**Contains Spoilers**
After two years of mind-bending yet equally mind-numbing MKUltra-esque absurdity brought on by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the world’s most popular first-person shooter franchise has finally made a return to a more realistic, boots-on-the-ground tone with this year’s latest installment Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Deviating from many of the panned aspects of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, the game offers a more contained and deeper story and gameplay centered around everyday military grunts trying to survive amidst a world in conflict — something that the franchise has always excelled at. If anything, the video game offers a somewhat bittersweet ending to a several-year long series.
The game’s campaign offers an intertwining, engrossing story centered around the advent of an all-out war between North and South Korea. On one hand, players take the role of Park, an infantryman within the Republic of Korea Marine Corps as he fights alongside both fellow marines as well as the United States Marine Corps to take back his home. On the other hand, players play the legendary Special Air Service Captain John Price who, after the murder of General Shepard back in Modern Warfare III, has gone completely rogue. In a blood-lust rampage evoking the likes of John Wick, Price ineluctably teams up with shady organizations while trying to get to the bottom of the Korean conflict.
From beach invasions reminiscent of D-Day to raids behind enemy lines, Park’s story delivers a more traditional, ground forces vibe that older players have come to love and expect from the franchise. One of the game’s strong points comes from Park’s relationship with the other marines.
From the dimwitted Corporal Dunn to the famished Private First Class Cho “Chow” Han, the game manages to capture the various personalities, mannerisms and banters of present-day soldiers. Players can practically feel and resonate with the brotherhood between the soldiers, which makes it all the more heartbreaking whenever tragedies befall them. While Price’s revenge subplot has its fair share of interesting and shocking moments, Park’s story seems to be more poignant and intriguing,
While it’s easy to dismiss the game’s utilization of the North and South Korean conflict as another instance of blatant propaganda on behalf of the United States military, it’s important to note how the game additionally portrays North Korean combatants in a nuanced way as well.
This is especially exhibited through the character of Ko Jin-Hyuk, a North Korean lieutenant and tritagonist with a clear aversion to bloodshed. One particular mission has players step inside the shoes of a North Korean soldier as they search a village for a defector. From there, they are allowed the freedom to do anything in line with the player’s own moral discretion, from hiding civilians to reporting them and even downright killing them. These various game choices along with character treatments help establish and solidify the player’s respect for both sides of the conflict while driving home the idea that the game’s true enemy happens to be those in power. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is ironically one of the series’ most anti-war installments yet.
One of, if not the only praiseworthy aspect Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has gameplay-wise definitely has to be the addition of melee combat segments. Rather than having these hand-to-hand skirmishes be simple quick time events, gamers are placed into the interactive fights themselves. These skirmishes offer no heads up display, and so players have to attack and counter based on what their opponent telegraphs. If anything, these sections feel adjacent to a first-person version of a “Dark Souls” boss fight in which getting hit is almost a guarantee. It’s only a shame that the game only has two of these close-quarter battles. The game offers nothing new in terms of gameplay other than an emphasis on parkour and driving sections.
There are times in which the game tries to be edgy for edginess’ sake. One prominent case has to be its lenience when it comes to harming civilians, especially when playing as Price. Although most likely meant to reinforce the flaws in Price’s vigilante crusade, these player-driven war crimes get to a point where it’s simply just excessive. Akin to “Game of Thrones,” main and supporting characters are also killed without any reason or rhyme. Even though this rectifies a longstanding issue within the series in which characters would usually just fake their deaths, there could’ve at least been some sort of adequate farewell when it comes to killing off fan favorite characters — especially Kyle “Gaz” Garrick.
While definitely flawed, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 still remains interesting from start to finish both story and gameplay-wise. Its basic formula centered around an all-out conflict alongside deep philosophical questions of what it truly means to cross the lines and “get dirty so that the world stays clean” make the game one of the strongest and mature installments in the series.
Verdict: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 reestablishes the series’ commitment to displaying boots-on-the-ground action. Familiar fans of the franchise will undoubtedly find the game to be a satisfying end to the Modern Warfare series, if only they can bear how edgy it is.
