bit-tech Shopping: Activision Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)

• Microsoft Windows Vista
• Microsoft Windows XP

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3

Strengths: Good single player storyline, good graphics and audio, fun multiplayer

Weaknesses: Limited depth of multiplayer. Can feel repetitive.

Summary: Overall COD4 is a fun and engaging game I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. The single player has a cinematic quality which really engages you in the game play. As others have said its a little short but still a fun experience. The multiplayer is where you will likely spend most of your time. With multiple game modes there is a little something for everyone. Although fun and addictive it can at times feel a bit repetitive since the gameplay really comes down to death match and team death match styles of play. The unlockable "perks" had some depth but new players may feel at a disadvantage until they rank up a bit then its a lot more fun. Team work is definitely needed to succeed but IMO the team play doesn't reach the depth offered by the Battlefield games. On a technical note the graphics and audio are very good. Even so the game is still playable on wide variety of hardware.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: Beautiful, realistic graphics. Online play.

Weaknesses: Need a workhorse machine to fully enjoy the eye candy. Solo campaign is a little bit short.

Summary: I initially bought this game as a present for a friend who had been wanting this pc game. After a somewhat time-consuming install on his mid-range machine, I got to play a couple of the solo player missions and became hooked on the game myself. A few days later, I went and bought myself a copy and installed it. I have a beefier system, so I was really able to crank up the resolution and setting details. This game is very beautiful on a large monitor, and for the first week, I spent a few hours each day playing it. After finishing the relatively short single player campaign, I went online for multiplayer gaming, but didn't really care for the "Rambo" style of play that everyone else was using. I ended up replaying the campaign at a harder setting and still even to this day, I play fairly often.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: Stellar graphics, immersive game play, timely updates.

Weaknesses: Short single player campaign. Chaotic on-line game play.

Summary: I've enjoyed the past titles in this franchise, but this latest installment brings it to modern day warfare. I find it to be the best title yet. Game play is top notch and graphics are incredible! You'll need a relatively "modern" system to maximize the enjoyment of game play. Also, be sure to check for updates on-line to make sure you're playing with the most current version. On-line game play is quite chaotic since most players are simply on-line to shoot anything in sight and not taking the time to build on teamwork. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this game. One of the best right now!

Rating: 8

Time with product: 20

Strengths: Strong storyline, great graphics

Weaknesses: Very high system requirements. Not much teamwork in multiplayer, fighting is a bit chaotic,

Summary: I played through the single player campaign in about 4 sittings. After finishing the campaign, there is an unlock for "arcade mode" which is pretty fun. You can pick each mission by itself and adjust the difficulty.I've played Battlefield 2 since 2005, and was expecting that type of gameplay in CoD4. Unfortunately the servers I have played on so far are nothing but zerg fests with players running around like crazy trying to kill each other. There is VoIP support integrated in most of the servers, but I have yet to hear someone arrange a squad and use teamwork.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 6

Strengths: Terrific graphics, good game overall

Weaknesses: Length of game

Summary: If you have enjoyed the previous Call of Duty games, you will like this one too. This game deviates from the past one in that it focuses on modern day warfare. It is a great playing game. This game has terrific graphics, and as long as you don't have an outdated computer, your computer won't have a slow display. The ability to join multi-player games on the internet is also a plus. The only downside is that the length of the regular game is not very long. You can finish this game in a few days if you leisurely play it - in a short while if you play non-stop.