The past three titles in the Call of Duty series have been based on the events of World War II. With Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward decided to take a different approach and move the story into the fictional realm, depicting missions with U.S. Forces and British Special Operations fighting a group of international separatists.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the most realistic war simulations yet, and is the first game in the Call of Duty Series to warrant a Mature rating from the ESRB. When the first scene of the game included military style executions and a presidential assassination, it became clear that Call of Duty 4 would be a gruesome, realistic interpretation of the realities of war. Full of blood and gore, there are times when the game even slows time down to ensure the player feels the full impact of a horrific event. It?s possible to be run over by a tank or killed from a nearby explosion, and an even more real terror takes place when dogs attack. If the player is not fast enough, a dog can take him to the ground and bite his throat. If the player is on his game, he can either shoot the dog or, if already taken to the ground, grab the dog?s head and break his neck.

For those that have served in the military or watched nearly any film depicting war, they will understand that swearing is a large part of a soldier?s vocabulary. Call of Duty 4 is no exception with regard to language and contains plenty of swearing throughout the game. Some of the game?s favorite phrases are ?Holy s?did you see that?? and ?Get the h?out of here!? among others. There are also some references to alcohol use.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, though a medium of entertainment, manages to convey many of the true realities of war. With great single-player missions and storyline and a fulfilling multiplayer experience, Call of Duty 4 shines through other games depicting war. It is an action experience not to be missed.

» By Stephan Mack, Plain Games. Published 11/20/2007 11:58:37 AM.