Activision’s ‘Call of Duty 4′ one of year’s best

Before you start compiling your list of favourite video games of 2007 – which will likely include BioShock, Mass Effect, Rock Band, Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy and The Orange Box – be sure to play Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (from $49.99).

Fans of Activision’s Call of Duty games are used to fighting Nazis and other Axis threats throughout the 1940s, but this fourth game in the series is the first to trade a World War II backdrop for 21st-century conflicts.

After the mandatory training exercises, which familiarize you with weapon-handling and soldier movement, you’ll find yourself and your squadmates in many different hostile environments – from Middle Eastern towns to rural Russian areas to a sinking cargo ship containing nuclear secrets.

In order to confront and stop a fundamentalist faction threatening world stability, you can play as both a U.S. Marine and a British S.A.S. soldier, with access to more than 70 authentic weapons, as well as accessories such as night-vision goggles and other military gear.

Played from an immersive first-person perspective, the graphics and animation in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare are some of the best we’ve seen to date, adding to the important suspension of disbelief. The sound effects, voice talent and music soundtrack are also extraordinary. Most of the cinematic action takes place on foot, as you must use your surroundings as cover, but you can also ride in helicopters, tanks and other vehicles.

Along with the single-player campaign, multiple online modes will keep the war alive in cyberspace.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.