ranking system. There are a total of 55 ranks in the game and at each rank you unlock new weapons and character perks, which are used to hand tailor your character to unique gameplay style. This adds a new element to the game and makes playing feel more rewarding. The cool thing about the ranking system is that a rank 1 can kill a rank 55 just fine, after all a gun is a gun whether or not it has a fancy scope or silencer. Basically rank doesn't make your character better, but rather makes your character better for your particular play style.
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ESchmitt89's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Sunday 13 January, 2008
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