Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Windows is really the standard for first-person shooter games, especially in the genre of military combat simulators, and the combat is where this game really shines. The action, which never wanes, is just constantly surrounding you, leading to an ultra-realistic wartime feeling. There’s no such thing as just crouching behind cover, hiding in safety, and camping out until you feel like making a move because battles don’t start and slowly build up; they erupt around you instantly, and you have to fight to survive.

Combat is realistic chaos, which only adds to the fun. Bullets are flying everywhere, and grenades are being lobbed constantly. Enemies appear out of nowhere and aren’t just spawned in the same generic locations that you can come to expect. It’s kill or be killed, and the chaotic randomness is what makes this such a thrill. This is as close to real-life war combat as I imagine you can get.

While this is an older title, the graphics still hold up, especially if you have a higher-end rig like I do, and add to the realism of the combat and the realism of the enemies. Also, a pleasant surprise is the depth of field, which makes objects and people you’re concentrating on a pop out, while objects and people not in your line of sight are blurred and obscured, much like real vision. The sounds are a joy, too, including fantastic sound effects that are always going, adding to the realism of combat, and really well-done voice acting as people call out all around you, or engage in banter that adds to the fun of the fight.

One drawback is that the single-player campaign is fairly short, clocking in at 7-20 hours of gameplay, depending on how fast/furious you are. But most users play this for the multiplayer experience, which is unparalleled. Just imagine the wartime description above, but with other human players. You need good teamwork, good tactics, and good control of chaos to be able to survive. If you like chaos and don’t just want to sit and camp a spot for hours, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the game for you.

A great mix of single player and multiplayer action

• More than 70 new and authentic weapons
• Cinema quality graphics and sound
• Ultra-realistic tactical warfare
• Up to 20 hours of single-player
• The highly interactive multiplayer gaming experience