Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
by Activision, 2007, $59.99.
This contemporary warfare shooter trades in the franchise’s flak jackets for ghillie suits and its binoculars for red dot laser scopes. Players choose from the British G36c assault rifle, the customizable M4 and enemy weapons like the AK- 74U as they’re transported to hot spots in southern Russia and the Middle East. All battles, as well as the main storyline, are fictional.
You’ll handle an antitank missile system known as the Javelin, whose projectile launches straight into the sky and then rains down onto its target. In the most unique level of the game, you’ll take on the role of a thermal imaging camera operator aboard an AC- 130H Spectre gunship, literally calling the shots for your onboard 150mm and 40mm cannons and 25mm Gatling gun.
You’ll feel like you’re actually there on the battlefield. You not only hear the zip of passing bullets but also see them; the graphics run at 60 frames per second. The intense game play and accurate modern weaponry and tactics make Call of Duty 4 nearly perfect.
Originally published in the April 2008 issue of Military History. To subscribe, click here.