*Warning: The following review contains minor story spoilers. Be advised if you haven’t played the original game or even the remaster.*
Out of all the remasters that have come out these past few years (and there have been a lot), I’ve never been as excited for one as much as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered.
What many consider to be the peak of the franchise, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare came out in 2007, winning numerous awards for Best Shooter, Best Graphics, and Best Online Multiplayer. Since then, a new Call of Duty title has come out every year from developers Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and later Sledgehammer Games. For better or for worse, the changes that were made game after game have resulted in much different experiences than the one Modern Warfare offered. Does the game responsible for so many sequels hold up nine years later?
It’s funny how you look back on a game only to realize it doesn’t look as good as you remember it. Chances are if you play the remaster with fresh knowledge of the original, it will look as good as you pictured it back in 2007 and then some. Using the current version of the IW engine, character models are detailed extraordinarily better, aided by sharp textures and of course a constant 60 frames per second. I’ve always been impressed with the engine in Call of Duty games and this is no exception. Despite the improvements, however, the game still looked like Modern Warfare to me because that’s how good it looked back in my head when I last played it years ago. For new players though, this graphical upgrade is a MUST as it will help them better appreciate how great of a game it is.
Modern Warfare Remastered does not feature any new control schemes from more recent Call of Duty‘s (such as diving, sliding, popping in and out of cover, etc.). It plays 100% like the original game did, which is far from a bad thing. The changes are mostly aesthetic, but it’s not like they just added a fresher coat of paint to everything and called it a day. Player and character movements are re-animated making them more realistic and less stiff. Remember the mission “Aftermath”? The one where you wake up in a crashed helicopter after a nuclear bomb goes off in the middle of a city? Well in the remaster, they made the level brighter so you can see all the wreckage. They even went the extra mile to add other soldiers fatally injured and crawling for dear life. As if the original level wasn’t shocking enough.
Like I said, the gameplay is exactly the same as it was back in 2007, which also means the problems the first game had are still present. Enemies that spawn infinitely in certain areas are still rampant, but that was also a deliberate choice by developers designed to keep players moving rather than pick off enemies. I kind of understand that and I don’t. Sure, you want to progress further in the level, but it’s easier to do that once all enemies have been eliminated.
Trophy-hunters will find that the all of trophies from the original game are in this one along with some new ones. There is one in particular that is extremely interesting if you’re a fan of the Modern Warfare trilogy. I won’t say too much, but keep your eyes peeled in the “One Shot, One Kill” mission.
I played the entire campaign on Veteran (because I hate myself) and that pulls no punches. Veteran modes in later Call of Duty‘s have still been difficult, but not nearly as bad as Modern Warfare and World at War. I’m still on a quest to finally beat “Mile High Club” on Veteran to get that Silver Trophy!
I said in one of my first articles at Nerd Reactor that Remasters are made with new players in mind. They’re made for the people who missed out because they didn’t have a console at the time and because these new systems aren’t too fond of backwards compatibility (even the Xbox One has a ton of titles unavailable). Modern Warfare Remastered is in a sticky situation though. Right now, you can only get the game if you pre-order the Legacy Edition of Infinite Warfare for $80. It also requires the IW disc to play so there’s no cheating the system. Pre-ordering the PS4 version of Infinite Warfare digitally will allow you play the remaster’s campaign now, but is it worth the $80 price tag if you’re not interested in the new game?
If you don’t plan on buying Infinite Warfare but you really want the Remaster, you’re better off waiting for when Activision eventually sells it separately. Trust me, it will be worth the wait.
However, you haven’t played Modern Warfare and you’re planning on buying the new game, I recommend you shell out the extra $20 and get yourself a piece of gaming history.
Final Reaction
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is an important game in the shooter genre, especially when it came to the single-player campaign. It changed the way most other shooters told their stories and helped create a popular franchise over the next nine years. Modern Warfare Remastered is a great way to re-experience the same exact game but tailored to the current gen. Even though the same problems are still apparent like infinitely spawning enemies, it certainly isn’t enough to miss out on one of the most iconic games within the last decade.
Rating: 4.5/5 Atoms
from Nerd Reactor
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