Wikipedia

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

(Redirected from COD4)
This article is about the fourth installment in the Call of Duty series. For the Nintendo DS version, see Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Nintendo DS). For the 2019 reboot, see Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019 video game).

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the fourth main installment in the Call of Duty series. The game breaks away from the World War II setting of previous entries and is instead set in modern times. Developed over two years, Modern Warfare was released in November 2007 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. A Wii port, developed by Treyarch and subtitled Reflex Edition, was released in 2009.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
A soldier in a combat uniform, helmet and tactical vest, aiming a long-barreled firearm runs forward. Debris from explosions fly behind the soldier while two helicopters fly above in the background.
Cover artwork used internationally for the various platforms
Developer(s)Infinity Ward[a]
Publisher(s)Activision
Director(s)Jason West
Producer(s)Mark Rubin
Designer(s)
  • Todd Alderman
  • Steve Fukuda
  • Mackey McCandlish
  • Zied Rieke
Programmer(s)
  • Richard Baker
  • Robert Field
  • Francesco Gigliotti
  • Earl Hammon Jr
Artist(s)
  • Richard Kriegler
  • Chris Cherubini
  • Joel Emslie
  • Robert Gaines
Writer(s)Jesse Stern
Composer(s)Stephen Barton
SeriesCall of Duty
EngineIW 3.0
Platform(s)
Release
November 5, 2007
  • Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
    • NA: November 5, 2007
    • AU: November 7, 2007
    • EU: November 9, 2007
    Mac OS X
    • NA: September 26, 2008
    • PAL: January 28, 2011
    Wii
    • WW: November 10, 2009
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The story takes place in the year of 2011 when a radical leader has executed the president of an unnamed country in the Middle East, and an ultranationalist movement ignites a civil war in Russia. The conflicts are seen from the perspectives of a U.S. Marine Force Recon sergeant and a British SAS commando and are set in various locales, such as the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ukraine. The multiplayer portion of the game features numerous game modes and contains a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons, weapon attachments, and camouflage schemes as they advance.

The game was praised by critics, especially for its gameplay and storyline, winning numerous "Game of the Year" titles and two BAFTA Video Games Awards. It was the top-selling game worldwide in 2007, selling around seven million copies by January 2008 and almost sixteen million by November 2013. Retrospective reviewers consider it one of the best, if not the best, games in the series, and one of the greatest video games ever made for its influential campaign and multiplayer. It was followed by two sequels that continue the storyline: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011).

A remastered version of the game, developed by Raven Software and titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, was released as part of special edition bundles of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in November 2016 and as a standalone game in June 2017. A reboot of the Modern Warfare game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, was released in October 2019.

Gameplay

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter. A character can be positioned in one of three stances: standing, kneeling, or prone; each affecting the character's rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage, as there is no armor or health powerups. When the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red and the character's heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player to either flee or toss it back to the enemy.[1]

The game is the first in the Call of Duty series to feature modern equipment. The game also introduces new features, particularly multiplayer mechanics such as "killstreaks," where the player gains access to special abilities for killing enemies without dying.[citation needed]

Campaign

The player takes on the role of various characters during a single-player campaign. The characters' involvement in the plot occurs simultaneously and overlaps the events in the game. As such, the player's perspective changes from one character to another between missions. Each mission features a series of objectives; the player is led to each objective with the heads-up display, which marks its direction and distance. Some objectives require that the player arrives at a checkpoint, while other objectives require the player to eliminate enemies in a specified location, stand their ground to defend an objective, or plant explosive charges on an enemy installation. After completing the campaign, a special epilogue mission is unlocked for play. The mission itself has no bearing on the campaign plot and focuses on a SAS squad fighting terrorists that have hijacked an airplane and taken a VIP hostage. The main campaign features 30 collectible pieces of intel that award the player with game cheats and visual filters such as infinite ammunition, cluster grenades, and increased contrast.[1]

Multiplayer

 
A player completes the objective of a "Domination" multiplayer game by capturing and defending three flags.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare features team-based and deathmatch-based multiplayer modes on various maps. Each mode has an objective that requires unique strategies to complete.[2] Players can call in UAV reconnaissance scans, airstrikes, and attack helicopters when they achieve three-, five-, and seven-enemy kill streaks respectively.[1] A game ends when either a team or player has reached a predefined number of points, or the allotted time expires in which case the team or player with the most points wins. If the points are even when the time expires, Sudden Death mode is activated in which there is no re-spawning, and the team that either has the last man standing or achieves the objective first is the winner. If the player is in either of the two matches, then there is an Overtime match, in which the next team to win is rewarded the victory.[2]

