CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE
High-tech realism TO DIE FOR
By Tan Ooi Boon
November 23, 2007
YOUR troops are outnumbered and besieged by enemy soldiers slowly moving in for the kill.
But high above in a plane that is circling the war zone, you watch the ensuing drama unfold through telescopic thermal lens.
From the black and white camera footage, you can distinguish your troops from the enemy because they have blinking strobe lights on their vests.
Soon, the order to lift the siege is issued: 'You are clear to take out the enemy.'
You immediately unleash a deadly hail of high-powered rounds from the guns and Bofor cannons that totally decimate the surrounding enemy forces.
Welcome to 21st century warfare.
In one of the most realistic simulations of an aerial attack, those who play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare can get a taste of how technology is used to win wars.
The game is also smart enough to react to your moves.
Fire too close to your forces' position and a radio message will warn you that you are endangering the safety of your own mates.
And if you are able to hit your targets, that same voice will exclaim excitedly.
It's refreshing that the Call of Duty series has moved from a World War II scenario to focus on something more recent, which is the war against terrorism.
In this game, players switch between playing a soldier of the British Special Air Service and a soldier of the US Marine Corp.
And the skirmishes take place in various scenarios, including on board a ship, in a village and in a war-torn town.
TAKE ACCURATE SHOTS
While the gaming benchmark for modern warfare has been charted by titles such as Tom Clancy's Advanced Warfighter, COD 4 still scores for some realistic and innovative features.
For instance, enemy soldiers don't just die after you fire at them - the 'wounded' ones can still crawl away or turn their guns at you if you do not shoot accurately.
But a downside is the game is not flexible enough to allow gamers to pull their own stunts to win a battle. If they don't stick to the story line, the game will not proceed.
Despite this, COD 4 is expected to satisfy even the most hardcore gamer.
I was blown away by a particular scene which depicts the detonation of a nuclear bomb. It's a grim reminder that a war cannot be won with a weapon of mass destruction because once deployed, everyone loses.
Rating: 4.5/5 http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/tech/st...48534,00.html? 
Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare 
High-tech realism TO DIE FOR 
