Hello and welcome to the game that made Call of Duty a household name. I’m talking, of course, about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. There were great Call of Duty’s before, but Modern Warfare took the franchise to another level.
In 2007, the game’s Multiplayer mode was ridiculously popular, but it’s the campaign that has always stuck in my memory. From some of the bone-chilling settings to the era-defining gameplay, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare revolutionised FPS (first-person shooter) games forever. So, what made the Modern Warfare Campaign so groundbreaking? And why did the game become so popular?
Thrown Into the Deep End
I couldn’t wait to try my luck with the first objective. The training mission is so iconic, and this is where we meet the legendary Captain Price. Your task is to complete the training course as quickly as possible. Your speed determines the difficulty level at which you’ll be recommended to play the campaign. As a kid, I tried my hardest to achieve the highest difficulty available, but the best I could manage was Regular. Now, things have changed.
My first attempt was an absolute disaster. It was like I’d completely forgotten how to play Call of Duty. I immediately turned my sensitivity setting down slightly. Who did I think I was? Metaphor?
I really struggled to shoot the targets, but then I remembered Modern Warfare’s very overpowered aim assist. My second attempt was much cleaner, and I was recommended to play on Veteran. I was chuffed, and as a special reward to myself, I decided to play on Regular.
It felt great to be playing as Soap again. What didn’t feel great was trying to walk on the rocking boat. I felt seasick. Waves that high would horrify me, but as I was playing the role of a hardened soldier, I focused on the mission. I lined up behind Captain Price and prepared to find the intel we were searching for. Then there was another giant wave. Yikes.
Can We Just Speed Things Up a Bit?
Call of Duty campaigns are very regimented. It’s what I imagine being a soldier would be like. I’m certainly not built for the army, because I screamed when an enemy attacked me from around the corner.
I kept getting stuck on my fellow soldiers due to my impatience, but I guess that’s because I’m used to the fast pace of Warzone. In Modern Warfare, the shooting felt heavier than I’m used to, and I don’t think the MP5 was created to fire over longer distances. As the mission required some long-range gun fights, I was pleased to remember that you can pick guns up off the floor. Even if they are garbage because they’re burdened by recoil.
We had found the intel, but the boat exploded. I felt like I was in a nightmare as the ship started to sink. Running for our lives, we eventually made it out of the boat before jumping majestically onto the waiting helicopter. This was an exciting start to the game, and I couldn’t wait to be reminded of the other missions I had forgotten about.
There was a mission where you’re in charge of the air support. At first, I was frustrated because I was useless at it. Then I got used to it and didn’t hate my experience. My performance operating the guns can’t have been terrible because the soldier guiding me was very enthusiastic about my shooting. I do think my greater strengths lie in the field, though. Rather like James Bond.
It’s a Scary World Out There
The next thing I know, I’m the President of Saudi Arabia, and I’m taken on a car journey through the streets during a coup. This chilling scene ends with Khaled Al-Asad executing the President live on TV, under the eye of Modern Warfare’s main villain: Imran Zakhaev. A man who has big plans to change the world.
Controlling the AK-47’s recoil felt like trying to keep hold of a live fish. Thankfully, the M4A1 was a lot steadier, and I fought my way through enemies with ease.
If you’re not vibing with the gun you’re holding, you can always use other equipment to kill enemies. You have grenades, C4, and Claymores. Flashbangs are also very useful if you’re under pressure and need to stun an enemy, although it does take an age to throw them. This makes it way too easy to stun yourself. I felt like I’d be sent to heaven when I got stunned for the first time, due to how long my screen remained a blanket of white for.
I wasn’t too impressed with the definition of the explosions to begin with. They looked mediocre at best, which was disappointing considering I’m playing the remastered version. The grenade launcher was meant to aid me in clearing a path through the enemies, but it felt like it shot BB Gun bullets rather than grenades. I would expect a lot more destruction from a weapon that powerful.
You can collect intel from laptops, but I don’t really know what that achieves. I do tend to run out into the open because I can’t be bothered to wait for my fellow soldiers.
When I did have to wait, at least the mountains gave me a nice view to admire.
Modern Warfare is More Than Just Enemies
I died for the first time and was forced to read the quote that follows death. I died because I couldn’t always see where the enemies were. You’re correct, I should check my surroundings before blindly charging into new areas. One shot from an enemy caused such a strong recoil that I felt like I was experiencing a brain aneurysm. I guess that is realistic.
If you get too close to enemies, they try to punch you in the head, so you must react quickly. Night vision goggles make it too easy in the dark, though, so you can get as close as you want. I’d do well in the Wild West because of how fast I draw my gun. I guess that’s to be expected when you’re a Special Ops veteran.