The player's performance in the multiplayer mode is tracked with experience points, which can be earned by killing opposing players, completing challenges, completing objectives, or by completing a round or match. As the player gains experience, they advance in level, unlocking new weapons, perks, challenges, and gameplay modes. The highest obtainable level is 55, but on the console versions of the game, the player has the option to enter "Prestige" mode, which returns their level to one and removes all accumulated unlockables. This process can be repeated up to 10 times with a different insignia being given each time.[3]

As the player advances in levels and goes up higher in prestige, they earn the ability to customize their classes; this includes selecting their main weapon, sidearm, and special grenade type. Additionally, the player can select 3 perks, one from each of the three "Tiers", that can customize their character further. Perk effects include, but are not limited to, extra ammunition, increasing bullet damage by the player, or dropping a live grenade when the player is killed. The player is also given the choice to complete challenges to receive even more experience points; challenges include achieving a certain number of kills with a specific weapon, shooting down a helicopter, or performing several headshots. Additionally, when the player attains a certain number of headshots with a specific weapon, excluding sidearms, the player unlocks extra weapon "camos", or camouflage, to use for that specific weapon.[1]

Campaign

Characters

"Khaled Al-Asad" redirects here. Not to be confused with Khaled al-Asaad, a Syrian archaeologist beheaded by the Islamic State in August 2015.

During the single-player campaign, the player controls six different characters from a first-person perspective. The player assumes the role of a recent recruit to the British Special Air Service (SAS), John "Soap" MacTavish for most of the game, starting with his induction into the 22nd SAS Regiment.[4] Sergeant Paul Jackson is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Force Recon Company deployed to an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Captain John Price (Billy Murray) is a SAS officer who is playable in two flashback missions from 1996 in which he is a lieutenant. The player also assumes the role of an American TV operator aboard a Lockheed AC-130 gunship during one level and an unnamed SAS operative infiltrating a hijacked airliner to save a VIP in a secret level titled "Mile High Club." Finally, the player briefly controls Yasir Al-Fulani, the president of an unnamed Middle Eastern country, although the player has no freedom of action beyond turning his head.[2][4][5]

The game's non-playable characters (NPCs) feature prominently in the story: Captain Price and his second-in-command, Gaz (Craig Fairbrass), serve as mentors to Soap. Jackson's platoon is led by Lieutenant Vasquez (David Sobolov) and Staff Sergeant Griggs (voiced by and modeled after Infinity Ward lead animator Mark Grigsby); Griggs later accompanies the SAS. Sergeant Kamarov (Mark Ivanir) leads the Russian loyalists that aid the SAS and USMC forces. "Nikolai" (Sven Holmberg) is a Russian loyalist informant who helps the SAS. Captain MacMillan (Zach Hanks) is Price's mentor and commanding officer during a flashback.

The antagonists in the story include Imran Zakhaev (Yevgeni Lazarev), the leader of the Russian Ultranationalist party and the main antagonist of the game; Khaled Al-Asad, the commander of the revolutionary forces in the unnamed Middle Eastern country and an ally of Imran Zakhaev; and Victor Zakhaev, the son of Imran Zakhaev and a priority figure in the Ultranationalist party.[2]

Locations featured in the campaign include the United Kingdom, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine.[citation needed]

Plot

 
The level "All Ghillied Up" takes place in Pripyat, Ukraine, featuring several iconic aspects of the abandoned city, such as this square.

In 2011, a civil war broke out in Russia between its government and Ultranationalists seeking to return Russia to its Soviet-era glory. Meanwhile, a separatist group led by Khaled Al-Asad, who holds anti-Western views, seizes power in an unnamed country in the Middle East through a coup d'état. In response, the United States invades the country. A platoon of U.S. Marines from 1st Force Recon Co, led by Lieutenant Vasquez, fail to capture Al-Asad and later engage in urban combat in a nearby city with support from an M1 Abrams tank.

Meanwhile, new British Special Air Service operator Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish is recruited into Captain Price's team, which conducts two operations; the first leads them to infiltrate a cargo ship in the Bering Strait. Neutralizing the armed Russians on board, the team secure a nuclear device labeled in Arabic. Ultranationalist MiG-29s scuttle the ship, but the SAS escapes by helicopter.

The second operation tasks the SAS with rescuing an ally, a Russian informant named Nikolai working within the Ultranationalist party. Assisted by Russian loyalist forces, Price's team extracts Nikolai. However, their helicopter is brought down, forcing the team to go through enemy territory with support from an AC-130 gunship before being extracted. Intelligence gathered from these two missions indicates that Al-Asad may be in possession of a Russian nuclear device.

