Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Today's military wants a shot at the best-loved wartime FPS, to show those old-timers what a real firefight is like
Even the biggest fans of WWII first-person shooters have to admit video game companies are beating a dead war. Thank the big Sergeant in the sky that original Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward is bringing its unique brand of sweat-inducing, urine-causing FPS intensity to a setting in this millennium.
For Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward fabricated its own fictional war. Studio head Vince Zampella says, "Today's real conflicts don't suit the Call of Duty style." That style deals with two equal sides seesawing control, and well-defined lines between good and evil. In Modern Warfare's case, the good is generally either the British SAS or American force reconnaissance. Russian despot Zakhaev populates the wrong side of the tracks, along with a plethora of metaphorical ants all too eager to spoil the world's picnic.
Modern Warfare looks a bit like a Tom Clancy title, with its high-tech gadgetry and competent squad mechanics. In execution, however, it definitely earns the Call of Duty name. While the action isn't turned up to 11 at all times, you'll experience a whirlwind of tension-filled missions that will have you invading a cargo ship on a stormy night one moment, and defending an Abrams battle tank against infinite assailants the next.
Curveballs in the story include flashbacks and playable cameos, while the gameplay stays fresh with a stint as a bomber - raining gnarly, sickly-satisfying death from high above in a scene seemingly lifted straight from CNN footage.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
The first of a new "batch" of Lord of the Rings movies will be released in 2026 – and Peter Jackson is involved "every step of the way"
After millions of sales and a glut of awards, Baldur's Gate 3 director says he's nearly done talking about his smash CRPG hit: "I really want to focus on new things"
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies wants to make a musical episode one day, despite once turning down ABBA's idea for a stage version