Gunplay feels amazing with the removal of random weapon spread Animation and visual quality is superb Campaign has a compelling story, good voice acting and solid mission design Multiplayer maps are good overall, with Silkworm being a standout Every weapon in the game feels like a viable option DMZ is a decent third mode Requires a persistent internet connection Installation was a pain Skill-based matchmaking NEEDS TO BE REMOVED Major issues with lag and connection DMZ can be unforgiving, thanks to players camping exfil points Apex attachments are mostly gimmicky rather than genuinely useful Score: 5/7 — one of the better entries in years, but still a long way from the golden age.
Price: Rs20,000 (physical copy); $69.99 (digital) A few months ago, I expressed my hesitation about whether or not I would be willing to buy this year’s Call of Duty after playing the open beta.
While gunplay improved massively, the maps were solid, and it felt like a good CoD game again, these were offset by a very, very badly implemented skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) system, “innovations” with little practical benefit, and poor network code and lag issues.
Now the full game is here, and we can really determine whether this is a return to form or another slap in the face like last year’s Black Ops 7 (BO7, or “Black Slop 7”).
Modern Warfare 4 (MW4) is neither: it’s a step in the right direction, but repeats the mistakes that sent the franchise into a downward spiral to begin with.
This really is the definition of a mixed bag, but is it worth your money? Rs20,000 of inconvenience Before we go anywhere, I really need to address the issues I came across while installing the game.
CoD has this really odd system when it comes to installation on console: your disc has none of the game on it and simply acts as confirmation that you own the game.
You have to download and install the CoD launcher first, then Multiplayer, Campaign and DMZ as individual content packs.
Aside from the fact that these downloads take a while, you can’t access anything else while one part of the game is downloading.
I installed Multiplayer and played a couple of hours before downloading DMZ.
When the latter began installing, I couldn’t access multiplayer to pass the time.
The entire game was locked off.
Campaign: It held the line CoD campaigns are a big deal for me, and last year’s campaign was easily the worst in the entire franchise.
The bar was literally on the ground and developers Treyarch were still unable to step over it.
My expectations for MW4 were pretty much nonexistent, and when the trailer came out, I thought it looked cool, but that was about it.
Series creator Infinity Ward took the reins and gave us a story in an underutilised setting: a present-day conflict in the Korean Peninsula.
The North invades the South in a strong enough introduction — a patrol in a South Korean city with your squad is upended by hypersonic missiles.
What follows is a desperate scramble to hold off North Korean forces as Private Park, a grunt in the Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines.
This modern interpretation of the Korean War is truly superb in its grounded and gritty tone, and showing it through the eyes of a Korean rather than an American made it much more immersive.
Park’s squad has very good chemistry, with dialogue feeling organic in both its writing and delivery.
Similarly, North Korean officer Ko Jin-Hyuk and Commander Ri Ju-Young, one of the antagonists, stood out because of their expressive performances and Ko’s character arc.
Actors Lanny Joon and Prisca Kim deserve a round of applause, even if in Ri’s case the writing was a bit cartoonish and a stereotype of what the West thinks North Korea is really like.
Meanwhile, series mainstay Captain Price is chasing after someone called “The Archer”, who is played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
Again, superb acting, even though I’d have liked more screen time from the latter.
This B plot occurs several days before the invasion, showing the buildup before converging with the Korean campaign, Pulp Fiction-style.
There are even bits where you take control of North Korean soldiers to flesh out the game’s world, albeit reinforcing the stereotype.
In terms of gameplay, the campaign succeeds where MW3 and BO7 dropped the ball; it delivers a coherent story and well-designed missions and levels.
You aren’t dumped in a gigantic, empty level that bores you to death; levels are linear and serve a purpose, such as a John Wick-esque nightclub gunfight, a beach landing on the Korean Peninsula and searching for defectors in a North Korean village.
These immerse the player and provide a focused experience.
The one time you do end up in a giant, open level, effort has been put in.
The mission ‘Stranded’ puts you in the North Korean wilderness scavenging supplies, gear and weapons to strike three facilities.
Though the level is massive, it’s populated with enough enemies to not feel empty, and enough activities to keep you meaningfully occupied.
It can, however,....