The U.S. launches a full-scale assault on Al-Asad's presidential palace, aware of the possible nuclear device. As SEAL Team 6 raids the palace, the USMC engage Al-Asad's ground forces. However, the assault ends in catastrophe when the nuclear device suddenly detonates, wiping out most of the city along with everyone in it.

Refusing to assume Al-Asad is dead, Price's team, supported by Russian loyalists, raids a safe house in Azerbaijan, where they locate and capture Al-Asad. During the interrogation, Price answers Al-Asad's phone before executing him, revealing that the caller was the leader of the ultranationalists: Imran Zakhaev. Price reveals his history with Zakhaev. In 1996, in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Zakhaev profited from nuclear proliferation and used his new wealth to fund his private military, recruiting ex-Soviet military personnel to form his Ultranationalist party. Price and his superior, Captain MacMillan, were ordered to assassinate Zakhaev in Pripyat, Ukraine, where Price fired at Zakhaev with a sniper rifle from a hotel; however, the shot only severed Zakhaev's arm. Price and MacMillan barely escaped Zakhaev's forces.

Following Al-Asad's death, Price's team holds off against Ultranationalist forces who arrive to avenge him. A joint task force composed of the SAS, Force Recon, and the loyalists then attempt to capture Zakhaev's son, Victor, to learn Zakhaev's whereabouts. After ambushing him, Victor flees but is cornered on the roof of an apartment building. Refusing to surrender, he commits suicide. Enraged, Zakhaev retaliates by taking control of a nuclear launch facility.

An operation is launched by the task force to take back the site. However, Zakhaev promptly launches nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles at the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, with the potential of causing 41 million casualties. The SAS and Force Recon manage to breach the facility and remotely destroy the missiles over the Atlantic Ocean. They escape in military trucks with Zakhaev's forces in pursuit.

An ultranationalist Mi-24 Hind helicopter destroys a bridge and traps the joint force. In the ensuing fight, a tanker explodes, and many of the group are either killed or injured. Zakhaev himself arrives and begins killing wounded soldiers when arriving loyalists in a Mi-28 Havoc destroy his Mi-24 Hind. Distracted, Zakhaev turns to the loyalists, and Price gives a pistol to Soap, who kills Zakhaev and his escort. Loyalist forces start tending to the wounded immediately.

In the epilogue, the missile incident and the ultranationalists' support of Al-Asad are covered up, prompting the events in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Development

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was developed by a team of a hundred people, over the course of two years. After Call of Duty 2, the Infinity Ward team decided to move away from the World War II environment of previous games in the series. This resulted in three game concepts: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. While developing the story for Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward chose to avoid referencing current, real-life wars, and keep the series' common theme of two opposing forces of similar strength. To enhance the realistic feel of the game, the development team attended a live-fire exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, a training facility in the California desert. This helped the developers to simulate the effects of being near an Abrams tank when it fires. The team also talked with U.S. Marines who were recently in combat to get a feel for the background, emotions, and attitude of Marines in combat. Veterans were also recruited to supervise motion capture sessions and the artificial intelligence design of the game.[6]

The development team designed the online multiplayer component to be balanced and rewarding for new players while still offering something for experienced players. An early idea to implement air support (air strikes and attack helicopters) involved players fighting over special zones to access a trigger for air support against enemies. This idea was discarded because it discouraged the type of deathmatch gameplay they intended. The killstreak reward system was put in its place to encourage the improvement of player skills. Players were allowed to select weapons before matches to get accustomed to weapons more easily and minimize weapon hunting. Maps were designed primarily for deathmatch games—the developers felt such designs suited other types of gameplay as well. Map layouts were designed to minimize locations players could hide from enemy gunfire.[7]

Most of the music for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was written by British composer Stephen Barton, who had also contributed to film scores by Harry Gregson-Williams, to whom, composed the main theme of the game. Several music tracks from the game are available on Infinity Ward's "7 Days of Modern Warfare" website, and some are available at Barton's own web site.[8] The rap song played during the end credits is performed by Infinity Ward lead animator, Mark Grigsby.[9]

Game engine

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare runs on the IW engine, specifically IW 3.0, featuring true world-dynamic lighting, HDR lighting effects, dynamic shadows and depth of field.[10][11] Bullet penetration is calculated by the engine, taking into account factors such as surface type and entity thickness. The game runs in a native resolution of 600p on the Xbox 360 and PS3.[12]

