Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 isn’t technically out until October 23, but the single-player campaign went live today for anyone who pre-ordered the digital version and a small batch of early reviews have already weighed in on what players can expect. The TL;DR is that it sounds like MW4 gets back to the meat and potatoes of what the franchise’s campaigns do best, even if it might not ultimately rank among the best of them.
There are no scored reviews yet because everyone is waiting for more extensive hands-on time with the multiplayer, including DMZ, before making a final assessment. The in-progress reviews and impressions, however, are much better than the reception last year’s Black Ops 7 got at launch. While that surreal, always-online co-op campaign left many critics genuinely perplexed and disappointed, it sounds like MW4‘s six-hour, 16-mission campaign does exactly what you’d expect from a subseries that now spans seven separate games.
PC Gamer lauded it as a single-player COD experience not to be skipped, and one with some stellar levels that harken back to peak moments from earlier in the series, though it also found the story rushed and unsatisfying, especially the bits that included actor Mads Mikkelsen. “This was billed as the conclusion of the Modern Warfare story that started in 2019, but in practice, it’s more like a sprint to be done with it all,” the site’s Morgan Park wrote.
IGN had similar critiques but was also similarly impressed with the overall package, and pointed to a mission resembling “Korea’s answer to D-Day” as one of the campaign’s large scale highlights. And if you’re “retired” Call of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope, who correctly predicted Phil Spencer’s eventual departure from Microsoft, well then “This sh*t is f*cking insane man.” Here’s what everyone else is saying so far:
Overall, Modern Warfare 4 wraps up the series with several shocking moments and ends on a high note. The pacing never falters despite the two interwoven storylines and alternating POVs, and the wide variety of missions and locations ensure that the story remains engaging. Modern Warfare 4 is another edge-of-the-seat thrill ride. What distinguishes its campaign from others is a feeling that the devs had more time to think through the experience to create something that can serve as a worthy conclusion for the Modern Warfare series. Because of that, Modern Warfare 4’s campaign ranks as the best we’ve seen since Modern Warfare 2019. – S.E. Doster
Modern Warfare 4 made me feel something for the series again. A consistently strong set of missions manages to juggle a bloated cast successfully, saying goodbye to familiar faces while building impressive bonds with new ones. Its expansive behind-enemy-lines mission that borrows most of its ideas from the DMZ mode is a real highlight, as is whenever its blockbuster ambitions are fulfilled and full-throttle battles break out. It may not have quite enough to be considered amongst the very best Call of Duty campaigns, but if it’s to be the end of this particular saga, then at least Modern Warfare is going out on a high note. – Simon Cardy
This is the most fun I’ve had with a Call of Duty campaign in years, lending mostly to its new, non-elite faces. Over half of the 6-hour campaign revolves around a crew of young South Korean marines (plus a few Americans) running out the clock on their compulsory military service when North Korea suddenly invades. The guys themselves are familiar archetypes—a serious guy, an audience insert who doesn’t talk much, an American who fills every silence with a joke—but they’re basically charming enough that I cared to remember their names. – Morgan Park
When Modern Warfare 4’s missions hit, I’m reminded why the series’ campaigns remain so important in a genre increasingly measured by online success and hours streamed. It might still be junk food – even if this is a higher quality than limp-burger-like Black Ops 7 or Modern Warfare 3’s attempts – but there are glimpses here of how Infinity Ward’s modern approach to a military thriller can still push further. If only they’d let me off the leash a little. – Jake Tucker
There are parts of the story that feel quite emotional and rewarding, while others, such as Mads Mikkelsen’s role in the game, feel a bit undercooked. For what is set to be Infinity Ward closing the door on the Modern Warfare reboot subseries, for now anyway, I believe they have delivered the goods. – Győző “FairyEmpire” Baki
I can say that fans of CoD’s singleplayer components should not be disappointed with what Infinity Ward cooked up here. I think it could go down as one of the better options in the series, and definitely one to remember for righting the ship after years of uncertainty and questionable decision-making. And to top it all off, the game is gorgeous on PC, offering the best visuals in the franchise to date, making it all the more enjoyable throughout. – Scott Duwe
Where Modern Warfare 4 shines most is in its gameplay, which shouldn’t shock anyone. Call of Duty always boasts world-class gunplay, and mechanically it’s still the best at what it does. What might be more impressive to me is the flow of the campaign, however. Most campaigns do the whole “jump between multiple parties shtick”, but MW4 does it with aplomb. The cadence is stellar, with pacing that compliments each chapter. I also love the gameplay variety – rarely did I feel weary of what I was doing. There were slow paced stealth sections, fast moving chase sequences; heck, even a level that had me playing Call of Duty: Frogger Warfare. – David Burdette
