Was it really that long ago? Nine years? I can still remember, not long after buying a PlayStation 3, being sat in a class where the only thing my peers would talk about was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Even those kids, the ones that had rarely held a gamepad in their hands, were fervently talking up Activision’s latest instalment in still youthful series.
Truth be told, back then, I didn’t want anything to do with online shooters. I was quite content gorging myself on a steady diet of Japanese role playing games and open world adventures. Still, that constant hum carried across the entire school campus. Modern Warfare had done what very few games ever manage to achieve, it had become a mainstream craze.
Of course, I’d eventually succumb, my brother and I shelling out £55 for one of the few copies available online or on the high street. What followed was a truly eye-opening experience, converting me from an RPG nerd into a devout fan of online shooters. Speaking with friends I’ve met in later life, it always surprises me to hear how much of an impact Call of Duty 4 has had on them. Many, who now brand themselves as non or casual gamers, tell me of their days spent as fanatic hermits who worshipped Infinity Ward’s flagship. Some, I remember, even mention playing at a semi-professional level, taking home small cash prizes from a multitude of lowkey online leagues and tournaments.
Today’s Call of Duty and the FPS genre at large are a far cry from what they were back in 2007. With Modern Warfare’s ninth anniversary fast approaching, developer Infinity Ward is taking the franchise further away from reality than ever before, venturing into space and into the realms of sci-fi. It’s a move that is already proving divisive among fans, some of whom are fed up given the futuristic feel and setting of recent instalments. For others, however, it marks yet another step in right direction, allowing the developer to win back points after the dismal Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Although not hugely excited for Infinite Warfare, the prospect of playing Call of Duty 4, remastered on new systems, is something I really can’t miss. Old friends have already come out of the woodwork, regaling one another with war stories almost a decade old. For us, banding together after years apart, Modern Warfare’s revival will double up as a very personal reunion.
Since Call of Duty: World at War, the series has continued to move further away from that original blueprint – the one that single-handedly revolutionised the world of online shooters. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t content with some of the revisions made, but there remains a longing too, a desire for the franchise to take a step back instead of marching forever onward.
Already, the thought of duelling snipers in Bloc, the contained mayhem of Shipment, and epic clashes in Overgrown has my heart rate rising. Saddled next to this anticipation is a fool’s hope, a hope that Modern Warfare’s remaster will find a fresh foothold in a genre it once helped propel into the mainstream consciousness.
Voolar
I’m gonna play the long game… I’m pretty sure they’ll release COD4:HD on it’s own, once they’ve milked all they can out of the COD:IW Special Editions.
Battlefield 1 will keep me going until then.
Youles
Amen to that! Avengerr informed me earlier this week that the latest CoD would also have zombies (let’s face it, no one is going to beat Treyarch in the department) so now we have also lost the brilliant Extinction mode as well as any variety in the main futuristic-lead CoD campaigns. My point is, the only real point of me preordering this is just for the CoD4 Remaster.
However, whilst I don’t want to wait for it, there is no way there won’t be a standalone release for it. They’re only releasing 10 maps which means I’m almost certain there will be DLC maps for this, and why would they limit DLC sales to just the people who preordered the game. The fact that they’ve also bothered with MP suggests to me they have more plans for it. I hope the online numbers of CoD4 multiplayer outnumber the new CoD multiplayer… assuming the majority are sick of this futuristic nonsense and would prefer some variety.
ron_mcphatty
Was this the CoD with prolific multiplayer hacking first time around? I remember trying one of the Modern Warfares and bring roundly abused, I’d love to give it a proper go. And yep, there’s no way it’ll be a bundle game only, I reckon they’ve stated that to test the reaction, they’ll make a fortune on nostalgia factor alone!
Youles
To be fair they’re all hacked now on PS3, so it could have been either MW1 or MW2. It’s a shame as I would still be playing them now – that’s now good they are – so it will be great to relive them!
Smallville2106
If it sells well, which it will and then the DLC does, all remasters will follow suit. So instead of getting everything bundled in and remastered like we do now, we’ll end up with the base game then DLC seperately.
Tuffcub
Modern Warfare was mindblowing at the time, it did so much that have never been seen before, that first mission on the ship was gobsmackingly good. I’d buy the remaster by itself but I’m really not interested in another Space Marine shooter.
Eldur
You HAD to go and mention it didn’t you? I really, really want a sequel to Relic’s Space Marine… The action was middling, but the story was excellent – I’d be excited at the prospect of what the developers could achieve on a current generation machine. And I’m even more hopeful now that Relic are back on the 40K license with Dawn of War 3… Fingers crossed.
SPACE MARINE! WAAAAAAARGH!
JR.
It really says something when players are more excited about a remoistened PS3 game than they are about the new one.
three_leg_jake
Remoistened! That is an awesome auto correct and kind of right.
Voolar
“Remoistened” … Going forward – this must be used at all times when referring to an HD version of an older game. Brilliant.
Amphlett
I second that motion!
Eldur
I third!
JR.
Coming soon Modern Warfare Remoistened… not sure how I’d feel about seeing that to be honest haha
Cheezyb3an
I literally just registered on here so I could comment and say that that, was absolute class! Hahaha ‘remoistened’ ?? this will be used in all conversations regarding remastered games lol
JR.
*remastered…
Amphlett
You got it right the first time with “remoistened”.
Lyts1985
I’m with everyone else here. I adored COD4 and for the first year of my PS3 ownership that’s all I played. I won’t hesitate to buy it again when it’s eventually released separately but I’m not preordering COD: GenericSpaceShootyGame just to play it. It’s such a transparent way to inflate sales of the new game, it’s disgusting. My only concern is that by the time COD4 is released separately people will have moved on and the multiplayer will be dead…
Part of me was really hoping we’d get a sequel to Ghosts as that’s the last COD I genuinely enjoyed.
For the first time ever I can honestly I’m more interested in Battlefield this year!
Voolar
I’ve just heard about Titanfall 2… Another thing to play while waiting for COD4:Remoistened
The Lone Steven
It’ll be out after 6 months. It’s too much profit for Activision to ignore and they are just trying to support Infinity Warfare by using MW to hold up another entry in their flagship franchise due to every incarnation slowly losing more and more fans. Or they have little faith in it and just wanted to boost it.
They know there are two crows for MWHD.
The MUST HAVE IT NOW! HERE IS MY CASH! crowd who will pay anything to have it.
And the GET IT LATER crowd thus targetting both over the course of 6 months.
Won’t be surprised if IW ends up suffering MP wise due to MW’s MP being popular.
That and this is KillDuty. Last year, it was DeusDuty. Will next year be Uncharduty? Then the next? StarDuty? And the year after that? RatchetDuty then the year after that? BattleDuty 1? I joke of course.
I would like the safe return of my privates.
Voolar
NoMansDuty
The Lone Steven
GrandtheftDuty.
tactical20
Talk about stating the obvious! Ha!