System: Xbox 360
This game redefines console first person shooters. There is an intangible factor in this game that seems to lift it higher than most FPS games. When I try and put my finger on what it is that makes the game so nice to look at it keeps on coming down to the character animations. They seem so real. There is no people disappearing into walls or into each other. The people move, crouch, fall and blow up in a believable way. There is much talk of breaching the uncanny valley in computer animation, now this game's character models aren't aiming for that but I think they have gone a lot of the way in crossing that uncanny valley that corresponds with our perception of figures moving in the distance or around us. Simply put the character animation is the best I have seen in a first person shooter. The environments are superbly detailed, I would say on a par with Graw 2, some being better, some being the same. Coupled with the great explosion and focus tricks played with the graphics they make a much more realistic experience. You really get an impression of the chaos that a real modern warfare engagement would be like, and I am damn sure, that in real life, I wouldn't last a second.
The level design is good, with mixtures of middle east and eastern europe locations. Each location is blasted and war torn, chernobyl a radioactive ghost town especially bleak. The overgrown junkyard and middle eastern town stick out as being especially well put together. Graphically there is an acceptably smooth frame rate throughout. The resolution isn't the highest but with a fluidity and looks as good as this who really care?
The story concerns a coup and possession of nuclear materials by terrorists. A nuke is actually set off in the course of the game and the eastern Seaboard of America is very nearly turned into radioactive Ash. The characters are slightly memorable, though don't ask me anyone name other than Soap who you play for a large part of the game. The British are strongly accented nutters which seems a little better than the usual british stereotypes. There is some humour, especially in the silo when with only minutes to disarm the nukes a huge metal door swings open at a snails pace. Though after doing this section about twenty times the joke was beginning to wear thin. The story is typical of modern warfare fps', however, the death of a major player controlled hero, the failure to prevent a nuke going off, the very near miss of armageddon and the downbeat final scene make this a slightly less standard and more unconventional ride.
Before playing this game I had been told by reviews that it was a little short. My opinion on this is that it probably does seem a little short as there is no padding here, no running around the same levels looking for things, no lock stock duplicated areas to repeat ad nauseum. The game is story driven, with unique environment all the way. It might feel short if you play through on easy. On hardened and veteran it does not feel like a short game, don't get me wrong this is no 100 hour epic, but it's long enough thank you.
The Game mechanics are probably the only point you can criticise call of duty 4 for. However, the fact that we have seen it all before in many other games is not call of duty's fault. The aiming down the gun with the right trigger is ever present and the compass point waypoints govern the objectives as usual. There is the usual diversion missions where you are fixed in a jeep or bombing the ground from a bomber. There is also an attempt at a covert mission like metal gear solid. This is particularly good, though not to be looked into too heavily as though it feels like a proper stealth game there is really little changed. The part where you lie prone and tanks and soldiers walk around you is particularly tense. It isn't fair to criticise, as it isn't really trying to be metal gear or splinter cell, but it does feel like you are playing a stealth game in the middle of an action heavy fps and for that infinity ward should be praised for trying to keep the pacing varied.
The a.i. is adequate, they do the usual stuff, running around like cannon fodder in the open, however, they do use cover and come at you from all angles. There is nothing here really to praise, however, nothing here to criticise either.
The checkpoint system is employed here well. there was only one point in the game where I felt like I was being sent back too far after dying and that was on the silo mission, and as this could be considered the main finale really then I suppose to make that too easy would have left less of an impact. The counter clicking down in this mission is particualrly nail biting as for the first part of the mission you play normally and then find that you only have seconds to spare, so remember from the time the missiles go off get through things as quickly as possible. You will thank yourself at the end when you have minutes to locate the terminal and enter the abort codes instead of seconds in the control room.
Achievements are given out reasonably fairly. There is points for nearly all levels being completed and more points for completing them on veteran. There are little in game moments to achieve like saving other soldiers or killing dogs which reward you. There are also collectable laptops of which collecting 30 will get you some points. I played through through on hardened first and got 430 points, a respectable amount for a first play through. I will go back to this game and try veteran and will probably play through on easy looking for the laptops, so some replay value there.
The multiplayer is where this game will really have long lasting appeal. This game may become the new halo. The multiplayer is fast a frantic, smooth and mostly lag free. joining games is a breeze, there is a ranking system which unlocks in game goodies and ranks you based on points scored. There are good variations of game modes with headquarters appealing to me in particular. Halo is great online but call of duty is it's equal. The games play slightly differently, and there is room for both.
Scoring
Graphics 9
Gameplay 9
Story 7
Level Design 8
A.i. 7
Total 40 out of 50
Score 80%
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