The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare ("COD4") is another game of the first person shooter genre. You play the role of a Special Forces soldier whose mission is to prevent terrorists from detonating a nuclear weapon. The terrorists run you on a goose chase across Europe and the Middle East and it is your task to stop them by going from checkpoint to checkpoint and killing terrorists.

****Graphics****

The graphics are 3 dimensional. The characters not only look life like but their behaviour and movements are as well. The backgrounds are exceptionally detailed, as you'd expect, although they are a bit blocky. That said there is enough detail to tell the difference between a friendly uniform and a garb-wearing terrorist.

This is not uncommon of current games in this genre (such as Brothers In Arms); therefore these did not take me aback.

****Sound****

The sound effects are sharp and crisp. There is loads of recorded dialogue that includes not only mission briefings, but also real time battle shouting and speak as well.

The shots and explosions are very realistic and this complements the graphics very well.

****Game play****

The controls involve using the directional pad, the action buttons (A, B, X and Y), the Land R shoulder buttons and the touch screen/stylus. They are almost identical to that of Brothers in Arms, which is not surprising since it is a tried and tested configuration that works very well.

You move the soldier with the directional pad (if right handed) or the A, B, X and Y buttons (if left handed). You shoot using the L and R shoulder buttons and you aim via the cross hair target on the top screen that is controlled by moving the stylus around the bottom screen.

Double-tapping the touch screen will change the normal aiming mode to a more precise aim, and there are other icons on the touch screen that let you switch weapons, throw grenades, reload guns (there is a huge range of weapons that can be picked up during missions), and pick up objects with a single tap.

If a hand grenade is thrown your way then a hand icon will appear, indicating that you can pick it up and throw it back. Whilst this feature is unrealistic (who would honestly attempt to pick up a live grenade and return it?) it is useful to assist in completing the missions.

There are parts during the game when a binoculars icon will appear. This gives you the chance to call the air force that will come and destroy enemy vehicles with an air strike.

An issue I have is that actions requiring double tapping with the stylus or the directional pad (i.e. obtaining the more precise aim, running and crouching) are not always picked up. Sometimes nothing will happen, other times you may want to run in with a normal target and you will end up crouching with the precise target. It is very frustrating during game play although the effects are not usually severe due to the way you can restore your health.

This game not only sees you on foot but also manning gun turrets on armoured vehicles, in a support role, as well as disarming bombs, piloting a bomber plane and solving some mini games.

The soldier's health is shown using a green bar. Each time you are hit the bar will get a red twinge to it and it will continue to get redder the more times you are hit. Unlike other games where you increase your health by picking up health packs, in this game your health will automatically go back to normal if you stop and hide behind something to have a bit of a breather. This makes the game a bit easier, but you can take a lot of bullets before you die in any case.

The flipside is your enemies also take a few hits to die. Whilst headshots kill quicker than body shots it can take numerous blasts with an MK16 at very close range to get rid of your enemies. This results in a lot of reloading of the guns that can get a bit tedious.

Another thing I find strange about this game is the behaviour of your enemies. Whilst shooting them I found that they would crouch down in the open taking the bullets as opposed to running for cover and seeking somewhere to hide.

***Longevity****

The missions of this game are quite short and I managed to complete the game in around 10 hours of continuous game play, which is not that much.

Personally I think that it is a game that once completed it will be put on the shelf and collect dust. There is no reason to get it out and play it again, even in multi player mode with mates (see later on in this review).

****Online****

On other consoles COD4 may be played online, unfortunately this is not the case with the version on the DS, which is a real let down.

The DS has the ability to hook up online and play games, and I do not know why this feature was not incorporated in to this version. Personally, I think that the producers have missed a trick here.

****Multi player****

Multi player mode is restricted to four players and a game of "catch the flag" or a death match. All players have to have a copy of the game as well, which in my experience is unlikely (my mates and I buy different games and then share them around the group), making this feature pretty much redundant.

****Prices and availability****

I have seen copies of this game for as little as £14.99 (excluding P&P) from Game.com and as much as £19.99 (excluding P&P) from Soft UK Limited.

****Conclusion****

COD4 is no better or worse than other current games in this genre. It has great graphics, it has great sound, it is good fun to play and the additional mini games and missions where you play a supporting role on a gun turret and pilot a bomber plane add an additional feature.

The length of the game is a disappointment, but it is about the same as Brothers In Arms, so it appears to be a common theme.

If first person shooter war games are your thing then you will like this although it is not that much different to any other games of this genre. It is basically an extension of Brothers in Arms.

Being a lover of this genre of game I would definitely recommend COD4, however, I would not buy this game or any game in this genre due to the longevity of the games and the fact that once completed I would not play them again. It is much more economical to rent this type of game, and if you are one of those people that would play the game over an over again you can buy it at a later date.