Certain objects, such as cars and some buildings, are destructible. This makes distinguishing cover from concealment important, as the protection provided by objects such as wooden fences and thin walls do not completely protect players from harm. Bullet stopping power is decreased after penetrating an object, and the decrease is dependent on the thickness and surface type of the object. The game makes use of a dynamic physics engine, not implemented in previous Call of Duty titles. Death animations are a combination of pre-set animations and ragdoll physics. Console versions of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare run at a consistent 60 frames per second, and the Wii version runs at 30 frames per second.[10] Code was included to determine spawning points based on the nearby weapons and the relationship between enemy positions and line of sight to the points. The various criteria are meant to minimize players dying immediately after rejoining a match, or being "spawn-killed" due to players simply waiting for others to "respawn".[7] However, enemies may still respawn infinitely, a notable feature in Call of Duty game engines.[13]

The game engine has also been used for the development of two other Activision games. An enhanced version of the original engine was used in Call of Duty: World at War, the fifth installment in the Call of Duty series after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,[14] while a slightly altered version has been used for the James Bond video game Quantum of Solace, as well as GoldenEye 007 using a heavily modified version.[15]

Marketing and release

Call of Duty 4's modern-day setting was first leaked to Joystiq in March 2006.[16] On April 27, 2007, the day before the release of the game's trailer, Infinity Ward launched a website called "Charlie Oscar Delta" to provide information on the game. Charlie Oscar Delta features a ranking system that allows users to complete missions to increase their rank and compete for prizes. Charlie Oscar Delta is derived from the NATO phonetic alphabet and the initials of Call of Duty.[17] The first Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare trailer featuring game footage was released on April 28.[18] An Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare public beta test was announced on August 30. The beta test was designed to test the servers, find glitches, and help balance out the weapons. It was originally only for residents of the U.S., but was later available to other countries. The beta concluded on September 30.[19] The maximum rank for the beta was initially level 16,[20] but was increased to level 25 towards the end of the beta. Three multiplayer maps were available for play: "Crash", "Vacant", and "Overgrown".[21] A single-player demo for the PC was released on October 11 as a Yahoo! download. The demo includes one level, "The Bog", which showcases the advanced night vision and associated graphics capabilities.[22]

Retail versions

The game was released as a standard version and a collector's edition. The Collector's Edition contains the standard retail game and a DVD containing a documentary film entitled "Great SAS Missions", which consists of archive footage of the SAS in action and accounts from former SAS members. The DVD contains a "making-of" featurette and a level walkthrough by the developers. Also included is a limited edition poster and a hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept, development, and final artwork. These elements were packaged in a larger cardboard version of the standard retail box. The collector's edition was originally only available in the U.S., but was later released in other countries.[23] A "Game of the Year" edition was later released on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 version included the Variety map pack on the disc, and while the Xbox 360 Game of the Year edition initially included an insert in the packaging which could be redeemed on Xbox Live Marketplace to download the Variety map pack, later releases did not contain the inserts, and so were no different from the original release of the game.[24]

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released for consoles and Windows in North America on November 5, 2007, in Australia on November 7, 2007, and in Europe on November 9, 2007.[25] The Mac OS X version of the game was developed by Aspyr and released on September 26, 2008.[26] It was released on the Mac App Store on January 16, 2011. It was rated 15 by the BBFC,[27] M for Mature by the ESRB, MA 15+ by the OFLC,[28] 16+ by the PEGI,[29] and 18 by the USK.[30] The Wii port of the game, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition, was developed by Treyarch and released on November 10, 2009, alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized.[31][unreliable source?]

Downloadable content

As part of an exclusivity deal between Microsoft and Activision, multiplayer map packs for the Call of Duty franchise, beginning with Modern Warfare, were released first on Xbox 360. The deal would ultimately last until Black Ops III in 2015, which introduces a new deal with Sony and PlayStation platforms.[32]

Infinity Ward released the Variety Map Pack for the Xbox 360 on April 4, 2008. It includes the multiplayer maps "Killhouse", "Creek", "Chinatown", and "Broadcast". The same map pack was released for the PlayStation 3 on April 24, 2008. The Variety Map Pack was downloaded by over one million people in its first nine days of release, a record for paid Xbox Live downloadable content, valued at US$10 million.[33] It was released as a free download for Windows on June 5, 2008, sponsored by Nvidia, along with patch 1.6.[34] A further patch for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game was announced over a year later in August 2009; the patch primarily addressed online multiplayer exploits.[35] Patch 1.7 was released in June 2008. This patch can be applied to the Game of the Year edition directly with no prior patches. Earlier versions must have patch 1.6 applied first.[36]

