Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2019-12)

091

REVIEW

This is the kind of ‘show, don’t
tell’ design we’re used to from
Naughty Dog, and shows more
than any playable waterboarding
minigame (yes, there really is
one) that this Call Of Duty has
matured in some areas.

WAR FAIR?
That same tussle between
tone and gameplay follows
through into the online modes.
The raw realism of aspects
of the campaign fail to fully
translate into multiplayer
with consistency. The focus
on making the guns feel and
sound realistic ensures every
match lands a punch. Yet this
is a slower, more tactical skew
on Call Of Duty’s run-and-gun
style of FPS. This can depend
on the map and mode combo;
Team Deathmatch on the Azhir
Cave map is fast and fun, but
play the same mode on the
larger maps, such as Aniyah
Palace, and it’s a slow slog.
The balance of success and
failure can be seen in new

VERDICT

Above The
game still relies
on the series’
shock and awe
for thrills.

Right Stealth
missions can be
completed in a
variety of ways
across some
inventive maps.

Above There’s an emotional core previoustheCallOfDutieslacked.

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

Modern Warfare is the best

Call Of Duty in years, but it still

can’t shake-off the cartoonish

trappings. Off- and online it’s a

quality shooter that does more

right than wrong. Ian Dean

modes Gunfight and Ground

War respectively; the former is

a fast roll of the dice through

randomised loadouts on tiny

maps and each round lasts

seconds, the latter a Battlefield-

styled large skirmish that fails

to keep you engaged.

Technically stunning, the

game runs at a solid 60fps

on both PS4 models, on- and

offline. Despite everything,

Modern Warfare is still a return

to form for a series that has

lost its way in recent years, but

it’s come at a price. Modern

Warfare remains a Hollywood

shooter, right up until the

fan-service post-credits ending,

and that overshadows the good

progress made in many areas to

update the series.

14%It’snotit!

PS4getsco-op

modeSpecial

Opsexclusively

tocarryonthe

game’s story.

8%Finishing

thecampaign in

fivehours,and

wonderingif

that’sit...

13%Fearing

wherethestory

willgonext.

10%Tryingnotto

shootwomenand

children, because

it’s bad. Very bad.

WHAT YOU DO IN... COD: MODERN WARFARE

40%

Admiring the way

every gun is

made to feel

powerful.

15% Tweaking

your loadout to

finally win a Team

Deathmatch.

ThePS4Proversionfeatures all the

enhancements the system can throw at

it, including 4K resolution using temporal

anti-aliasing with dynamic up-sampling,

super-sampling, and HDR. It also runs at

a steady and smooth 60fps on- and

offline. Technically, it’s perfect.

ALSO ON PLAYSTATION 4 PRO

MULTIPLAYER

Online Modern Warfare

feels slower and more

tactical than past

games in the series.

This is because maps

are larger and you need

to pay closer attention

to teamwork. At launch

it’s hit-and-miss, but

when it works (Gunfight

mode), it’s class.

COD: Modern Warfare 2 | 10 COD: Modern Warfare | 8

This PS4 remaster

still plays well, but in

time we expect the

new Modern Warfare

to surpass it online –

free DLC is coming.

SERIESOGRAPHY

COD: Modern Warfare | 10COD: Modern Warfare 3 | 9COD: Ghosts | 8COD: Infinite Warfare | 8COD: Modern Warfare Remaster | 9

TROPHYCABINET

GO

LD

EN

PATH

LIG

HT

SOU

T

LO

NG

W

AY

DO

WN

GOLD

Complete the breach

and clear mission Clean

House without being

shot, and using one

bullet per enemy.

SILVER

Can you snipe a

helicopter’s pilot to

bring down the

chopper to earn this

skillful trophy?

BRONZE

Find the fuse boxes and

turn off the power to

four buildings in the

stealthy Going Dark

campaign mission.