Every once in a great while there is a game that comes out and just knocks you on your ass. This year that game is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I have been a huge fan of Call of Duty since the original one came out on the Playstation 2 and Xbox. Up until this point Call of Duty 3 had been my favorite of the series. That all just changed with this release. Developer Infinity Ward has taken not only the Call of Duty franchise, but the whole First-Person Shooter Genre to a whole new level. So while I am sitting here totally drooling over this game, let me try to gather myself to try to get this review done.

Going through hell to get the game...

I actually went out and got the Playstation 3 version. So this is based on my experiences with the Playstation 3 version (not the 360 version). Chris Wilson and the rest of the NLG crew settled for the Xbox 360 version. But since I just got my PS3 I am pampering the hell out of it with new games. I want to give you guys a little story to how hard it was getting the PS3 version. I live in the panhandle of Florida (a thousand miles away from the NLG offices in Baltimore MD). I paid for this game with my own cash (So I think it means more when I review my own investment... something I paid for, not had sent to me). LOL, I even had a very bad experience getting the game from GameStop. But about 100+ miles and $15 worth of gas later I had my Playstation 3 version.

I called GameStop and the store i pre-ordered from was busy ALL DAY. So I called the store across the street and they said it was in. After all, I had a review to do and I had a deadline to meet. There are 2 GameStops within a mile in Mary Esther Florida, one is in a mall and the other store is in a strip mall. i live in Crestview Florida. This place is like Mayberry 2007. It is in the middle of nowhere. So I drove the 30+ miles to town to get my COD4 game. When I got there I basically had a female GameStop employee lie to my face about my pre-order. I was told that my Playstation 3 pre-order did not come in yet, and would not be in until the next day. So I went to another GameStop, right across the street from this one (in a mall) and caught her in a big fat lie. The employee at this GameStop went to that store to pick up their stores  COD4 copies. He said they had a ton of them. I ended up buying them game AGAIN (going to my bank to get out some funds) and having to take my pre-order back to the original GameStop store for a refund. Let me just say that I will not be dealing with that GameStop store again (GameStop #4902 in Mary Esther Florida). I should do a review on the crappy service that I got from this GameStop store. But I am sure you all have had a bad GameStop experience that left a really bad taste in your mouth one way or another.

The Game...

With that all being said (I doubt you guys give a flying fart about my experience at GameStop), let me tell you a little about Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Where do I begin. There is so much goodness to talk about. The story of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare steps away from the last three games, leaving the past where it belongs... in the past. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is now a balls-out in your face, kick-ass tour of duty from todays problems. And while the story may be a bit different from what is going on now (Iraq, Iran) you get the feel that your basically playing in todays war. As both a United States Marine and British S.A.S. soldier fighting through an unfolding story full of twists and turns, players use sophisticated technology, superior firepower and coordinated land and air strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy and communication are essential to victory. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay.

While I am sure you have all heard that the single player mode is about 6-7 hours. The story of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is told from a perspective of a British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment operative (Soap MacTavish) in Russia and an American 1st Force Recon operative (Paul Jackson) in the Middle East. You will also play in some flashback levels as well. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare starts out with first person views from a poor soul who is on the way to a date with some cold lead in his head. WHile the opening credits play as your in the back seat of the car you will see people being assasinatedon the street, murder and mayhem is all over the place. Just the first minute alone, sitting in the back seat awaiting your death sets the mood of  Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It is some of the best 6-7 hours you will have in terms of a killer gaming experience. The game starts out with the basic training. But you will soon be deep in the heart of the enemy’s lair. You will go through various stages of day and night, on land or on sea. And the enemies are alot smarter this time around. They hang on roof tops, they shoot from the back of old trucks riding down the road. They even have dogs that will attack you. This is a whole new experience in terms of the Call of Duty series.