Reception

Critical response

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare received "universal acclaim" on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC versions, and "generally favorable reviews" for the Wii version, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[37][38][39][40] The gameplay has been cited by reviewers to have brought the genre to "a new level of immersion and intensity that we had never seen before."[66] GameSpot gave a favorable review for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, saying that the "high quality of that campaign and its terrific multiplayer options make Call of Duty 4 a fantastic package."[44] Official Xbox Magazine praised the single player campaign, with even greater praise for the multiplayer mode which makes the game an "instant-classic".[67] X-Play commented that "It may not revolutionize the shooter genre, but it comes damn close to perfecting it."[48] GamePro claims that "the amazingly deep multiplayer rivals Halo 3's in terms of reach and scope."[43]

The game's story has received a considerable amount of praise from reviewers. GamePro notes that "the intense single-player campaign offers up an action packed experience that features a tremendously compelling narrative; there are moments in the game that will send chills down your spine."[43] GameSpot mentioned that the fact the "single-player campaign is over in a flash" as the only major flaw.[44] While IGN described the campaign as "still very linear" like that of its predecessors, "eschewing the concept of sandbox gameplay", it noted that this resulted in "a much richer, more focused experience" with "beautifully scripted set pieces."[68] IGN's Voodoo Extreme similarly remarked that it "virtually plays on a rail, but that's part of its charm."[69]

Xbox World 360 stated "It's smoke and mirrors and a host of cheap tricks", commenting on the notion that the game did not revolutionize the genre.[70] Pelit also remarked that "the structure of the single player game should ... have been updated" and that "barging from one invisible checkpoint to the next throughout the whole campaign just isn't good enough anymore."[71]

Wii version

Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition was ported by Treyarch. The Wii version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has fewer features than the other console versions. It does not support split-screen multiplayer, and the graphics are not as developed. However, it supports co-operative gameplay in the campaign on a single screen. At any moment, a second Wii remote can be activated giving the second player their own aiming crosshairs. The game received an aggregated score of 76% on Metacritic.[72] IGN gave the Wii version of the game a score of 7.0, saying the visuals and pointer controls are not as polished as the Wii version of World at War, though they did mention the customization options and multiplayer are impressive.[73] Official Nintendo Magazine gave it 80%, praising it for packing everything from its next-gen counterpart, but again criticizing the visuals.[74] GameTrailers gave the game an 8.8, saying that despite some sacrifices, it retains everything good from its original version.[75] Game Informer scored the game at a 6.5, stating that while the game was rather poor graphically, even by Wii standards, the bigger problem was the Wii remote, stating that it did not have enough buttons to support Modern Warfare's control scheme, and also that it was quite imprecise, contrasting it with the dual analog system used by the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, and the mouse and keyboard system on the Windows version of the game. GameSpot gave the game an 8.5, stating that the online was as addictive as the other versions, they also said that the controls "are precise and customizable enough to let you be all you can be".[76]

Sales

Predictions for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's indicated it would gross more than Halo 3 in September that year. It was reviewed as highly as Halo 3's but was launching on three systems as opposed to one. Demand for the game led to several retailers only having enough copies available to satisfy pre-orders.[77]

It fulfilled the prediction, with the Xbox 360 version became the best-selling video game in the United States from November 2007 to January 2008 according to the NPD Group. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions would go on to sell 1.57 million and 444,000 units, respectively, in the United States in November 2007.[78] 1.47 million units of the Xbox 360 version were sold in December 2007;[79] the game sold 331,000 copies for the Xbox 360 and 140,000 copies for the PlayStation 3 in January 2008.[80] The Xbox 360 version was the third best-selling video game of 2007 in the U.S. with 3.04 million units sold, behind Halo 3, which sold 4.82 million units, according to the NPD Group.[79] By January 2008, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, and was the best-selling game of 2007.[81] On June 3, 2008, Infinity Ward reported that the game had sold over 10 million units.[82] During a May 2009 conference call, Activision announced that the game has sold 13 million copies, surpassing Super Mario Galaxy as the best selling game released that week of November 2007.[83] By November 2013, the game had sold 15.7 million copies.[84]

Awards

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare received awards from various gaming sites and publications. Both GameSpot and GameTrailers gave the game the Best Graphics of E3 2007 award, and the Best PlayStation 3 Game of 2007 award,[50][52][53] and later ranked it as the third best first-person shooter on its "Top 10 FPS Games Ever!" list.[85] It gained high praise from both video game magazine GamePro and GameSpy, having been named the Best Overall Game of 2007 by the former,[54] and Game of the Year by the latter.[58][59][60][61] Game Critics also named the game "Best Action Game".[49] From other authorities such as IGN and X-play, and the Spike Video Game Awards, the game won awards for areas such as Best Sound Design, Best Shooter of 2007, and Best Military Game. From the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences honoring achievements in games of 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare received ten nominations, and won "Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay", "Action Game of the Year", "Console Game of the Year", and "Overall Game of the Year".[64] From the British Academy Video Games Awards, the game also won Best Gameplay of the Year, Best Story and Character of the Year, and People's Choice Game of the Year.[86] The game was awarded with the Academy of Video Games Awards Game of the Year 2007 Award. In 2010, the readers of PlayStation Official Magazine voted it the 7th greatest PlayStation title ever released.[87]

