It's easy to be a little jaded about the fact that Call of Duty is going back to the Modern Warfare well. This latest entry into the franchise seems to be a significant improvement over previous entries, and it's closer to the type of game that the developers have been perfecting for years. The campaign is done well, the cooperative multiplayer is challenging, and the adversarial multiplayer is arguably better than it has ever been. Perhaps most importantly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare appeals to long-standing fans and new players alike. It might even draw in those who have fallen out of the Call of Duty fold and are looking for a way back.

COD: Modern Warfare is the dawn of a new era for the series and the show could not have been better than this. By embracing different categories of digital killers with some bold changes between gameplay, rhythm and level design, online FPS will have to compete with it from now on.

After a few years experimenting with the formula, Modern Warfare is a great Call of Duty that feels like a step forward for the series. There are some aspects that, we hope, will be polished over time, but overall we’ve really enjoyed it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tries to be a serious commentary on present-day conflicts, but is mostly just another Call of Duty game by nature of the series's longstanding blind spots.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's combination of modes is an easy recommendation for long time enthusiasts. However, the campaign feels really short and not up to expectations, and multiplayer modes feel hastily put together and thrown around without real consideration of what works and what does not.

The story of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare knows how to convince. The creators of Infinity Ward present here a special shooter experience that is somewhat different from the typical formula of the Activision shoot-out. The wacky Michael Bay action has been brought down a bit, but in return the title now tells a story that breaks social taboos and blurs the boundaries between good and evil. This more serious approach pleases, but unfortunately it wasn't thought to the end. A more critical or reflective approach to the topic of war would have been the premise. But that remains - apart from the somewhat scarce game size and the compulsory online connection - the only point of criticism. The co-op- and multiplayer-mode offer more reason to complain. The special unit missions seem somehow half-baked and lack announced features. The multiplayer battles suffer from the partly confusing maps, which seem to reward a passive way of playing. This clouds the overall impression a bit, even if the title can otherwise fully convince in terms of gameplay.

In the campaign, white phosphorus is a horrific set-piece accompanied by screams and whimpers. That’s some heavy shit. In multiplayer, white phosphorus is a reward for competent play that brings high-fives and fierce guitar licks. That’s some badass shit, Bro! You can have this cake and you can eat it, Modern Warfare assures us. In past installments, this dissonance would be funny, but here, it’s another reminder that these are really two separate games, and never shall the twain meet.