Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 4 Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Restores Faith In The Campaign

In the time since the first Call of Duty game, the series has had its shares of ups and downs. The series has had the highs of the first Modern Warfare 2, which was a massive success, as well as the lows of the newer Modern Warfare 3, which was a monumental disappointment. While the series always sells millions of copies simply due to the sheer momentum of the multiplayer, the campaign is much less consistent in delivering a satisfying story and gameplay experience.

Because of this, I am sure I am not alone when I say that going into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, I had low expectations. But surprisingly, I was proven wrong.

Modern Warfare 4 has provided the most fun I have had in a Call of Duty Campaign since the original Modern Warfare series released. The setup is, for the most part, a realistic possibility. North Korea attacks South Korea following the death of their supreme leader, as well as some behind-the-scenes string pulling.

Two Very Different Perspectives

Throughout the game, players will spend most of their time playing as Private Park Hyun Jun, who is on the Korean war front, as well as Captain John Price who spends his time completing covert, rogue operations that play into the events of the war. While Captain Price is a foundational character of the series at this point, Park Hyun Jun is a new addition that I quickly learned to like.

In Korea, all male citizens are required to join the military for two years. Park expresses early on that he has no desire to be in the military and plans on leaving as soon as his mandatory service is completed as he has no interest in seeing combat. Unfortunately for him though, North Korea’s attack occurs while he is on patrol and he is dragged straight into the fray.

He is immediately faced with a duty to his people and country, and despite not wanting to be there, he shows that he is a competent and dependable soldier. The campaign does a great job establishing his personal motivations, but also showing that he has the strength of character to fight for his friends and country when he is called to.

Grounded Warfare On The Korean Front

Park’s missions primarily take place in a city called Hajin, which took the brunt of the North Korean assault. These urban combat missions focus on clearing buildings, moving with armor columns, and reclaiming areas with North Korean footholds.

Park’s unit is also tasked with entering North Korea, which leads to an open format mission in which Park and his unit are stranded in enemy territory and must destroy military targets with no support. This mission is clearly designed to promote the DMZ game mode, and does interrupt the flow of the game slightly.

However, unlike previous attempts at an open format mission style, Modern Warfare 4 actually has more linear sections within the map where the actual mission objectives take place. While it is possible to wander the map, stealthily eliminating patrols and clearing outposts, the actual missions focus on clearing abandoned installations or working through a fortified outpost to eliminate a tactical threat.

This helps make the objective still feel like a Call of Duty mission, instead of a lazy promotion for one of the multiplayer modes. Which in all fairness, it still is a promotion for DMZ, but it was at least a fun one.

Park’s missions feel like the most grounded thing that Call of Duty has done in years. There are certainly parts where the suspension of disbelief comes in, and the actual inciting incident of the invasion is also a little dubious, but the character moments and storytelling are genuinely fun, engaging, and present real stakes for the new characters.

Captain Price Brings The Action

Captain Price’s missions focus a bit more on the bombastic side of things that newer Call of Duty campaigns have gone a little too crazy for, but they remain grounded enough that it doesn’t take us players out of the game. 

One of the most notable differences between Price and Park is that Price has hand-to-hand combat sections that involve blocking, parrying, and counterattacking. This mechanic is introduced early on in a nightclub mission that feels like it was straight out of John Wick. Euro-pop music plays in the background as neon lights flash and civilians dance around you, unaware of the firefight that is mere moments from breaking out.

The hand-to-hand combat sections only occur in specific encounters, so players don’t need to try and fistfight enemies with guns. The combat sequences themselves are also incredibly dynamic, with several counters, environmental attacks, and finishers that make the fight feel dynamic and look awesome.

Overall though, the combat is what one would expect of a Call of Duty game. However, the sound design was great for the guns, and the movement feels like it was slowed down and made a bit heavier for the campaign. Movement has a bit more weight to it, and firing high caliber weapons actually feels like it has some impact. This is a relatively minor change, but it does a lot to make the game feel just a bit more immersive.

Modern Warfare 4 Gets The Campaign Back On Track

Again, Modern Warfare 4 has been able to deliver the most fun I have had in a Call of Duty campaign in a long time. It doesn’t simply rely on known characters, or play to nostalgia for the campaign. The plot is more grounded than the series has seen in a long time, and it manages to balance serious moments with more lighthearted beats, without dragging either one down. 

Modern Warfare 4 has given me hope that more great Call of Duty stories can still be told, instead of simply being sent out as a yearly update for the multiplayer modes.

Important Links

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Starts Its Campaign – But Not On Game Pass – https://www.thexboxhub.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-starts-its-campaign/

Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-vault-edition/9nwwns0c3007