Unless you’ve been living on Mars for the last twenty years, you’ve most certainly heard of ‘Call of Duty’. Now a household name, so recognizable that your Grandma is accustomed to UAV Recons, Call of Duty was not always the powerhouse that it is today. Originally made to compete with the Medal of Honor franchise, COD had a fairly strong foundation with its first few games. The early installments were well-liked by FPS fans but they were still WW2 shooters in an already inflated market. Even by Call of Duty 3, the series was feeling fatigued and in danger of becoming a real SNAFU. The list of WW2 games being released was longer than Samuel L. Jackson’s IMDB page. The franchise needed something fresh. Something Different… Something… Modern!
In 2007, an Avengers-portal-scene magnitude of key video games were released. Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy, God of War 2, Team Fortress 2, Uncharted, Portal, Mass Effect, Crysis, even fucking Rock Band, plus many, MANY more… This would be when Call of Duty went from firecracker to artillery shell. It catapulted cinematic action-movie single-player, exceptional visuals, much more fluid gunplay as well as spawning a new online cesspit to be yelled racial slurs at by some 12-year-old. When developer Infinity Ward released Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, it didn’t take audiences by storm, it rocked them like a hurricane! This is considered to be a definitive moment in online gaming. Multiplayer in previous games was polished, but here it was perfected. It would be where Call of Duty, as we know it, would establish its new found sense of identity. Back when most people actually gave a shit, the game was packaged-in with a quality campaign mode. And I stress the word “quality”.
Simply referred to retroactively as ‘Modern Warfare 1’- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s campaign calls upon its duty by dropping us into the boots of silent-player-character, John, whom everyone refers to as ‘Soap’, because… he cleans house? The SAS are no small-timers. You must demonstrate your skill on the firing range, perform demolition exercises and most importantly- your fruit killing capabilities. After you run through the course eleven-or-so times until they begrudgingly recommend you Veteran difficulty just to get you to stop wasting ammo and watermelons, you select ‘Regular’ anyway because you’re a pansy. Now you’re ready to suit up.
If you’re old enough to remember this then you’ll recall what I’m talking about…With the excitement of a coked-out Chihuahua “Crew Expendable” wastes none of your time, literally dropping you in the action. Mutton-chopped, cigar-smoking asskicker, Captain Price, takes one final drag before him, the squad and Soap go sliding down the rope. Feet hitting the ground, it was clear, our little Call of Duty was all grown up. Previous titles were presented as viewing through the lens of a History Channel documentary. This new direction boldly and aggressively shoves that aside for a new style which is as if Micheal Bay were in the director’s chair perched proudly over yon high. I never pictured sitting in a cab ride for ten-minutes would be so exhilarating until witnessing all the ensuing chaos of the post-opening coup. The high stakes of this game hit you square in the face….with a bullet…on live television. This game has balls the size of a tactical nuclear blast.
Speaking of which… (Spoiler alert for anyone who’s been living in a cave), don’t get too attached to the American you switch to, gracefully known as Soldier #5072-B, or whatever his name was, because he dies choking on his own entrails. Seriously, did they get George R.R. Martin to direct this? Actually, I don’t recall if this was the first game to pull that kind of stint (killing off the playable character mid-game), but it was ballsy at the time and certainly made a dramatic lasting impression. After the radiation is done rewriting the poor chap’s DNA like a mental asylum patient writes their name on the wall, you slide back on your Soap scrubs to hunt down the guy who blew your (the president’s) head off earlier. Captain Price decides to return the favor on Mr. Terrorist guy with shades which leads us into a flashback sequence- the best and most iconic Call of Duty mission of all time…
“All Ghillied Up” -*15 years earlier* Playing as a younger, then Leftenant Price, under mentorship by Captain McMillian. Everything about this mission is stellar. Which surely led to the skyrocketing of sales for ghillie-suits during the post-Halloween season. What makes this stand out as a fan-favorite is how the mission shifts gears in the game’s momentum. Focusing on stealth, “All Ghillied Up” decided to do what no mission did before; take things slow. This level puts an emphasis on taking the scenic route. Instead of blowing up helicopters, tanks and trying to outrun a nuclear blast, the player takes a tactical approach; focusing on getting into position, taking the shot at just when the winds are right, or letting the enemy pass entirely in order to not draw attention. Unlike the vast majority of COD missions, which take place in an active adrenaline-pumping warzone, Pripyat is a completely abandoned and derelict setting. Immersing the player in an atmosphere of decay, ruin and tragedy. “50,000 people used to live here…now it’s a ghost-town”- Captain McMillian utters the phrase that’s now been stuck in your head from the game’s boot-up screen and you get to explore, very carelessly, an eerie nuclear wasteland. The target- Imran Zahkaev: a Russian arms-dealer attempting to make a profit on nuclear material. Missions such as these remind me of practicing restraint in storytelling. Sometimes less really is more. But, of course, after Michael Bay comes back from his piss break to continue steering the games direction, you fumble the assassination attempt on Zahkaev and every Russian thug is out for your bollocks. In “All Ghillied Up” Captain McMillian is keeping you out of danger and now, after he sprains his ankle, it’s time to save his ass in turn. Through a series of dodging helicopter fire and snapping the necks of radioactive German-shepherds, you arrive with your injured Captain at the abandoned amusement park. Time to blow the shins off every angry commie and make your escape.
Back in the present (More spoilers ahead!), Zakaev’s son offs himself in a botched snag-and-grab operation when you corner him on a rooftop. This causes Zakaev to become enraged and naturally wishes for retaliation by annihilating the entire Eastern Seaboard. Leading to an epic race-to-the-finish to abort the launch codes. *Side note; The difficulty of this level on Veteran is the equivalent to shaving your head with duct tape- Would not recommend. The last few missions of the game are exciting, well paced and all arrive at an unforgettable final act. After your entire team gets wiped out, when Captain Price slides the pistol to you, in a last ditch effort to finish off the bad guys- it’s such a pivotal moment that stays with you from the first time you play it. It seems tame nowadays, but I feel like this was the first of these types of dramatic conclusions. This is where legends are made.
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The legacy of COD4 is one of revolution. This was the birth of modern-military-shooters in mainstream gaming. Its cinematic blockbuster-style FPS campaign would become the standard for many in the industry to follow. Its legacy still lives on. While the series may have fallen from grace in more recent years, this title will forever remain on its high horse. Rack up some kills, find enemy intel and be sure to check those corners!
Mikhail & Fil
Verdict: 10/10
https://opencritic.com/game/3428/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-remastered
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty_4:_Modern_Warfare