Monday 14 January, 2008

Summary:
As many people know, the previous installments in the Call of Duty series has been set in the World War II era, with the common goal of defeating Nazi Germany. This time around, the game is set in modern times. One must complete fictional missions in a wide array of locations throughout the Middle East and Russia. Call of Duty 4 is a first person shooter (fps); each mission has several objectives that must be completed in order to advance to the next mission. These objectives can include anything from making it from point A to point B, taking out a tank, rescuing a fallen pilot, or even escaping a sinking ship.

Gameplay (First Session):
From the very beginning of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, one gets the impression that they are immersed in what seems like an interactive movie. The first mission of the game is so much different than any other fps I have ever played and sets the bar for an intense game ahead. By the end of the mission, the ship you have been fighting on begins to sink, fast. You must make it to the helicopter hovering just off deck in a thunderstorm. The camera gets shifted around as you try to find your way out of the doomed ship. This intensity creates an emotional connection to the game which gives the player a real sense of achievement, like they really cheated death once they jump off the side of the ship into the back of a chopper.
In addition to an amazing start to the game, Call of Duty 4’s graphics put this game up there with other next-gen games. The textures of nearly everything visible are scarily realistic. As the snow falls in Russia, the temperature in the room seems to get a bit colder. The realism in COD4 makes for an adrenaline-fueled experience. While I marched through the middle east with my squadron I was always alert because once the bullets started whizzing past my head in this game, I got the feeling I was actually under attack and needed to defend myself, let alone complete the objectives set out for me.
The story created for Call of Duty 4 is simply amazing and a bit scary at the same time. Although it is fictional, the scenario created seems as though it really could happen, especially in the current state of the world. A Middle Eastern declares war on the US and fights in conjunction with Russian nationalists, while both the UK and US respond. The story takes you through both British and American campaigns. Throughout the entire American campaign you play as one man the entire time and the same goes for the UK campaign. In each, the characters in your squadron are given individual characteristics, which emotionally connects you to them as you each make it through missions with death around every corner.
At a certain point, your American character is actually killed in action after a nuclear bomb goes off. This turn of events is extremely different than any other game. First of all, one typically doesn’t get to witness the detonation of a nuclear weapon, let alone die in the act. Because there are two characters’ stories running simultaneously throughout the game, this twist was possible. When my American counterpart was killed in the game I was shocked. I didn’t get to go back and try again; I was dead. It took a while for this realization to set in but once I was thrust into my next British SAS mission, I was forced to accept it.

Gameplay (Second Session):
For my second round playing Call of Duty 4, I played the online multiplayer instead of the single player, which opens up a whole new aspect of the game. In multiplayer, the story is stripped away and you become one soldier among many. When I logged on to play there were literally tens of thousands of games going on. There are several different game types including free-for-all, team deathmatch, and sabotage to name a few. Each game type has a different goal, which is usually pretty self-explanatory. I primarily played team deathmatch.
Online play has a much different feel to it than its single player counterpart. The intensity of the gameplay is much higher, especially if playing with a lot of people on one map (32 players can be a bit much, and 50 is just insane). What raises the intensity is that everyone is constantly roaming around the map with just one goal, which is to kill you. If you walk around a corner too fast, or even forget to look left as you turn right, someone could catch a quick glimpse of you and that would mean a kill for them.

Design:
The way in which the multiplayer was designed for Call of Duty 4 is very innovative. There are several systems set up within the game that made me want to keep playing. Firstly, there is a level system, which is dependent on XP (experience points). XP can be earned by playing multiplayer games. When you level up you are given a new title such as corporal or gunnery sergeant. This alone would make people want to keep playing, but there is much more.
Weapons, items, and perks are unlocked when you level up. Each weapon has a certain level you must first reach to unlock them along with add-ons to customize them such as different sights, and skins. Since there are so many different choices in this area, you have the ability to create your own class of soldier. By creating different classes you can choose what weapon, sight, grenade and even what perks each class has. Perks are a very interesting twist to the multiplayer game. A perk is something you can add to a class. Each perk has a different function to give an advantage, for example there is one called “last stand” which allows the player to shoot his pistol from the ground while he dies after he has been shot.
In addition to all of these great ideas that have been gracefully crammed into the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer, there is another way in which you can earn additional XP. For nearly every function in the game there is a challenge, which you can complete, and sometimes multiple challenges. These can be anything from running for 26 miles, to shooting people through walls.
Overall, I had a great time playing this game. Even though there are countless numbers of first person shooters on the market, the creators of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare did an exceptional job of creating a game that is very fun and innovative.

This is about what we are looking for, but it would be good if you could go into more detail about your second gameplay experience and how multiplayer changes the game. The description of the first session was great, exactly what we're looking for. I'd like to see such detail in your second segment as well. The design section is also fine, though going deeper into analysing the design, especially in the differences between single and multiplayer would make it even better.

Overall, however, it is perfectly acceptable. Good job.

-Amy Leek (grader)

PS. We would really like it if the two sessions were in separate entries, with a gameplay and design section for each. Please keep this in mind writing your next GameLog.