Call of Duty 4 revisited

Last time I talked about Call of Duty 4, I discussed the gameplay features I enjoyed. Since then, I finished the game, and then did so again three more times. So I felt compelled to expand on what I first wrote.

First, the game is intense. Even the earlier levels have intense moments. Really the only parts of the game that aren't intense are the parts where you're avoiding a helicopter or searching for a missing ally. There were a few moments in the lone stealth mission that had me on edge. But you'll often find yourself hiding behind cover, trying to pick off an enemy or two without being killed. I found some easier paths to take on some levels, but others leave you without a lot of room to maneuver.

The story presentation, in my opinion, is awesome. First-person shooters aren't known for having good stories. But I grew an attachment to the S.A.S. squad. The U.S.M.C. squad, not as much. I had to use the subtitles to make out who was talking when (I'm not very good at differentiating voices with accents), but I grew to love my S.A.S. squad. Gaz, Captain Price, and Griggs (from the U.S.M.C.) are my favorites. The game portrays them with such unique personalities, which doesn't come off as forced.

Some story bits are delivered during load times, which helps disguise loading. It works quite well, as playing the game the first time, I was more interested in how the story progressed from one level to the next, that I didn't mind waiting for it to load. On a second or even third play through, it serves to remind you what the situation is, but it does get a bit tiring.

The story itself is pretty good. I'm not expecting anything of epic proportions, but it does its job quite nicely. The switch to the modern era, and moving into a fictional war, really did wonders for the story. When you do a game based on a historical era, you usually are faced with the constraints of that time period, as well as keeping it historically accurate. But this fictional war in the modern era has no such restraints, and you'll actually find yourself coming face-to-face with the main antagonists on more than one occasion. It makes you feel like you actually mean something, as opposed to being a random soldier in a big battle during World War II.

Overall, this game excels on all levels. The gameplay, video, sound, and story are all incredible. If I were to nitpick, I'd complain that the player characters don't cast any shadows. In fact, in typical first-person-shooter style, you don't see the characters' legs, body, or head. But even though the world is beautifully lighted, and all the shadows are real-time with HDR rendering, you can move in front of a light and nothing will happen. No shadow, no disturbance, nothing. It's the only real annoyance I found in the game, outside of the "playing as a helicopter gunner" level.