Call of Duty:
ModernWarfare/ £49.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPERInfinityWard/PUBLISHERActivision
I
nfinity’sWard’slatestModernWarfarerebootis
thestrongest game in the series for years, with a
no-holds-barred campaign and a fully fledged
multiplayer offering. The campaign aims to provide a gritty
and authentic portrayal of today’s war zones, aiming for a tone
that’s less like an action movie and more like the war
documentary Restrepo. Set primarily in the fictional country of
Urzikstan – a thinly veiled analogue for Syria – it sees Captain
Price team up with soldiers from the UK, USA and Urzikstan as
they hunt for a stolen brace of chemical weapons.
In some ways, this new direction works well. Early in the
game, you play an SAS soldier in London when terrorists
attack Piccadilly Circus. The resulting scene is one of genuine
horror and confusion as you try to pick out targets and save
civilians amid the chaos. Modern Warfare also strives to
ensure we don’t see its conflict in Urzikstan from a purely
Western perspective. One of the primary characters is Farah
Karim, the leader of the Urzikstan Liberation Force, who
becomes the focus of the story in the campaign’s second half.
However, the writers don’t know when to stop laying on
the horror. Every mission seems to feature a traumatic
scene, from children being shot to your character being
tortured in first-person. Worse, this attempt to provide an
unflinching portrayal of war is undermined by the presence
of a typically daft multiplayer game, alongside some
questionable creative decisions (see Inverse look, opposite).
When it isn’t trying to traumatise you, the actual game is
pretty good. The guns and movement have a weightier,
more impactful feel than previous Call of Duty games, and
the more tactically focused missions, such as Clean House,
are great for highlighting the detail of Infinity’s Ward’s
exceptional new game engine.
The multiplayer component is also far better than other
morerecententries.Thehighlightis undoubtedlyGunfight,
atiny 2v2 team-deathmatch that takes place on compact
maps, where all players are given the same randomised
loadout. It’s a pure test of FPS skill and adaptability, and its
quickfire rounds make it very easy to jump in for a few
games. On the flipside is Ground War, a 64-player, capture-
and-hold scenario that’s similar to Battlefield’s Conquest
mode. It’s not as original as Gunfight, but it offers a satisfying,
large-scale mode that Call of Duty has hitherto lacked.
Modern Warfare is undoubtedly the most accomplished
Call of Duty in years. Both the campaign and the multiplayer
game have plenty going for them. However, the campaign’s
content is frequently challenging and sometimes downright
unpleasant, and it just feels odd bolting such a dark and
gritty single-player component to a silly (if well-designed)
virtual paintball match.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
Technically
accomplished
and undoubtedly
thrilling, although
the results aren’t
always pleasant
to behold.OVERALL SCORE
70 %%
VICTORY
+ Looksfantastic
+ Strong multiplayer
offering
+ Campaign has
interesting
momentsDEFEAT- Single-player
gametoogrim - Tone^
undermined by
multiplayer game