I crossed my fingers while snaking past the boots of patrolling guards and cautiously avoided wild dogs inside the cement frame of the city. The intense silence was a welcome respite from the urban crescendo of gunfire and grenades, but also my feared enemy. I crept through the grass, popping up for a quick shot or knife to the throat. I had an assassination to perform, and even in that vacant landscape, a small ripple was about to turn the tides of power. The desolation of Prypiat, where soldiers dutifully protect no one, paints an unsettling image of the human drive for domination. Fantastic cutscenes and character conversations deliver a gripping story that emphasizes the struggle to maintain stability in a world strangled by conflicting politics, but no mission illuminated this point more brightly than my venture through Prypiat, on the outskirts of Chernobyl. After witnessing the unbridled violence of a terrorist uprising in the middle-east and public executions of the citizenry, I felt absolutely privileged, and ironically guilty, to live in the relative safety of the U.S. While I fought through a war-torn capital and fortified outposts on a new plasma TV, someone was risking everything in the real world to make sure that I remained ignorantly blissful. Like the film 300, COD4’s account of the few defying entire nations can be a bit liberal with the heroics, but the reality of the conflicts creates a terrifying mirror of the world around us. My fellow soldiers counted on me, and somewhere down the line, I knew that Captain Price would be proud to stand at my side. Within the hour I had gone from a hesitant rookie to pointman, gallantly leading the charge through gales of gunfire. At the time, I didn’t realize how seamlessly Infinity Ward was preparing me for the responsibilities ahead. In the final 60 seconds, Captain Price pulled me to safety twice. I followed them through the barracks and cargo hold, but never had to fire a single round. I hunkered down for cover, but when I rose to shoot, I found that my squad had finished all the dirty work. My squad and I rappelled to the deck of a seafaring freighter and rushed the control room. I admit to some skepticism during the opening scenario. Tight controls, beautifully dilapidated environments, and an armory of weapons are all accounted for, but none of these attributes can suitably explain why Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a stunning success. Instead, Infinity Ward marched back to the drawing board with erasers in hand. They could have stayed true to form by churning out another tale from WWII and scored a smash hit. Infinity Ward’s first-person shooters are renowned for superb storytelling, expertly designed levels, and perfectly tuned gameplay. I was exhausted, and yet, so moved by the climax that I immediately began the battle again." Over the course of two days, I stormed terrorist bunkers, marched a tank through city streets, and held an entire militia at bay. " COD4 is epic in scope and short on time, but brevity can be a powerful tool in capable hands. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) review
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