Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Review: A Dolphin Dive in the Right Direction

The Call of Duty series faced a tough year in 2023, with the previous title, Black Ops 7, receiving criticism for numerous poor design choices. The multiplayer component, crucial to many buyers, was deemed unremarkable. This time, developer Infinity Ward was given ample time to create the fourth and final Modern Warfare installment, resulting in Modern Warfare 4. While it may not have matched the peak of the original trilogy, the game marks an improvement for a series that had grown increasingly sloppy in recent years.

The single-player campaign of Modern Warfare 4 offers cinematic action and a compelling plot, albeit with a heavy-handed stance on the Russian and North Korean antagonists. Players switch between Captain John Price and South Korean soldier Park Hyun-Jun, fighting against a coalition of Russian and North Korean ultranationalists. The campaign's plot, centered around a Red Dawn-style invasion, may be a bit too explicit, but the protagonist's morally complex nature and resolution make it less of a drawback.

Still, the campaign's best moments come early on, such as infiltrating a New York nightclub to track down a Russian oligarch, which showcases thrilling action reminiscent of John Wick. However, the final mission, an open-world counterattack in North Korean airspace filled with optional collectibles, is a disappointing return to previous Call of Duty styles that fail to add value to the story.

On the multiplayer side, DMZ returns with fresh content, providing an accessible extraction shooter experience. This new mode is the highlight of Modern Warfare 4, offering streamlined gameplay and a more engaging, straightforward experience compared to its predecessors. Overall, Modern Warfare 4 proves to be a tighter and better game than Infinity Ward's previous endeavor, Black Ops 7, though it still carries some narrative flaws.