Another year, another Call of Duty. We hear it all the time. Does that dampen the mood of the juggernaut FPS franchise’s fanbase? No. Never. In fact, 2018’s Black Ops 4 was a record breaker in terms of sales and a critical hit. This year, Infinity Ward are on COD duty for Activision and it appears that they’ve decided to take the franchise back to the beginning with a soft reboot. 2007’s Modern Warfare is an absolutely iconic shooter. It was a gaming moment that took the world by storm. Every FPS wanted to replicate the fast paced, intense and gripping gameplay that Infinity Ward brought to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. It was the dawn of the core, accessible online multiplayer shooter. Does 2019’s Modern Warfare live up to this monumental legacy?
The simple answer is a resounding yes. From hands on time with the title across both the Beta and then at EGX, it is clear that this is the classic Call of Duty gameplay that fans grew to love. What you expect is still here; the game looks beautiful, sounds fantastic and runs brilliantly. There are plenty of multiplayer modes here including classics like Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy as well as at least one very intriguing newcomer in Cyber Attack. Oh and the 64 player Ground War mode. Yup, 64 players in a Call of Duty match. Ground War was always one of the best Call of Duty modes, ramp up the player count and you have a truly epic experience on your hands. The total chaos that ensues as you capture and defend points with this many players is a joy to behold but even more of a joy to successfully navigate.
Successful navigation is easy luckily thanks to the perfect control system implemented. Characters feel as if they have a realistic weight to them and move through the environment as you would expect people to, rather than zipping around like 16 Iron Men. Then there is the map design. It is absolutely glorious. This is classic Call of Duty; maps are no longer simple two/three lane funnels, instead, they’re open with plenty of opportunities to take the enemy by surprise or to dominate an area. The amount of different routes and paths through a map leads to a lot more fun and means that each battle still feels frantic and intense without the need for character to zip around and bounce off walls.
The customisation options on offer are excellent. There is a whole host of killstreaks available and you’ll be back to earning UAV radars after a measly three kills. Luckily seeing that +100 anytime you get a kill feels very satisfying. Then there’s loadouts, thanks to a bunch of new perks and attachments as well as cosmetic items like skins and trinkets you’ll spend hours tweaking every aspect of your character.
All in all, Modern Warfare is shaping up to take the world by storm when it launches this week. It is the Call of Duty game that fans have been waiting for and a huge chance for COD and Infinity Ward to really make a strong statement. If you’ve ever loved COD, this is your moment.
