Activision’s top selling franchise Call of Duty Modern Warfare (COD) is back with a vengeance. I admit I had lost interest in the series with all its time swaps and location changes, but now that it has gone back to basics, my original passion for it has been re-ignited…up to a point.
The game follows American CIA officer Alex and British SAS Sargent Garrick as they team up with a group of rebels from the fictional country of Urzikstan. They are pitted against Russian forces lead by General Barkov and the terrorist cell Al-Qatala.
After you are done with the Campaign mode, you can jump into two further modes: Co-op and Multiplayer. On Co-op mode, you can play with friends or random players, to take on AI enemy forces in different missions which are connected to the campaign mode. I had an absolute blast playing with my friends, strategising and executing our mission.
But Multiplayer is what COD is most famous for, and the new game combines all the things that everyone loved from various, previous versions. You can customise your weapons, equipment, perks and kill-streaks. Weapon customisation is the best ever., allowing players to change almost every piece in the weapon. There are 18 different game modes, including fan favourites such as Team Death Match, Search and Destroy, Kill Confirmed and Domination. COD has taken some inspiration from other successful franchises and implemented new systems to good effect.
Perhaps the biggest improvement is the graphics quality. The game looks super realistic. There were times when I forgot that I was playing a game and it felt like I was watching a blockbuster movie. But viewer discretion is advised. There are certain scenes that may be too violent or too upsetting for some players.
The gameplay is awesome! The weapons feel and sound like real weapons, showing their destructive nature for real – or so it seems. Each bullet has a different impact according to the specific surface that it hits. Character movement also depends on what weapon is being held: player-characters run faster, slower and even change their running animations, depending on how heavy the weapon is. The game makes the player feel like a true action hero.
Now as cool as this all sounds, I have to say that Multiplayer feels much the same as it has done for the past 12 years. Yeah, it looks good, but it feels repetitive. The things that made me lose interest a long time ago, are still there. Fans and newcomers will definitely love it. But if you have given up on the series, I’m sorry to say this won’t be your big return to COD.
My final verdict for Call of Duty Modern Warfare is an 8/10.
