Modern Warfare is a quake: interwoven storytelling, cinematic direction and a multiplayer that redefined the genre for years. All Ghillied Up still stands as a high water mark of shooter writing and tension.
First-person shooter by Infinity Ward and Activision, November 2007. Sergeant 'Soap' McTavish and Captain Price battle Russian ultranationalists and a Middle East warlord in modern warfare. Revolutionary cinematic solo campaign, multiplayer with pioneering ranking and killstreaks system and hard-hitting contemporary war storyline. The game that redefined the modern multiplayer FPS.
Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Scored by Harry Gregson-Williams, the soundtrack founds the sound of the modern military thriller: tense electronic layers, muffled percussion and orchestra that embrace contemporary conflict. It breaks with the martial pomp of the World War II entries and imposes a main theme that became iconic. This new sonic language would lastingly define the mood of the whole series.
The first entry to leave the Second World War behind, this military thriller plunges into a modern conflict where bold strikes and betrayals follow one another. Its nervy staging and a shocking twist that became famous upended the codes of the FPS. More than a shooter, it brought genuine narrative tension to the genre.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The turning point that redefined the modern FPS: a snappy, cinematic campaign, and an addictive multiplayer where you rank up to unlock weapons and perks. The precision of the gunplay and the frantic pace grab you from the first mission. Intense, immersive and masterfully made, a pillar of the genre whose influence is still felt today.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
By laying the foundation of all modern multiplayer, this first entry introduces unlocking weapons and perks through leveling, killstreaks (recon, airstrike, helicopter) and above all Prestige, which dares you to reset everything for the top rank. The campaign is short and scripted, but the competitive progression loop pulls you back endlessly.
A major turning point for the shooter, leaving historical war for a contemporary conflict and imposing a progression-based multiplayer that redefined the genre. Printed in enormous quantities in the West, its collecting interest there stays low, but the markedly rarer Asian and Korean pressings draw collectors. An affordable piece, pivotal for its lasting influence on the genre.
Better with friends
With no co-op and no waves to fend off, this entry stands on its landmark competitive multiplayer: it invented the genre's modern progression, with level-based unlocks, perks and killstreaks that became the standard. Everything rests on reflex, map reading and loadout tuning. The era's official servers are no longer guaranteed, but the snappiness of its duels and the elegance of its balance haven't aged a day.
Is Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2007 on Xbox 360, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 upended the shooter by leaving the Second World War for a contemporary conflict, and its influence still shows everywhere. The masterful campaign delivers anthology pieces like the sniper mission in Pripyat or the nuclear turn. The multiplayer invented the unlock based progression that became the genre's norm. The gunfeel and the pacing stay exemplary. The official servers have shut down. But the solo remains a peak. For fans of shooters and the curious about gaming history, this classic stays essential today.
