*DISCLAIMER: I want to mention that this review, which was originally written back in early 2019, is actually focused more on "Modern Warfare Remastered" for the PlayStation 4. Supposedly, GameSpot doesn't have a listing for the remastered version, so I have to list it as a review of the original version. Just know that this review is written from the perspective of someone who played the 2016 remaster of the original game.*
While I've never really considered myself a "fan" of the "Call of Duty" series, I've gone on record on numerous occasions to say that "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" is a fantastic game. Dating back to 2011, a year where I thought shooters were disgustingly overrated and not nearly worth the hype that they'd gotten (don't worry, I've warmed up to them recently), I was singing the praises for the fourth entry in the ever-so-popular franchise. In a way, it changed how I personally looked at shooters, and it actually showed me that there was certainly quality in the FPS genre. So, when I heard that the game was being remastered for the PlayStation 4, I was ecstatic...well, until I learned that the game was only going to be available if you bought the 2016 title "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare," which I had already heard was one of the worst titles in the franchise. But then they released it standalone, and I was happy with it!
"Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" has aged tremendously: the action is still intense, the shooting mechanics and controls are still excellent, there's plenty of challenge even on the lower difficulties, and I can still see just how much the game impacted a number of today's shooters. On top of that, the story is thrilling (hard to say that about a "Call of Duty" game), the presentation is excellent, and the "Remastered: facelift only helps the game look even better. Even as realistic games tend to age worse these days, "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" still looks amazing by today's standards, and it's still a rip-roaring good time regardless of whether you're playing in single player or multiplayer.
Unfortunately, while this is mostly a review of the base game, "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," I do want to knock a point off of this "Remastered" edition. It would have been a 10 under most circumstances, but I'm dropping a point off on account of the many bad business practices involving the remaster, most notably the inclusion of microtransactions. In certain cases, I may be willing to just let it slide, since microtransactions are not exactly mandatory, but given that this is a remaster of a game that was 9 years old at the time of release, I think it's unacceptable that Activision, even while giving the fans what they want, is attempting to nickel and dime consumers in a remaster. Can we please keep these practices outside of remasters? It's not faithful to the original, and frankly, it's insulting.
Rant aside, however, Activision has definitely crafted a wonderful remaster of what is very easily the best game in the long-running "Call of Duty" franchise, and regardless of whether you experience the original version or the remastered edition (preferably the original if you don't want to support the business tactics), "Modern Warfare" still stands tall as a truly amazing shooter.
Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"