It was an absolute delight to be invited to an exclusive behind-closed-doors presentation of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This definitely isn’t your brother’s Modern Warfare. The game is a reimagining of the series; it’s not a remake or a reboot. Instead, it’s a game made for “modern” times where enemies aren’t so black and white. They don’t wear uniforms. The team at Infinity Ward actually traveled the world to do research specifically for the game. In the world we live in today, it’s difficult to discern enemy from ally, and that’s what Modern Warfare embodies. Familiar characters like Captain John Price return for this rendition of the modern-day take on this classic game, but it is unknown whether any of the other characters return. It would be wonderful to see Soap McTavish, but from what we saw, he was nowhere to be found.
Modern Warfare Preview: The Return of Price
Price is back and better than ever.
You play as John Garrick. The demo opened up with a terrorist attack and it is your duty to find the culprits and eliminate them. They’re not soldiers in uniform though. They’re a terrorist cell with women and children. This creates an interesting dynamic. You can shoot whoever you want, although the demo held back more than I would have liked. With night vision goggles on, you infiltrate their base. Eliminating the terrorists seems easy enough,but the thing is you don’t know who the terrorists are. There are women and children in the compound. There was a point where there was a woman with a baby. You don’t know if she’s a threat or not. The person who demoed the game didn’t shoot them, but Modern Warfare gives you that choice. It’s surreal. You’re given complete freedom and I think that’s wonderful. Of course, shooting women and children isn’t anything to celebrate, but, in this case, you don’t know if she’s a fellow terrorist or not. There was one point in the demo where a woman pleaded she wasn’t a terrorist and held hostage, and then she pulled a shotgun on her. Pull the trigger. She’s dead. This is also so realistic and relates to modern times. It’s a different animal than any other Call of Duty game and that’s a breath of fresh air. In fact, it’s wonderful.
Call of Duty is Back
The Lincoln Memorial, on fire
I haven’t been interested in Call of Duty, to be honest, since Modern Warfare 2. This has me excited again. Most of the former Modern Warfare developers are back at Infinity Ward, which makes this even more authentic. They know the formula, they know what they’re doing, but they’ve evolved the series. They’re not doing a rehash. This is something completely new. It will be controversial, but that’s irrelevant. They are sticking to their vision. They aren’t listening to the outrage mob like so many other developers. I remember when Infinite Warfare was revealed at E3 2016 at the PlayStation press conference. It was a laughingstock. Well, who’s laughing now? It took years for Activision to bring Call of Duty back in proper form, but they’ve finally done it. The realism and the freedom the player has in the campaign is nothing short of genius. I cannot wait to get my hands on the game. It’s one of my most anticipated titles of 2019.
Modern Warfare Preview: The Best Hands-off Game at E3
Terrorists celebrating victory…but not for long. Price is coming for you (and hopefully Soap)!
It was unfortunate that Modern Warfare wasn’t playable at the show, and even though it was only a 15-minute presentation (it was originally supposed to be 40 minutes), it left us itching for more. It’s such a magnificent concept, and finally, a quality Call of Duty campaign is back (although I have to admit, WorldWarII had an excellent campaign.) Call of Duty is going back to its roots with Modern Warfare and make no mistake, this is not a cash grab. Infinity War is taking a lot of risks and the game will be controversial. Fans will love it though, and that’s what matters.
A developer once told me that the sign of a great game is that it is both familiar but adds something new. Modern Warfare appears to do just that. I only hope that Activision continues the Modern Warfare series and eventually releases Modern Warfare 2 in HD, as that’s the greatest Call of Duty game of all time. The funny thing is, Modern Warfare 2019, by all indications, will top it. It was one of the best games showcased at E3 and finally, Activision is listening to fans who have become disillusioned with the series. No more cash grabs like Battle Royal-based titles.
Modern Warfare will revolutionize first-person shooters, again. The genre will never be the same.