Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare Remastered Review

[Prince Aboubakar]

Republishedon Wednesday 27th February 2019: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of March's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

It's strange how so few Call of Duty entries have managed to capture the memorability of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's campaign, but we know exactly why it persists in excellence. The opening levels cement a radical terrorism that goes far deeper than you suspect, eventually revealing the consequences of extreme interventionalism with a growing threat that pulls you in with high and personal stakes. The suave SAS operatives and boisterous USMC soldiers you fight alongside inspire camaraderie, bolstered by brilliant mission objectives and design that emphasise teamwork, such as in 'Shock and Awe' and 'One Shot, One Kill'.

Most importantly, there's tension and gravity shot through the experience, as if the world is on your shoulders to push past every enemy line with explosive bravado or exacting stealth. This game may have been a watershed moment for big set-pieces and intense action in shooters, but it didn't come off as flippant or dumb fun. It's like the game subtly demands you to approach missions with senses of restraint and seriousness, which is definitely reflected in the somber, heavy soundtrack as well. There's a grounded feel to player characters that make you another cog in the machine with the abilities and limitations of an ordinary soldier, not a supernatural saviour. We felt that again as our boots hit familiar soil with this game, and we missed it.

At the same time, we underwent a bizarre dj vu playing this. Original shooting mechanics, quirks, and weapon behaviour remain intact, but since the visuals and sound have been reworked to an unbelievably thorough degree, we were reliving old moments in ways that felt entirely new. We mean to say that Modern Warfare Remastered looks and sounds like a fresh game on par with today's graphical and aural standards, but gives its age away with classic gameplay you know and love.

This isn't a mere remaster, but a ridiculously faithful remake. There are new cloth and weather effects and overhauled motion capture; there are remade character, weapon, and environmental assets. Explosions and weapon sounds have been re-recorded, not to mention realistic changes made to the first-person animation with weapon sway and crawling. Whether the alterations are subtle or obvious, all of them are carefully implemented while fully preserving the original game's feel. It's nothing short of a profound feat, and Raven Software and its assisting developers deserve to be commended for arguably delivering the most substantial, masterful remake we have ever experienced.

With this admirable devotion to authenticity comes resistance to fixing flaws and making improvements or additions. So while we still hold Modern Warfare in high regard, there are lingering AI issues. Teammates will annoyingly block your path, jump into your line of sight, and demonstrate utter incompetence when they ignore or fail to kill enemies within their jurisdiction.

The opposition can also be confusing when it decides to bum-rush or ignore you on occasion. A few missions that were jaw-droppers have lost some oomph and their ability to enthrall like 'Death From Above' and 'War Pig'. There's even a sense of plodding here and there we don't remember from before, but despite these telling signs of age, there's plenty of vigour and personality left in the seasoned shooter that would still make it a runaway success if it were coming out for the first time today.

But there are surface level additions derived from modern titles. Medals can be earned that recognise minor achievements like getting a first kill or coming back from a deathstreak. Callsigns, emblems, more camos, character patches, and weapon stickers are unlockable for completing challenges, which are neat cosmetic additions that give a bit more to strive for this time around.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has a lofty reputation, and aside from some telltale signs of age, it remains thoroughly impressive even today. This game remains a legend to be revered for its grounded, focused gameplay that will scratch an itch for anyone longing for simpler, purer shooters. Modern Warfare Remastered celebrates this legacy with updated visuals and sound that really go above and beyond the call of duty, sprucing up an old care package for a more modern age to near-perfection.

Yeah like so many other's i've spoken to i'll either be playing this game when it's sold seperately or I won't play it at all. It's a shame I really enjoyed BO3 I got my dark matter camo and I hit level 120 something master prestige, but I played the IW beta and it sucked something awful. I am not being forced into paying for a game I have no interest in playing just to get the remaster.

