Call of Duty

I’ve been playing Call of Duty titles since 2003 and have played every new release. Around that time multiplayer wasn’t nearly as popular and the story mode was everything. Even when multiplayer became all the rage, I made it a point to play the campaign mode first. My reasoning was simple—someone put a lot of effort into the mode. Modern Warfare campaigns have always been good but lately, it seemed the other entries just didn’t care as much. The last release by developer Treyarch didn’t even get a campaign mode. While some people don’t really care, deep down, I missed it. Luckily with Modern Warfare, not only is there a campaign, but it’s the greatest one in the franchise yet.

Beautifully detailed war (CAMPAIGN SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON)

The graphics in the story are phenomenal. Cutscenes made me think I was watching a movie and playing the main actor. While playing the multiple characters, I felt remorse from certain in-game choices. Not only that, but I felt scared for my character in some instances. Missions were incredibly intense and chaotic. Some levels required walking around a pitch-black, eerily quiet warehouse while knowing there could be a gun trained on you around every corner.

Other missions had you desperately trying to save civilians from a terrorist plot in the middle of busy London. This plot of stopping a terrorist mid-attack isn’t new but Modern Warfare raised the stakes higher. Your character rushes in with murky details in the middle of a crowded plaza, looking for any sign of the enemy attack. Suddenly you spot a group of men with guns, riding in a van and you realize these are the terrorists. I jumped out and thought to myself this is so cliche, of course, we catch them right before the attack. But as we pile out of our ride, a terrorist disguised as a civilian spotted us and all hell broke loose. Other missions had you trying to save civilians from a car bomb, suicide bombers, and terrorists shooting at everyone.

These missions almost didn’t feel like a game. The action was heart-stopping, and I felt myself restarting checkpoints to see if I could save even one more civilian.

“Clean House”

Without a doubt worth the playthrough

One of the most notable missions for me was the “Clean House” mission. You take command of SGT Garrick and under Captain Price, you infiltrate a terrorist hideout in a suburban neighborhood. Before entering, Price briefs the team and states there may be non-combatants, so check your fire. Upon entering a soldier quietly incapacitates a woman coming from the basement and we continue on. The very next room has three terrorists in the room, and upon you entering they scramble for their weapons. After taking them out you head upstairs, but the sound of the struggle has alerted the other residents.

The upper floors are pitch black and at this point, you have to use night vision goggles or risk getting lost in the darkness. While walking up the stairs, I heard what sounded like a shotgun cock behind a door. Without thinking I shot through the door and heard a groan. It was then that Captain Price said, “I hope that was an enemy son.” I completely forgot there could be civilians inside. Dread swelled inside me and I pushed the door open, luckily it was an enemy with a shotgun. As soon as I saw the dead terrorist, two more shots flew at me and I returned fire. After clearing the room, I hesitantly continued toward the top.

Stay Frosty

This is by far the best Call of Duty story mode we’ve ever gotten. With a combination of incredibly realistic graphics, great gunplay, and characters all with actual emotion, this game surpassed my expectations by a mile. Enemies seem more intelligent than ever, targetting you when you’re most vulnerable. Terrain and the correct gun combinations will help tremendously in impossible scenarios. On all difficulties, you have to be careful as too many bullets and bad movement choices kill you fast. This isn’t the normal run and gun sprint full speed campaign you might be used too. Take your time to enjoy the cutscenes, environment, and story. But most of all PLAY THIS CAMPAIGN.