Call of Duty Modern Warfare Review: Impressions for Gameplay, Esports, Speedruns

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare promised a return to its roots of the 2007 classic, and that wasn't merely a marketing ploy.  

It started as a bold claim from developer Infinity Ward. Not only was the promise seemingly something akin to a fairytale given the size of the task at hand, it meant aligning expectations with the classic that redefined first-person shooters all those years ago for the unmatchable juggernaut of a franchise. 

Yet, somehow, this iteration of Modern Warfare pulls it all off. The singleplayer experience is unforgettable, although recommended for mature audiences due to subject matter of certain scenes. The multiplayer balances the classic CoD feel against a grittier, grounded experience; and some of the trappings of the modern game industry are absent. 

Graphics and Gameplay

The first thing longtime Call of Duty players will notice is the new engine. It's jarring, in a good way. Environments and detail are through the roof compared to past editions, lighting is upscaled, and faces and character models are more fluid. 

To anyone who hasn't dipped their toes into the massive franchise, Modern Warfare looks like a photorealistic experience and one of the better-looking games out there. 

The world is immersive. Gone are the action-figure characters and environments that don't hold up to snuff when approached closely. The forest environments are lush, the desert trips swirl sand throughout, and pristine physics make the chaos of combat all the more engaging.

It all comes together really well in motion. Simply preventing this from just feeling and looking like another entry in the series is a big plus. And Modern Warfare isn't shy about flexing its newfound looks and overarching presentation, as the option to remove the HUD lends itself to movie-esque vibes. 

The sound design is where another big impact is noticeable. Shots punch into the player with a thump. Bullets that dart past off-target rip the air to the left and right of the player. This is war; humans are screaming, the drone of vehicles overwhelms everything, and directional sound—especially potent on something like an Astro A50—is done well. 

From a presentation standpoint, there isn't much that tears apart the immersion. It's a well put together package, with the production values aligning perfectly with the new system. 

However, within the incredible presentation—unlike the series has seen in the past—comes a drawback: The human effect of combat is more visceral than ever. The sights and sounds make catching a civilian in the crossfire more impactful than ever, which hasn't always been the case in games trying to depict the grittiness of war. 

Within the gameplay side of things, this is as Call of Duty as it gets. The control schemes, functionality and intuitiveness of it all remain. Players are free to smartly re-map on something like an Elite Series 2 Controller or rebind keys.

More impressive is the weighted feel thanks to not only the slowing of everything but the interaction with the new system. It's clear the desire was to get away from an arcade-style pace and ground players a bit more, which lends more weight to decision-making. 

None of this means innovation didn't happen. Something as simple as the implementation—finally—of a slide is a big plus. Weaving in and out of cover and pulling off flanks have never felt better in the series. 

Going at it solo, some of the usual Call of Duty pitfalls persist in gameplay. At times, it can still feel like nothing will progress until the player goes on a killing spree. Sometimes, turning around will reveal A.I. companions just standing around despite the audio suggesting an intense firefight. 

But these moments of discord are few and far between. Multiplayer-feel is a different animal based on game mode, but the options there present a little bit of everything for most sorts of players. 

At this stage of the series, Modern Warfare wasn't going to be overly game-changing because of combat. But some small tweaks and blending the slightly altered formula with the new feel of the presentation has created a nice turning point for the series those in charge of it seemed to covet. 

Story, Multiplayer and More

Modern Warfare's story was always destined to be divisive. The warnings upon booting it up every time aren't meant to be cheesy—this is a brutal experience not suitable for younger players. 

The short of it is siblings Farah and Hadir are freedom fighters for fictional country Urzikstan. Captain Price and Alex are a couple of the mainstays, and it's nice the characters aren't just tropes of good-guy cutouts. Instead, the characters are fleshed-out with depth to them.

That all sounds like standard Call of Duty fodder, but the familiar trappings quickly give way to a harsh depiction of war crimes and the complexities of not just proxy wars, but the human boots-on-the-ground effects for combatants and civilians alike. 

Spec Ops: The Line from 2012 has long been held as the bastion for video games depicting the realities of war—the blurring of lines on the ground, the fog of war, and so on. Modern Warfare doesn't necessarily dethrone it, but the campaign presents the realities of modern war in often disturbing, human terms. The good guys have all the technological advantages, yet the humans (meaning, the player) employing that tech and superiority must still process the threat before engaging. 

In a night-time firefight with flares hanging in the sky overhead, players are tasked with discerning whether figures caught within are enemy combatants or civilians. While clearing a multi-level building, is the woman cradling a screaming baby by a crib a threat? And where is the male voice the player could hear while they were sneaking up the steps? 

Fatigue can set in, which maybe is the point. But moving from atrocity to atrocity—from suicide bombers rushing at the player to seeing the harsh effects of weaponized gasses on humans and animals alike—with this sort of realism is draining. There are scenes of staggering war crimes, and players are even put in control of children tasked with fighting for survival. The whole experience isn't for the faint of heart. 

There's no ultimate answer to the complex issues presented in the vicious cycle of a storyline. The fact a player comes away feeling marked by the experience says it all and lets them work to their own conclusions. 

From a solely entertainment perspective, this was a meaty experience with great pacing that wasn't afraid to swap out the "go here" missions for intriguing indoor missions. A little stealth and creative gameplay comes into play in pleasant ways, too. Given the production values, it felt a little bit like playing a blockbuster. 

While there isn't admittedly a good way to avoid this, it's a little jarring to leave that experience and head for multiplayer. 

