Call of duty 4 Modern Warfare took the first person shooter genre and turned it on it’s head. Before this game first person shooters were all set in wars that have been fought in history, from World War One and Two, to the Cold War. Of course the exception was the brilliant shooter Black, which has never had a prequel made for it. Call of Duty 4 was set in the modern day, making it relevant to everything people heard in the news and thought about when they read of soldiers dying in their morning newspapers. The game brought the war home for a lot of people, and really made them think about the difference between the wars being fought in the modern day and those of the past.
The main difference for gamers in Call of Duty 4 was having access to current military equipment, including guns, and a story line that has led on to two sequels being released. Players got to experience the fast pace of modern warfare through main character, Soap, and the secondary main character, Captain Price, who has been a firm favorite for the series into the third installment. Players interacted with characters from other nations as they worked together to take down a group of terrorists who intend to spark World War Three.
The guns in Call of Duty 4 are completely different to any of those found in it’s predecessors. The larger weapons such as air strikes and mortar fire were also upgraded, and instead players could call in accurate tactical strikes from high-tech weapons. The addition of better aiming with each gun, thanks to the advancements in technology, also made the game easier and more accessible for players who preferred to aim through a gun’s sight at their enemies.
Of course the difference that mattered most in Call of Duty 4 was the online multiplayer. The developers had overhauled their previous efforts and built in levels for players to progress through by earning experience whilst fighting others. After the revolution of online multiplayer in Halo 2, gamers were ready and waiting for the multiplayer experience Call of Duty 4 offered. This sparked a whole new generation of gamers who were specifically interested in Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer, much to the developer’s delight.
On a final note, the Modern Warfare series has become highly successful, with Modern Warfare 3 being one of the biggest selling first person shooter games of 2012. The series will continue to produce sequels for as long as people are willing to buy their games, and all thanks to the inspirational Call of Duty 4. However, the sequels can’t go on forever, so at what point will a new series be established by the developers? And the Modern Warfare series laid to rest?