Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has made a strong impression on a Pure Xbox reviewer who had grown accustomed to expecting little surprise from the series. The review describes its campaign as the best Call of Duty story experience the writer has had since World at War, praising its cinematic presentation, performances and tension.
The six-to-eight-hour campaign follows Korean and American marines, including Private First Class Park Hyun-Jun and members of the Sierra-1 squad. Its opening missions depict a large-scale invasion of South Korea, with the battle for Hajin City singled out as a striking introduction. The reviewer says the squad and its allies give the story a human focus, making their survival more affecting than in previous entries.
The game’s DMZ extraction mode continues the campaign’s story through PvPvE missions. The reviewer found playing through objectives with a friend enjoyable and described the mode as a compelling extension of the campaign, despite finding its skill trees somewhat forced. They also noted that they had not yet explored all of DMZ’s content.
The review is less enthusiastic about multiplayer’s skill-based matchmaking and occasional hit-registration problems. While the gunplay and movement are praised, the writer says matchmaking can make casual sessions feel uneven, and describes losing fights despite registering multiple hits. The review also objects to repeated scenes involving dogs being put in danger, arguing that they are an unnecessary storytelling device.
Overall, the review calls Modern Warfare 4 a solid package on Xbox Series X, combining a standout campaign, an engaging take on DMZ and enjoyable multiplayer. It concludes that the game is the first Call of Duty in years to make the reviewer genuinely care about its characters and want to keep playing.
Sources: Pure Xbox.