Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
At 22 years old, Call Of Duty has entered the struggle of many young adults in trying to figure out what it wants to be. A grounded military shooter, or a Fortnite metaverse for millennials? A Michael Bay blockbuster, or an Oliver Stone polemic? An ad for the armed forces, or the quintessential stoner game? The resulting identity crisis has yielded wild swings in quality from the franchise of late, with entries vacillating between surefire slam dunks (Cold War, Black Ops 6) to total trainwrecks (Modern Warfare 3, Blacks Ops 7).
Viewed from this context, Modern Warfare 4 represents an "up" year for Call Of Duty, restoring much of the goodwill lost by 2025's Black Ops 7 thanks to a sumptuous campaign, robust multiplayer, and a much improved take on its returning DMZ extraction mode. More than that, however, the return to form once again illustrates that Call Of Duty is rarely in better hands than those of franchise creator Infinity Ward, the proven masters at striking the balance between innovation and consolidation that this annualised series demands.
Continuing the rebooted Modern Warfare universe that set a new benchmark for the franchise in 2019, this fourth instalment sees Infinity Ward venture beyond the narrative template of its much-loved original trilogy. You won't find any Zakhaevs or General Shepherds here, while holdover villain Makarov is dismissed before you can say "No Russian".
Instead, Modern Warfare 4 enters new storytelling terrain entirely, specifically that of a Korean Peninsula besieged by the reactivation of hostilities between North and South. Given this imagined conflict remains a real and present fear for so many in the region to this day, it's a contentious choice of backdrop, to be sure. And while Infinity Ward is no stranger to courting controversy, the studio does, at least, dance more delicately in its handling of this particular subject matter.
First, the decision to chronicle the action primarily from the perspective of South Korean soldiers (specifically a squadron anchored by Beef and The Last of Us star Young Manzino) is a wise one, grounding the invasion from the viewpoint of those with the most to lose by it. They're an affable bunch to spend time with, too, believably palling around on patrol through the streets of Seoul before locking in as a band of brothers once the first shots are fired.
Mads Mikkelsen does a good job of chewing the scenery to prove himself a real threat...
There are interesting nuances painted on the North Korean side, too, eschewing more monolithic depictions of the regime to instead consider the human drama at the heart of its power structures. If there are any complaints, they land at the feet of new villain The Archer (Mads Mikkelsen), who lacks the screentime required to establish himself as a fully rounded character. Mikkelsen does a good job of chewing the scenery to prove himself a real threat, but it's hard to get a full-formed sense of the man behind the moniker.
Captain Price, now operating as a rogue agent on an unauthorised warpath, also returns as a playable supporting lead, spearheading a number of memorable missions that take place as ancilliaries to the central conflict, offering a breather from the all-out warfare waging on the frontlines. Mission variety, in general, is strong, with several that could easily cement themselves as new all-timers, including a John Wick-inspired chase sequence that weaves through a nightclub, across rooftops, and into the snowy streets of downtown Manhattan.
Recent Call of Duty instalments have had a habit of lowering the quality bar on single player, offering paper thin missions pieced together from multiplayer assets and half-formed ideas. What a delight, then, to be able to enjoy a full-bodied Infinity Ward campaign once again, boasting distinctly authored, tonally rich missions that straddle multiple perspectives, combat scenarios, and backdrops across the theatre of war, all wrapped in a compelling story elevated by cutting-edge production values. Hoo-ra, indeed.
Multiplayer, meanwhile, offers more of the same stylings found in previous Modern Warfare entries, which in this case means a return to a more rhythmic flow state than the flashier gunplay of Black Ops 7. Veterans will appreciate the removal of bullet bloom (randomised bullet spread, to the uninitiated), in particular, now integrated as part of a stringent ballistics system that demands a considered, precise approach to landing your shots.
It's not a complete return to military realism, however; new gameplay features include Apex weapon attachments, which brings a Borderlands-inflected escalation to your loadouts, and a Supine Slide mechanic that allows players to seamlessly slip into prone position. The latter doesn't quite make up for the somewhat head-scratching loss of the brilliant omnimovement system introduced by Black Ops 6, but at least goes some way to numb the pain of its absence.
Larger Ground War battlefields, featuring multi-manned vehicles, round out the traditional roster of maps and modes, but it's new Gunfight map Kill Block that immediately stands out as the clear highlight of this year's multiplayer lineup. Composed of three modular segments that randomly swap out across rounds, the ever-rotating map ensures no team can rely on the same strategy for an entire match. For anyone who has played Gunfight extensively, this is something of a godsend, offering a chance to take back the advantage when each new randomisation (literally) levels the playing field.
Following the success of Arc Raiders (and despite the ongoing struggles of Marathon), Modern Warfare also dips its toes back into the extraction genre with DMZ, a revised take on the mode that first launched within Warzone in 2022. Set within a radioactive South Korean exclusion zone, teams of up to three players can drop in, complete missions, and take on both enemy AI and other players before extracting at the right opportunity to secure their earned rewards. Die, and your inventory becomes fair game for other players, including any weapons and gear you entered the match with.
Modern Warfare 4 has already landed on strong footing, firing on all fronts and missing very few of its shots
In keeping the experience locked to Modern Warfare 4, rather than free to play, Infinity Ward is making gestures towards the Call of Duty faithful about its renewed intentions for DMZ, positioning it as a more hardcore, high-stakes experience. And while the final results don't quite match the pin-drop tension found in its genre counterparts, DMZ's stripped-back weapon meta and dense, urban battleground does cultivate a more suspenseful atmosphere of battle — one where skill and teamwork, rather than extravagant loadouts, are often the key to making it out alive.
A slower paced excursion to multiplayer that channels the suspense of extraction shooters within a more casual framework, it's not hard to see DMZ supplanting the long-struggling Warzone as Call of Duty's new golden goose, should it find the right audience.
But regardless of its long-term legacy, Modern Warfare 4 has already landed on strong footing, firing on all fronts and missing very few of its shots. Who knows what next year's iteration holds for the franchise, but it's worth savouring this present victory all the same.