Legacy

Sequels and reboot

Modern Warfare spawned two sequels: Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3, which were released in 2009 and 2011, respectively.[88] A reboot of all three Modern Warfare installments, developed by Infinity Ward and simply titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, was released in October 2019.[89]

Remaster

Main article: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered

A remastered version of Modern Warfare, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, was developed by Raven Software.[90] The remaster was first released as part of several special editions of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare when that game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, followed by a standalone release for PlayStation 4 in June 2017, and for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One in July 2017.[91][92] The game retains the original's singer-player campaign and an updated version of its multiplayer mode that shares similarities with those featured in later Call of Duty games.[93][94][95] New content in the multiplayer can be unlocked through completing challenges, crafting, or buying in-game currency through microtransactions.[96][97] Remastered features enhanced textures and lighting, new models, changes to the heads-up display, and remastered audio.[98][99] The game offers full PlayStation Network trophy and Xbox Live achievement support—trophies were absent from Modern Warfare because the game was released before they were introduced—by including several new challenges.[100]

Retrospective acclaim

Retrospective assessments rank Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as one of the best games in the franchise,[101][102][103][104] if not the best.[105][106][107][108][109][110] Critics have described the game as a classic,[104][109] one that changed gaming,[110] and one of the greatest video games ever made.[111][112] Modern Warfare has received critical acclaim for its campaign, characters, missions (particularly "All Ghillied Up"), and successfully breaking away from the series' World War II roots.[105][106][107][109][104] ComicBook.com's Cade Onder argued Modern Warfare includes "some of the most jawdropping moments in gaming [...] It's a game that just builds constant momentum and leaves you on the edge of your seat start to finish, making it an all-time classic."[104] Dan Wenerowicz of Complex said the game represented the start of the "Golden Age" of Call of Duty.[101]

Modern Warfare's multiplayer is considered revolutionary,[105][109][108] introducing numerous conventions that become hallmarks of subsequent Call of Duty games and other first-person shooters, including XP leveling, the "Prestige" system (allowing players to restart from rank one), the create-a-class system, perks, killstreaks, and camo grinds.[101][106][103][108] Digital Trends summarized: "Modern Warfare's competitive multiplayer put a renewed emphasis on personal performance rather than winning individual matches, with players now carefully eyeing their kill-to-death ratio as they modified their weapons with custom sights and grips. Call of Duty would no longer play second fiddle to any other series, and its reign would last for the next decade."[107] Other reviewers argued that subsequent games in the series, such as Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Black Ops (2010), and Black Ops II (2012), improved upon the conventions set by Modern Warfare.[105][101][102]

Notes

  1. ^ The Wii version of the game was developed by Treyarch.

