PC & console game reviews
A MUCH BETTER GAME THAN ITS SPIRITUAL PRECESSOR. $79 | PS4, Xbox One, Windows | www.callofduty.com
MODERN WARFARE ASKS us to engage with the experience of war through the Reflex Sight of an M4A1 assault rifle. It does this even as it gives us the rare opportunity to peer behind the veil of smoke and shrapnel that Call of Duty typically throws up to mask its moral ambiguity, daring us to consider the ethical complexities of the contemporary conflicts it so liberally draws inspiration from. This is made clear from the outset of Modern Warfare’s campaign – vocalised openly by characters stood on the teetering edge of the uncanny valley – and these intentions are almost immediately at odds with one another.
This has forced Infinity Ward down a perilous path. When its good intentions coalesce, Modern Warfare feels as if it is offering a tantalising glimpse into the future of the industry’s biggest shooter. You’ll feel this in your fingers as the game breathlessly propels you between its checkpoints under a hail of deafening gunfire until you’re left gasping for air. When they clash, it’s a stark reminder of just how easy it is for an action game to turn tasteless
Modern Warfare wants you to believe that it’s an unflinchingly authentic and realistic portrayal of contemporary conflicts, a reflection of the world as it is today. The truth is, it is an overly serious, utterly ridiculous, globe-trotting adventure. When words like ‘realistic’ and ‘authentic’ are thrown around, it’s Infinity Ward suggesting that Modern Warfare is a reflection of the time we are in. The reality is that it’s more of an impressionist painting than a snapshot. Instead of ‘authentic’, it should be discussed as ‘accurate’ – in that the names of the weapons are correct, as is much of the battle chatter. Rather than talking about its ‘realism’, we should be talking about its fidelity – which is crisp and commanding, effectively unparalleled.
Infinity Ward was always going to have to simplify the complexities of modern warfare to make this game work. What’s important is what it chose to emphasise in service of that. For the most part, the studio has decided to pull focus onto the chaos born out of proxy wars and the debilitating pressure of being under fire from a seemingly unstoppable force, and it works when it does so. When it works to emphasise some perceived darker reflection of the world, it comes across as callous and a little cynical. That isn’t enough to detract from what this Modern Warfare revival is ultimately able to achieve, but there’s still work for Infinity Ward to do as it works to re-establish this series for a new generation.
Note: As we have yet to experience the Modern Warfare multiplayer on live servers, we are holding back our thoughts to the online side of the game until we are able to see how it handles when out in the wild.