I spent a lot of time worrying about enemies, but my real nemesis was the cars. If I even looked at them, they would decide to explode. It became very frustrating when you’ve progressed deep into a checkpoint, just to be taken out by an exploding car I didn’t even see coming. I got my own back on vehicles by blowing up enemy tanks with C4, but I definitely lost the war overall.
I’d say that Regular difficulty was still a struggle at times. The missions felt shorter than what I’m used to in other Call of Duty campaigns, but the short and sweet mentality was welcome because you need some breaks in between all of the carnage.
Walking Into a Trap
We were warned that the Americans were walking into a trap, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. There was a long pause while I waited for my regiment to catch up with me. I think they were too busy saying ‘oo rah’ for some reason.
It wasn’t easy for me to see who I was shooting until I found myself operating a machine gun. It’s not always easy to know where I’m meant to be, either, but I find my way in the end. Once I got used to the slower tempo of the game, I started to really enjoy myself. Then I heard the voice speaking to me over the coms. Did he say that the enemy has a nuclear weapon?
The soldiers understood the situation but still decided to go back to save their colleague anyway. I don’t think they would have had they realised the type of weapon they were dealing with.
When the bomb went off and I saw the mushroom cloud in the sky, I was horrified. This was the moment I knew that this was going to be an emotional rollercoaster, and not just a military snoozefest. What an awful experience.
The Most Iconic Call of Duty Campaign Mission?
‘All Ghillied Up’. Fifteen years earlier. Chernobyl. You play as John Price. He’s not yet the captain we all love, but a lieutenant under the command of Captain Macmillan, who likes to call enemies Susie. Being in Chernobyl dressed as a bush is a crazy experience. Killing enemies with a sniper in stealth mode is one of my highlights, and what Call of Duty is all about.
Travelling through the ghost town of Chernobyl was moving, as there really is a haunting atmosphere in the game. Angry dogs are lurking everywhere, while the chilling sound of children playing rings in our ears. My hair was standing on end when we finally arrived at our hiding spot.
The mission was to kill Zakhaev, and I was trusted with taking the shot. I didn’t miss, and what followed was a frantic race for survival. Honestly, I don’t think the mission was well thought through. Captain Macmillan was injured, and I had to hold the enemies back until our escape helicopter could pick us up. I’ve always felt that a perfectly placed Claymore is more effective than a gun, but when some absolute bastard started throwing grenades, I didn’t stand a chance.
Enemies surrounded us, but I just about managed to stay alive with some majestic sniping skills, and we were saved.
A Fitting Ending to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Zakhaev’s plan was becoming a reality. His missiles were launched, heading straight for America. There were many obstacles on our way to saving the day. Enemy soldiers, tanks, lunatics with RPGs. Even a ridiculously slowly moving door. Yet, we fought our way into the control centre, the codes were entered, and America was saved.
The only thing left to do was find Zakhaev. A car chase ensued as we tried to escape. I was tasked with shooting more lunatics with RPGs, and then a helicopter, which was as slippery as a water snake. Cementing my failure, the helicopter then blew up the bridge we were driving on, causing plenty of injury and destruction.
As I lay injured on the broken tarmac, Zakhaev appeared. He seemed intent on finishing the job of killing us.
I was unable to stand, but I looked over to my left just as Captain Price slid a pistol into my hand. I knew what I had to do. Raising the pistol, I shot Zakhaev in the head, and the mission was over.
So, What Made Call of Duty: Modern Warfare so Groundbreaking?
The final bonus mission on the plane, where I was tasked with saving the hostage before jumping out into the blue sky, sums this game up perfectly. You have the thrill of finding yourself in ridiculous situations, but also the very human scenario of saving lives. Travelling through the ghost town of Chernobyl and experiencing the nuclear bomb are what made this game so impactful for me. Then there is the gameplay and the beautiful, remastered graphics, which both really grew on me as I proceeded deeper into the missions.
This was the beginning of the golden era of Call of Duty, and I can see how it gained worldwide popularity.
The campaign and multiplayer were groundbreaking and contributed to the birth of a gaming juggernaut that still runs the FPS industry today. Whatever your opinions on Call of Duty are, I think we can all agree that the franchise earned its success with a game as incredible as this.
Verdict
My overall rating for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Campaign is 8/10.
The YouTube video for this blog post will be uploaded on 11th September at 6 pm BST. Link: https://youtu.be/N0AmTFnuH4M
Thank you for reading this blog post. This isn’t where the story ends, so I’ll see you for the next instalment.
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