Can Infinity Ward make the jump from the WWII scene to the Modern Age? You bet they can!
In the single player campaign you are thrust into a conflict in either the present day or the near future, it never really tells you, where a madman is threatening to take control of the Middle East and he has those bombs that make big boom booms. But, the story surprisingly isn't that simple, for a FPS, this game has a pretty deep and interesting story. You are put in the combat boots of a fresh recruit in the British S.A.S unit, codenamed, "Soap" McTavish and at other times you'll play as the slightly less uniquely named, Sgt. Jackson of the U.S.M.C. The missions you play through are intense, well animated, and very engrossing. This has to be one of, if not the, most intense and fun single player campaigns in a FPS ever. It is shame it so short, which is single player's only real fault. If only there had been a few more hours worth of gameplay in SP, then this game may have gotten a near perfect score.
I'll also say this, the AI in single player are no fools when it comes to tactics or firefights. They will back each other up in a tight spot by throwing flash grenades, providing covering fire, or running back behind a nearby dumpster. These guys are tough, even on Normal mode, on the higher levels they are near impossible to kill at some points. Of course your allies are no slobs either, they bark commands at each other and do all the things the enemy AI does.
However, with any shooter nowadays, it's the multiplayer which gives a shooter longevity on the market and COD4 has some of the best multiplayer options and gameplay out there. There are the classic, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Headquarters, Search and Destory, and Domination that occur in nearly every Call of Duty game. All these modes transition well to modern warfare. I do feel they kinda copied Battlefield a bit though, with the experience you earn from battle you go up in rank and unlock new weapons, challenges, and skins for your guns. There are numerous guns to unlock, including the ole MP44 from the other COD games. You can also unlock attachments for your guns, like a laser sight, grenade launcher, etc after you gain a certain amount of experience or complete a certain challenge. The other neat thing about the multiplayer is that you have "Perks" which give your little warrior of destruction actual individuality! You can have everything from extra health, longer sprint times, to Martyr (which automatically drops a frag grenade when you die), and Last Stand (which allows you to live for about 5-10 seconds longer to get one final shot off with your pistol) All these things add up to a great multiplayer formula that is fun and challenging.
It is kind of annoying how ridiculously accurate some guns are though, you can literally snipe across a map with a pistol........which kind of feels like it takes some of the skill out of the game, knowing that you can just spray and kill basically everytime.
The graphics will make you want to break down and cry at its beauty! The graphics in COD4 are simply stunning and add to the realism of the conflict. The uniforms, faces, and guns all are accurately detailed to look real and the environments really give each map or location its' own identity. It is rather odd how a constant breeze is always going over the battlefield to make scrap paper and litter always go galabanting across streets.....just something I noticed.
The sound design is on par with the graphics, all the guns, voices, and sound effects in COD4 are too realistic. If you have a surround sound set to hook up to your PC or whatever you use to play this game, for love of pete use it!!!! You will most likely have to slap yourself in the face a few times to come back to reality after you're done playing, but it will engross you, it will.
Overall-
Pros=
-Amazing and Interesting Single Player Campaign
-Real Life Graphics that are jaw droppingly gorgeous
-Superior Sound design that brings the conflict to life
-Great multiplayer options and gametypes
Cons=
-Single Player is too short
-Some players may be put off by the jump to modern warfare