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» MEDIA (5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare You could take an arm off with that! Ka-boom. Ka-BOOM! Minigun > Helicopter (Arcade Mode)

This hotly anticipated sequel from Infinity Ward is the first to deviate from the World War II setting. It takes place largely in the Middle East and Russia, features modern technology and weaponry, and introduces further gameplay variation. CoD 2 introduced the freedom to decide the order of completion of multiple objectives, but now you often have the option to be stealthy and may even find yourself in hot pursuit of an enemy VIP on foot. The graphics have also been substantially improved with features like dynamic shadows, true HDR lighting, depth-of-field, and soft-edged particles.

The story unfolds with the televised execution of President Al-Fulani somewhere in the Middle East (no specific location is mentioned). You play the roles of John “Soap” MacTavish of the 22nd SAS Regiment and Paul Jackson of the USMC 1st Force Recon in attempts to quell an ultranationalist revolution aiming to restore the former Soviet Union. Imran Zakhaev, his son Victor, Kahled Al-Asad, and an unnamed second-in-command to the latter, together known as “The Four Horsemen,” must be eliminated. Espionage, airstrikes, nuclear detonations, and millions of empty shell casings ensue.

There are so many moments in this game that I have found to elicit school-boy glee. In one of the first USMC scenes, you make use of the Javelin anti-tank weapon. I'm sure fellow fans of "Future Weapons" got a kick out of that. Early showings of the game at E3 depicted ghillie-suited snipers in the Chernobyl disaster zone, infiltrating enemy lines. Stealth is rewarded immensely in that sequence and you eventually man a .50-caliber sniper rifle at a range of nearly a kilometer. However, the best part, by far, is when you are put into the gunner seat of an AC-130 “Spooky” Gunship. Through a thermal imaging camera, you are tasked with protecting the SAS squad on the ground using a 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm Bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer.

New features in this iteration of the series are Arcade mode and unlockable cheats. The former imposes a time limit and extra lives to encourage run-and-gun tactics as you fight through the campaign missions to rack up a high score. Big points are awarded for headshots, while score multipliers can result from kill streaks or by playing on higher difficulties. Though potentially expanding the game's replay value, both are undoubtedly by-products of parallel platform development.

The only negative aspect of CoD 4 has also been present in its predecessors. That is, certain sequences can be frustratingly hard. To make matters worse, enemies will often respawn indefinitely until you make forward progress. Although this can make for extended intense firefights that may be enjoyable for some, it is hell for careful or reserved players. I found that rage-quitting was the only way I could put the game down before finishing it.

Everything you love about Call of Duty is back, the modern theatre is a refreshing change, and all the while, gameplay and storytelling continue to evolve for the better.

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