This side of things largely has an expected feel. The action is fast-paced, and a variety of rotating game modes keep things fresh. Player counts vary, too, with Ground War taking on Battlefield-esque counts in slow-developing matches. That mode, in particular, feels like a watered-down version of modes other games do better, but it serves its niche. 

A divisive point here is the return of killstreaks. Drumming up a streak and raining death on helpless enemies as a reward is still a good time. But ending up on the receiving end of it remains just as frustrating. 

One note about killstreaks, too: They work to dampen the otherwise fun implementation of Field Upgrades. These range from deployable shields to record drones and more, and while those feel good, they seem to shrink in importance while killstreaks are smashing everyone to smithereens. 

Those who don't want to enter the endless fray of team deathmatches and otherwise might find a suitable home in Gunfight, a mode boasting two-on-two action in a best-of-six format. The action is quick and thrilling and does a good job of bottling up some of the successes of the industry over the last few years. Think battle royale, except without the boring stuff and getting right to the action payoff. The game describes it as fighting in a cage, which is apt, as the mode is exhilarating at every turn. 

Special Ops is also a candidate to stay for a long time. This diversion offers up missions and operations. The latter is multiplayer only, the former solo or otherwise. It's nice to have a co-op sort of extension to the story to fall back on if multiplayer exhaustion creeps into the gameplay loop. 

But the exclamation point is Cyber Attack, which seems like a better version of Search and Destroy. Headshots, revives and the removal of the HUD under the "Realism" modifier define the mode, meaning no killstreaks or hijinks from the other modes. This is a fantastic development for that PvP esports feel, with communication and audio cues playing a massive role in the outcome of games. 

Besides modes, it's worth pointing out the map design. Modern Warfare swerves away from the same old tired (in Call of Duty and everywhere else) two-lane or three-lane design for more open-ended experiences littered with obstacles. It's less standing off in the same old spots all the time and peeking well-known lanes, and instead, it's more robust, grounded experiences. This might encourage some camping, yes, but this is war. Taking it slower and leaning on audible cues isn't a terrible change of pace for the series. 

Also on the design front is the presentation. Taking a helicopter into the fray and other little touches before a match are small details, yet they do a lot to broaden the feel of the ensuing fight in a meaningful manner. 

Customization seems more in-depth than before, too. The usual calling cards and emblems make it, but so do different operators, watches and gun-build options. While it's hard to predict what will eventually rise to the top loadout-wise, the game launches feel quite moldable to a player's desired playstyle.

The gunsmith was a big talking point before release, and it delivers as expected. There are a handful of upgradeable areas to every weapon, even including sidearms. Tricking out a weapon while leveling it up and making it match a player's wants and needs is both an unexpected deep affair and a way to really connect with the tools of the trade. 

Overall, most of it—especially the traditional modes—still feels a little too arcade-y compared to the gritty realism presented in the singleplayer. A more in-depth tactical experience maybe isn't what butters the proverbial bread for the series, but how it's pulled off here in Cyber Attack might end up pulling in bigger playercounts than expected. 

There's no Zombies or battle royale, no battlepass or glittery lootboxes and the other familiar trappings of modern gaming right now. Yet, the "back to basics" intention isn't barebones. Perhaps the only issue here is the lack of an ability to vote on the next map. While forging a small complaints list, here's to hoping some post-release updates can address some obvious spawn-camping issues. 

New engine or not, Modern Warfare ran great on PC and otherwise without noticeable hiccups. Everything checked out with crossplay and even solo, and the entire package is pleasantly streamlined with little in the way of load times. 

Esports, Speedrunning

Last year's Blackout was an obvious nod to the times in the gaming landscape, but it also had some interesting implications for the esports side. 

Looking ahead, Modern Warfare seems poised to have an even bigger impact on things like Call of Duty World League. Gunfight's two-player action is thrilling for both the players and onlookers, which means it could have a big audience. 

Traditional modes will still see plenty of run in competitive environments, but don't count out the Realism mode. It's the top highlight of the experience. Ripping out the HUD to let the beauty of the maps shine and forcing players into leaning on audio and communications to excel is as immersive as it gets in a multiplayer setting.  

The reality is simple: There is always going to be a place for Call of Duty at the top of the competitive scene. The presence of a more appealing, diverse set of modes doesn't hurt. The fact Activision is working toward something that feels like an Overwatch League style with city-based teams and seasons shouldn't have any problems making the competitive side even more popular. 

As for the speedrunning side, the return of singleplayer means this avenue is open again. Call of Duty: WWII from a few years back still had speedruns occuring within the past year. 

Modern Warfare should experience similar longevity. The sheer gunskill and memorization necessary to excel in this arena should keep runs fresh. It might fall behind compared to the esports scene, obviously, but there is enough in the way of variability to have runners pursuing unbeatable times.

Tips-wise, cutscenes and certain events are skippable. Without going too far into spoiler-land, certain segments will require immense timing and memorization to accomplish. And as always with these campaigns, waiting on the A.I. to help will get a player nowhere fast. But, hey, there's the fun catch—the timing of a run truly relies on the player.

Conclusion

A best-ever Call of Duty campaign that leaves the player feeling something breaks the series out of the mundane and crafts one of the year's better gaming moments. 

The complementary, robust multiplayer package sure doesn't hurt. The wealth of options, including stellar new modes that lean away from the expected experience, really highlight a versatility to the series once thought impossible. 

Thanks to a new engine and some slight design tweaks, the hype that chased Modern Warfare to release— thanks to some bold claims beforehand—never seemed to stand a chance of holding up, but the game surpasses it with a smooth reinvention.