With the latest iteration of Call of Duty in 2019’s Modern Warfare, there’s an imminent promise of actually returning to the roots of what made the series actually resonate with gamers across the world back in 2007. It’s all grounded in a somewhat realistic modern day setting, and the movement, weapons and the locations reflect the same. After having played over 15 hours of the multiplayer, both across the Closed and the Open BETA, I can confidently say that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is indeed the Call of Duty that fans have been waiting for.
Firstly, the gun-play feels so good. Just running around and shooting in the multiplayer feels just right. It immediately reminded me of the times I spent playing Call Of Duty 4’s multiplayer, only this felt like it had made all the right improvements – the graphics are more polished, the weapon feedback is more impactful, everything sounds great, and the movement and weapon animations are pretty rad. The weapon customization is also really well done, with some deep tweaking options – scopes, suppressors, mounts, stocks, under-barrels, grips, etc can be switched out and tacked on as you see fit. The interface is also clean and informative, and you are clearly told as to what attachments do what, both in terms of pros and cons. I spent a significant amount switching around weapons, trying on different attachments, and understanding what suited my play-style for a given mode. I was pleasantly surprised at how versatile the whole armory was.
For the most part, I played the classic modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination and Headquarters. And honestly, with all the recent focus on Battle Royale modes, or Hero Shooters, I was just happy to go back to the modes I had come to deeply enjoy back in the day. the game modes still felt fun, intense, and refreshing even. The maps are also really well made – a mix of industrial towns, rebel bases with cave systems, and a massive warehouse – it felt like classic Call of Duty with a fresh coat of paint on it, and I loved that.
The Ground War mode – 32 vs 32 players on a massive battlefield with tanks and helicopters – is the new addition to the series this year, and it seems like Call of Duty’s response to Battlefield’s big Conquest modes. And it’s pretty much exactly that. It’s not Battlefield, but it is Call of Duty version of Battlefield. Which means that it was chaotic, in the most fun way imaginable. With it’s low time to kill and faster movement, there was the time or space for the nuanced strategies of the Battlefield series – instead I was rushing to a tank, going around capturing points and blowing up enemy players along the way. It’s a lot of fun, and I am curious to see how many people will take to this new direction that the series is trying to steer towards.
My only complain was that it can get a little dark indoors, especially when you run in from outside. Spotting players in the caves was a bit tricky, and is an issue that I hope is fixed before the full release. But overall, I am back and ready for Call of Duty this year. I can see myself really digging deep into this game – both the campaign, the multiplayer and the Spec Ops mode.
