Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Sitting down in front of my television, I can't help but feel a thrill as the title screen loads up. The latest entry in the Call of Duty series published by Infinity Ward is definantly one of the best video games to date, and many critics agree. But I'm not writing to praise the graphics, or fine programming these individuals did to create the game. I am a gamer, and there are three things that decide whether or not a game is good to me. First the game has to be interesting, be it with a unique and entertaining storyline or just fun game mechanics. Secondly the game can't be incredibly complicated or over worked, I'm not a simpleton by any means but with a full college schedule, work, and my other hobbies I dont have time to spend three weeks just learning how to play the game. The final thing I look for may seem a bit strange, but I like the feeling of wanting more after the final game film plays, a good game should always leave me with a sense of wanting more. COD4 does this and more, an in depth storyline, well built campaign mode, and a multiplayer experience to easily compete with most games out there. The real benefit of a game that has multiplayer capabilities is that once a player has completed the campaign or "storyline" section of the game, there is still alot for the player to do. When you enter the XBOX live game lobby, you start as a level one ranking and through performing well in the matches, you can climb up the level rankings ladder quickly. As you progress you are able to unlock additional weapons, upgrades for your guns, and Perks to give you even more of a competitive edge. The intial weapon set the player begins with is sufficient at getting the job done, but as an individual plays through the games they develop a specific style and weapons preferences.
When starting out, the player has a few soldier classes to choose from, each class has a specific primary weapon, secondary weapon, and a set of perks. Perks are abilities the a player has in the matches, they vary depending on what the player deems most important. Additional health, special grenades, dropping a grenade after being killed are just a few of the many options. After reaching a specific level, players are able to create their own custom classes, choosing new weapons and perks to suit your style of play.
The online play itself really gets its personality from the variety in the maps. The maps bear significant resemblence to levels of the campaign which give the player a better bearing with their surroundings. The maps have two enviroment types, some have a very middle eastern feel with heavy war damage, and a russian enviroment types for the others, and one map that was the setting of the prolouge in the game. A talented player will be able to see which weapon set works best for which map. My personal favorites are the russian enviroment type maps, with a sniper class custom I'm constantly refining. On these types of maps, the sniper class is given a gilly suit which allows the player to blend into their surroundings more than simply crouching or using cover well. The real fun of the game and dynamics of custom classes, is unlocked at level 38 which gives the player a perk called "Overkill". This perk allows the player to carry a second primary weapon in place of the pistol side arm. The significane of this is that a player can carry a sniper rifle primary and an M4 assault rifle which gives that player a good advantage. Overall I give this game a 5 out of 5 because of its great storyline, fun campaign, and a great multiplayer experience which keeps the player coming back for more. For more information about this game go to http://www.infinityward.com/ .