References

  1. ^ a b c d BradyGames (October 30, 2007). Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. ISBN 978-0-7440-0949-1.
  2. ^ a b c d Infinity Ward (November 6, 2007). Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Windows) (1.0 ed.). Activision.
  3. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Cheats, Codes, Hints, Tips". Yahoo! Games. Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "GameSpy— COD4 Plot". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
  5. ^ a b Goldstein, Hillary. "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". IGN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  6. ^ Zeid Rieke and Michael Boon (March 2008). "Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4". Game Developer. Vol. 15, no. 3. pp. 24–31.
  7. ^ a b Game Informer Staff (February 2008). "The Art of FPS Multiplayer Design". Game Informer. No. 178. Cathy Preston. pp. 20–21.
  8. ^ "Music". Music4Games. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  9. ^ Totilo, Stephen (April 1, 2008). "'Call Of Duty 4' End-Credits Song: The Story Behind The Rap, In GameFile". MTV. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  10. ^ a b Shea, Cam (June 13, 2007). "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare AU Interview". IGN. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  11. ^ Stead, Chris (July 15, 2009). "The 10 Best Game Engines of This Generation". IGN. p. 2. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  12. ^ Lakkis, Chad (November 22, 2007). "Infinity Ward Asked About COD4 Sub-HD Resolution Concerns". ripten. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  13. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Modern Warfare". VantasyWorld. January 6, 2012. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  14. ^ Robinson, Andy (June 9, 2008). "News: Call of Duty: World at War – first details in OXM". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  15. ^ Ross Miller (May 9, 2008). "New Bond game Quantum of Solace runs on COD4 engine, launching with movie". Joystiq. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  16. ^ Choi, Dan. "Next Call of Duty leaked: Modern Warfare tackles terrorists". Joystiq. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006.
  17. ^ Radd, David (November 12, 2007). "Activision Gets StreetWise on Charlie Oscar Delta". GameDaily. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  18. ^ "Reveal Trailer HD". Spike. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  19. ^ Craddock, David (July 11, 2007). "E3 2007: Exclusive Call of Duty 4 Multiplayer Beta for Xbox 360". IGN. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  20. ^ Snow, Blake (September 6, 2007). "Level up your Call of Duty 4 beta this Friday". GamePro. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  21. ^ Geddes, Ryan (September 6, 2007). "Call of Duty 4 Beta Getting Boost". IGN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  22. ^ "Call of Duty 4 Demo". Yahoo! Games. Yahoo! Inc. October 11, 2007. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  23. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Limited Collector's Edition)". IGN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  24. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Edition Keycode Redemption". Activision. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  25. ^ "Release Summary". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  26. ^ "Download Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Mac Now" (Press release). Aspyr. September 26, 2008. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  27. ^ "British Board of Film Classification". BBFC. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008.
  28. ^ "Office of Film and Literature Classification". OFLC. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008.
  29. ^ "Pan European Game Information". PEGI. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016.
  30. ^ "Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (German Voluntary Monitoring Organisation of Entertainment Software)". USK. November 13, 2008. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008.
  31. ^ "Call of Duty(R): Modern Warfare(R) Coming to Wii". Activision Publishing, Inc. PRNewswire.com. August 5, 2009. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  32. ^ "'PlayStation is the new home of Call of Duty,' says PlayStation CEO on exclusive deal". Polygon. June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  33. ^ McLean, Gary (April 17, 2008). "CoD4 Variety Map Pack Downloaded Over One Million Times in Nine Days". Voodoo Extreme. IGN. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  34. ^ "Variety Map Pack sponsored by NVIDIA hits PC". iamfourzerotwo.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2005.
  35. ^ Reilly, Jim (August 3, 2009). "Patch to Fix Exploits in Modern Warfare Coming Soon". IGN. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  36. ^ "COD4 1.7 Patch – File Description". FileFront. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  37. ^ a b "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  38. ^ a b "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PlayStation 3)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  39. ^ a b "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition (Wii)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  40. ^ a b "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  41. ^ Reed, Kristan (November 9, 2007). "Call Of Duty 4 review". EuroGamer. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  42. ^ Biessener, Adam. "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  43. ^ a b c Moses, Travis (November 6, 2007). "Review: Call of Duty 4: The Best Shooter of 2007". GamePro. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  44. ^ a b c Gerstmann, Jeff (November 5, 2007). "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  45. ^ "Call of Duty 4 – Review HD". Spike. November 5, 2007. Archived from the original on March 1, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  46. ^ Williams, Bryn. "Call Of Duty 4 review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  47. ^ McCaffrey, Ryan. "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  48. ^ a b "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". G4. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  49. ^ a b "2007 Winners". Game Critics Awards. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  50. ^ a b "GameSpot Editor's Choice". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  51. ^ "Best Xbox 360 Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  52. ^ a b "Best PlayStation 3 Game". GameSpot. Retrieved March 17, 2008.[dead link‍]
  53. ^ a b "Best of E3 2007 Awards". Spike. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  54. ^ a b "Call of Duty 4 award". GamePro. December 27, 2007. Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
  55. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360 Game of the Year)". IGN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  56. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". IGN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  57. ^ "Game of the Month: November 2007 (Best First-Person Shooter)". IGN. November 30, 2007. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  58. ^ a b "PS3 Top 10". GameSpy. IGN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  59. ^ a b "Xbox 360 Top 10". GameSpy. IGN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  60. ^ a b "PC Top 10". GameSpy. IGN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  61. ^ a b "2007 Game of the Year". GameSpy. IGN. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  62. ^ Berardini, Cesar A. (December 18, 2007). "BioShock Wins G4's X-Play Game of the Year Award". TeamXbox. IGN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  63. ^ "Video Game Awards 2007". Spike. December 9, 2007. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  64. ^ a b "11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  65. ^ BBC news article lists 2008 winners here [1] Archived March 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  66. ^ Tuttle, Will (November 5, 2007). "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. IGN. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
