Answer the 'Call'

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
(360, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Intense Violence/Strong Language; charlieoscardelta.com)



Developer Infinity Ward made a huge splash when the Xbox 360 launched by having "Call of Duty 2" available on day-one. "Call of Duty 2" was the game that showcased what a next-generation game should look, sound, and feel like.

After taking a break from the "COD" franchise, and letting another developer create the ho-hum "Call of Duty 3," Infinity Ward propels the series in "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" both in timeline and gaming experience. "COD4" takes the franchise out of Nazi-controlled countries during WWII, and sets them in the all-too-familiar modern Middle East, where Russian nukes have been stolen by a radical terrorist group who've just taken control and assassinated the president of unidentified Middle Eastern country. Bouncing in between storylines of a US Marine and British SAS operative, players will find themselves in the thick of a global conflict.

Also known as "in the s@%t"



And what beautiful s@%t it is! Where "Call of Duty 2" gave us a glimpse at next-gen gaming, "COD4" blows the lid off. Among the incredible lighting, sound, and blockbuster cinematic moments, immediately noticeable is the level of difficulty and action occurring on-screen at all times. Smoke, gunfire, yelling, shattering glass, exploding vehicles, weather effects, and tons of enemies and allies all contribute to the incredible amount of... well... "stuff" that players are constantly assaulted by. Because of the number of distractions affecting every sense but scent, maintaining focus to accomplish mission objectives without dying over and over again is the biggest challenge of the game. This isn't the type of game where players can walk into a battle, hunker down, and proceed only after eliminating everyone on screen- enemies come in endless waves, forcing players to have to systematically and intelligently push forward through the chaos in order to drive the narrative forward.

This does mean, however, that you'll die a lot- and having to replay scenarios multiple times can become more than a little frustrating. And an unfortunate result of such tightly-scripted action, is the fact that enemies start in the same places every single go-around. So if you are having to play the same mission segment over and over again, eventually you'll get through it by knowing where and when those enemies will pop their heads out. Some randomization of enemy spawning would have been nice.

Enemy spawn-patterns aside, when you are in the thick of "COD4," the intensity of those moments is unrivaled by any other game. The realism and danger of each mission instantly immerses you into the game world immediately and the mechanics of controls and button-presses melt away- a hallmark of great game design. Those missions are equally unsettling once the game is turned off, and the realization of what actual modern warfare must feel like begins to set in. I don't know if veterans and current service men and women have an appreciation for games like "COD4" and its WWII predecessor, but those games certainly make me have a new level of appreciation for their service and courage.