I've finished both IW and this and thought since I'm only playing MWR for the multi-player I'll sell the Legacy Edition and wait to see if MWR gets it's stand alone release. I looked on CEX website and it said I'd get 51 cash, I thought wasn't a bad deal when I paid 70. I go to CEX but man says 'sorry can't give you 51 for it because it hasn't got the seal on' I said 'but you deal with second hand goods, why would I buy it, not open it then sell it you brand new still in a seal?' He said he was just going by what he's been told and I'd only get 32 for it, I ended up getting 51 from Grainger Games who say the guys from CEX are clueless and absolute muppets. I used to like CEX just for the trade in and cash value but now I'll never set foot in a CEX store again.

Enjoyed MW on launch.

As a Battlefield fan it was nice to see it go in the same direction as Battlefield 2.

Exemplary story, characters you actually cared about.

However, I do not care for any modern Call of Duty games at all, and its a shame its not standalone, because it would be a must buy if so.

While it is sad that this game will never be sold by itself as a business decision it was smart of Activision to do so. I have been finding myself playing this alot more then IW especially old school mode.

Couldn't agree more with that review. I'd give it a 9/10 also (it loses a point for still having the sniper gun glitch but I suppose I wanted it to stay true and could be called harse lol). Well chuffed to have this game back on my playlist. MP is a dream come true for me.

@xMEADx From what I've played so far, I find the IW multiplayer way too busy and cluttered. It feels like a hodgepodge of ideas stuck together, and not only that, feels identical to BO3's multiplayer. Like, way too identical. I'm liking the campaign more than I expected so far, but that multiplayer? Nah. Not going to bother with it too much.

@ToOGoodOfAPlaya More than 80% of the comments all mention how many won't buy it because of the bundle. I get every CoD each year, so the bundle doesn't personally affect me, but for those who only want MWR? I think the bundle was a scumbag move on Activision's part, especially since you can only play it with the IW disc in. So, so asinine.

@TomKongPhooey Is it the one where you shoot really fast with a sniper rifle by switching to your secondary and immediately back to the rifle? I'm not sure. And yeah! Playing this MP is a dream. Can't wait for my friends to hop on once the game's released separately!

@Tasuki I bought it just for MW and I wouldn't be angry at all, I've been through the campaign twice and have nearly 10 hours online (which is where I usually start to tire of a game tbh but MW is just excellent)

I don't personally think Acti will carry if people get angry there out there to make money if they cared what people thought they wouldn't have made another futuristic COD when the fan base has been vocal about wanting a return to WW2 or a WW1 game

@GlynCR I will admit I wouldn't be upset at all either. Even though I don't play tennis IW multiplayer, I am enjoying Zombies so it's not entirely a waste for me, but that's another subject. However I am sure there are plenty out there who would complain and they don't really want that bad publicity.

As for not listening to the fans about futuristic CoD games they have been listening at least thats what it seems otherwise we wouldn't have got Modern Warfare Remaster. Truth is by the time the public was really vocal about it they were to far into IW development to just scrap it. Now if Sledgehammer's CoD game is a futuristic game then it can be claimed they ain't listening.

Lol can't believe there are people thinking this won't be sold separately. That was never a possibility. Obviously they aren't admitting it now because nobody would have preordered IW, that's marketing 101 as shown with every preorder bonus ever.

I wish I could communicate my disinterest in IW but communicate my interest in MW HD better, I sent an email but who knows if they even read those they may just get printed on to toilet paper and used in the bathrooms at activision.

I really cannot see MW being sold separately any time soon especially as you need IW disc to even play it, if it does it'll be sold separately when the next COD is out. IW is definitely not as bad as people make out, it's butthurt fan more than anything else as you cannot claim to like BO3 & then say IW is rubbish. Also when claims of IW was a pay 2 win game i was expecting to find overpowered weapons that can only be got by supply drops, and getting supply drops would take weeks on end to get all hall marks of a P2W game . Its just not the case in fact some of them guns are better suited to Zombies then Multiplayer because of there perks, and you will not have a problem getting Keys for supply drops either.

@banacheck they can patch it out to work without the disc, you make it sound like it would be hard to do, the game isn't on the disc it's a full game download that's been locked behind the disc after the early access ended

the thing with IW for me and the reason I won't be partaking in any part of the game is because I don't want to play COD in space it just does nothing for me personally

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