  67. ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (November 9, 2007). "Call of Duty 4". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  68. ^ Ring, Bennett (November 6, 2007). "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare AU Review". IGN Xbox 360. IGN. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  69. ^ Robert Howarth (November 8, 2007). "Call of Duty 4 First Impressions". Voodoo Extreme. IGN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  70. ^ "Call of Duty 4 review". Xbox World 360: 56. January 2008.
  71. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review". Pelit. December 2007.
  72. ^ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  73. ^ Bozon, Mark (November 11, 2009). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex Edition Review". Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  74. ^ Review: Call Of Duty Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition – Official Nintendo Magazine Archived November 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  75. ^ "GameTrailers". Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  76. ^ "Call of Duty 4 Review". Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  77. ^ Snow, Blake (November 15, 2007). "Call of Duty 4 to Outsell Halo 3". PC World. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  78. ^ Thorsen, Tor (December 13, 2007). "NPD: November cooks up $2.63 billion in game sales". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  79. ^ a b Thorsen, Tor (January 17, 2008). "NPD: 2007 game earnings nearly $18 billion, Halo 3 sells 4.82 million". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  80. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (February 14, 2008). "NPD: January game sales slip 6 percent, Wii and PS3 neck-and-neck". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  81. ^ "Call of Duty(R) 4: Modern Warfare(TM) Ranks #1 Title in Units Worldwide for Calendar 2007". Activision. January 25, 2008. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  82. ^ Terdiman, Daniel (June 3, 2008). "'Call of Duty 4' hits 10 million units sold". CNET News. CBS Interactive Inc.
  83. ^ "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Sells 13 Million". Archived from the original on May 13, 2009.
  84. ^ "Call of Duty: A Short History". IGN. Ziff Davis. November 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  85. ^ "ScrewAttack's Top 10 FPS Games Ever!". GameTrailers. June 12, 2008. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  86. ^ "Three Baftas for Call of Duty 4". BBC.com. March 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  87. ^ PlayStation Official Magazine issue 50, Future Publishing, October 2010
  88. ^ Mamiit, Aaron (May 26, 2019). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will focus on troubling, realistic emotions". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  89. ^ Livington, Christopher (May 31, 2019). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare arrives October 25, and here's the trailer". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  90. ^ ""We cannot fuck with the game design" – Raven Software's terrifying responsibility of remaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare". VG247. September 7, 2016. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  91. ^ "Activision confirms Modern Warfare Remastered needs Infinite Warfare disc to run – Polygon". Polygon. October 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  92. ^ "PC, Xbox One Finally Receive Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered Standalone Version". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  93. ^ Alexandra, Heather (October 5, 2016). "Modern Warfare Remastered Adds Four Great New Cheats". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  94. ^ Vazquez, Suriel (September 2, 2016). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered – The Remaster Of A Classic Is Faithful In All The Right Ways". Game Informer. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  95. ^ Devine, Richard (November 17, 2016). "The top five tips for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered multiplayer beginners". Windows Central. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  96. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (December 14, 2016). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered now has supply drops". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  97. ^ Doster, S.E. (March 3, 2019). "Modern Warfare Remastered Did Call of Duty Loot Boxes The Right Way". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  98. ^ Bierton, David (October 13, 2016). "Digital Foundry vs Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  99. ^ Boatman, Brandon (September 9, 2016). "Raven Director David Pellas Goes In-Depth on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  100. ^ Makuch, Eddie (October 3, 2016). "Call of Duty 4 Remaster PS4 Trophies Revealed, Including One Really Interesting One". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  101. ^ a b c d Wenerowicz, Dan (November 6, 2024). "Every Main 'Call of Duty' Game, Ranked From Worst to Best". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  102. ^ a b Parmer, Seth (December 28, 2023). "Ranking Every Call Of Duty Game From Worst to Best". TheGamer. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  103. ^ a b Freiberg, Chris (November 11, 2023). "Every Call of Duty Game Ranked Worst to Best". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  104. ^ a b c d Onder, Cade (December 31, 2023). "Every Call of Duty Game Ranked". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  105. ^ a b c d Staff (August 29, 2024). "10 Best Call of Duty Games of All Time". IGN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  106. ^ a b c Staff (November 19, 2024). "Best Call Of Duty Games, Ranked". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  107. ^ a b c Yaden, Joseph; Hill, Sam; Givens, Billy (October 28, 2024). "The best Call of Duty games, ranked". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  108. ^ a b c Staff (November 13, 2023). "Every 'Call of Duty' game ranked from worst to best". NME. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  109. ^ a b c d Loveridge, Sam (November 5, 2024). "The 10 best Call of Duty games of all-time". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  110. ^ a b Aubrey, Dave (November 10, 2023). "Every mainline Call of Duty game ranked from worst to best". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  111. ^ "#20 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". G4. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  112. ^ "Best Games Ever". Gameradar. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2024. - "29. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (checked source code of the page)
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Call of Duty 4.
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Duty_4:_Modern_Warfare&oldid=1265775713"