Activision’s Call of Duty franchise didn’t always sit on the top of the first-person shooter mountain. Instead of focusing on the fast-paced gameplay that it’s become synonymous with, the franchise originally focused on retelling key events that ultimately shaped the course of the Second World War. From storming the beaches of Normandy to taking control of Stalingrad, the last thing on the minds of developers was for players to slide cancel around the map at breakneck speed.
2007, however, marked a shift for Call of Duty. Instead of another trip back in time, Infinity Ward opted for a modern-day setting, a marked shift from what Call of Duty had built its name on. In November of that year, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare hit shelves and quickly cemented its place as one of the most important releases in the entire genre.
As Call of Duty prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary and the launch of Modern Warfare 3, I’m taking a trip down memory lane to see how the first modern-day CoD managed to transform the series into a chart-topping powerhouse that shows no signs of slowing down.
While a lot of praise is directed onto Infinity Ward’s excellent multiplayer packed with a wealth of innovation, the first Modern Warfare title has arguably the best single-player campaign in the entire franchise. Call of Duty 4 was the first to feature blockbuster cinematic moments that grab your attention before delving deeper into a story that’s now spanned over a decade. Escaping the sinking ship on Crew Expendable and watching the launch of a nuclear missile are just a few explosive focal points that piqued my interest. It wasn’t just the high points of action that made the Call of Duty 4 campaign the best. The game plays host to the now legendary All Ghillied Up mission that requires plenty of stealth and inch-perfect precision in order to complete the task at hand.
Aside from the impressive mission list, Call of Duty 4 is the very first time the world is introduced to the likes of Captain Price, Soap MacTavish, and Gaz, two characters that remain the focal point of the series in the most recent releases. After all, what the hell kind of name is Soap?
Outside of the campaign turns my attention to Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer, something I ploughed hundreds of hours into when I was in my teenage years. Nowadays, the thought of creating a loadout complete with attachments, additional utility, and perks that enhance certain aspects of the game is the norm, but in 2007, this was the very first time players had the chance to create a class to suit their own style of play.
Loadout selection included the ability to select an unlocked weapon, a solitary attachment that either improved the standard iron sights or a suppressor and a plethora of perks that enhanced reloading speeds, provided unlimited amounts of sprint or even one last chance to score a few kills before viewing the killcam once more.
Want to run and gun with an assault rifle with a lightning-fast time to kill? Not a problem. Fancy dropping a grenade upon death for an explosive surprise for a nearby opponent? Easy peasy. The addition of perks and the ability to create a class changed the way Call of Duty is played. Instead of players holding a line of sight with a sniper rifle for the majority of a Search and Destroy match, there were so many different ways to gain the upper hand over the opposition, and it wasn’t overly complex either.
A new progression system also won over players. After reaching the highest rank, the option to ‘Prestige’ to obtain a unique player badge was unlocked at the expense of starting from level one all over again. With something to grind for and extremely addicting gameplay, Activision and Infinity Ward had managed to strike a winning formula. Although current Call of Duty titles don’t feature the Prestige system, there are still calls from some who want it to return in favour of the seasonal ranks that are used today.
The simplistic nature of the loadout creation menus was a step away from the default selection from previous releases, but it quickly proved a hit among players. Alongside the arrival of killstreaks, custom loadouts, and a diverse map pool that still holds up today, Infinity Ward opted for more casual game modes instead of focusing on the single-life modes made popular by the likes of Counter-Strike. Team Deathmatch and Domination quickly skyrocketed in popularity with millions of players loading into some fast-paced online action. By the start of 2008, Call of Duty 4 had locked in its position as one of the hottest titles around.
Battlegrounds such as Shipment and Strike remain some of the most popular Call of Duty maps around. Both even feature in 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 and continue to provide the constant action fans have come to adore since they first appeared back in 2007.
Alongside more casual fans, the launch of Call of Duty 4 paved the way for Promod, the franchise’s first fully-blown esports scene. The one-life mode was filled with coordinated strategy as two teams attempted to attack and defend various areas of the maps. Eventually, Promod died out as did the competitive PC scene as LAN events turned towards console action hosted by the likes of MLG and even Gfinity at one point. Now, Call of Duty esports utilises a franchise model similar to the NFL. 12 teams containing the best players in the world compete for millions in prize money, a stark contrast from online Promod matches requiring a sluggish dial-up connection to play.
Call of Duty 4 was a seminal moment for the shooter franchise. Although the first three releases were successes in their own right, the switch to a contemporary setting and a variety of never-before-seen innovations have provided the foundations that Activision’s development studios continue to use across their single-player and multiplayer offerings. The gamble from moving away from a somewhat realistic war simulation to an arcade shooter sending players to hitmarker heaven was a gamble, but it has certainly paid off. If it wasn’t for Infinity Ward introducing perks, customised loadouts, and a level progression system that kept players coming back for more, the landscape of the first-person shooter could’ve looked very different.
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