Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Limited Collector's Edition (Xbox 360)

The 'little 360' has yet another AAA+ title in COD4. The Graphics are stunning, one of the top 3 games on the system in fact. The sound is so good, pumped through a 5.1 setup it is ground-shudderingly awesome. I think Gears of War might be on early retirement from now on.

The story mode is fantastic, the AI on your teammates is really cool, they do save your skin on many occasions. Useful cause i'm a bit of a noob. Overall i would stump for the regular edition, as it's the game you're buying it for after all.

The only difference i've seen between the 360 version (running at a velvety 60fps) and the PS3 version is some extre antialiasing on the '60, otherwise they seem identical. As i prefer the 360 pad (more ergonomic) i shelled out for the 360 version. But PS3 fanboys (see previous review for sad evidence) will be more than satisfied by this stunning piece of coding.

When call of duty 4 first came out on the 9thof November 2007 (5th of November for the U.S) there was already an abundance of FPS's (first person shooters) on the market.
Rainbow six Vegas and Halo3 were just two of the tough competitors that COD4 was up against.

The new instalment of the long running Call of Duty series has proved to be a great success after trading its WW2 theme and storyline's for a more modern approach to life in the front line.

The new additions to the game really make COD4 stand out from all other games on the market. Perks are one of these additions that really add to the personalized experience of the game. Choose you clan tag when playing multiplayer online. Play as U.S marines and the SAS in single player as well as terrorists in multiplayer. Create different weapon class's ranging from shotgun's to sniper's, Assault rifles to sub-machineguns. With these weapons you can also call on three perks to help you. One of the most helpful perks is martyrdom (drop a live grenade when killed) and bandolier (increased ammo capacity). This is a list of all the perks:

Perk 1:
* Bomb Squad (see where enemy's have planted explosives)
* C4 x 2 (C4 with handheld trigger)
* Claymore x 2 ( trip mines)
* RPG-7 x 2
* Special Grenades x 3
* Frag x 3
* Bandolier (increased ammo capacity)
Perk 2:
* Juggernaut(More Health)
* Sleight of hand(Reload quicker)
* Stopping power(More weapon damage)
* UAV Jammer(Jams enemy radar)
* Sonic Boom (Higher damage from your explosives)
* Double Tap( Higher rate of fire)
Perk 3:

* Extreme conditioning(Sprint longer)
* Steady Aim(Steadier aiming)
* Last Stand(pull out your pistol before dying)
* Deep Impact(Better bullet penetration through walls)
* Dead Silence(Less noise when running)
* Iron Lungs(Hold breath longer when sniping)
* Eavesdrop(Allows you to listen in on enemy chat)
* Martyrdom(Drop a live grenade when killed)

The creators at activision have really pulled out all the stops when creating this truly amazing piece of graphic engineering, helped by the new dynamic spotlight and shadow technology.

Of all the First person shooter games I have played this is truly the best. Stunning vision, sound and overall game play. This game is a MUST BUY!! Great single player missions but online play is the main selling point for this game.

I've been a computer games player for a long time, going back to the old Apple IIe. My favourites are without doubt games in this first person shoot-'em ups genre with good graphics, and although I'm what you would call a casual games player (rather than hardened and dedicated) I think I can spot a good 'un. And this is a great one. I haven't finished it yet, and am not looking forward to doing so, I'm having such a good time.

I won't repeat what the other excellent reviewers have said, I'll just summarize the huge leap that this game has made over COD3.

The graphics are stunning; full use of HD widescreen TV has been made, and surround sound still very impressive.

The enemy AI is far better than COD3, and it's a real challenge to take them out or get past them. Any indiscretion will get you riddled with bullets, and now you can't throw back every grenade. Additionally, the COD3 'radar' with dots for the location of your enemy has gone, thank goodness. You have to use your eyes and ears to locate your adversary now.

Modern weapons have made the game play a real joy, with different cyclical firing rates, accuracy and reload times. In COD3 you could use a Bren as accurately as a sniper rifle over a distance of several hundred yards ... yeah, like that's realistic! In this the weapons have real limitations and advantages, and replacement ammunition is not waiting for you on every doorstep like it is in other games.

You are much freer to roam than in COD3, but of course there are limitations to where you can go in any game. But whereas in COD3 I used to yell in frustration 'Why can't I climb this bank and shoot from there?' you can make use of terrain in this game.

There are a couple of pleasing interludes where you are the gunner in a helicopter and a C130 Hercules gunship. I have no experience of either but I really felt as if the C130 episode was genuinely representative. I'd love to know if it is.

To me, the mark of a good computer game is whether it consistently makes you almost desperate to get back to it. COD3 didn't, I could play or not as the fancy took me, but this one is compelling and compulsive. No matter how many times I've 'died' in a mission I can't wait to get back. You know the scene, you've played until the early hours of the morning and your eyes are hanging on your cheeks and you really have to go to bed ... and the following day you can't wait to get home from work to have a go again. My wife is threatening to start a COD4 Widows' Society.

I do have a few beefs but they're minor, and no game is going to be absolutely perfect. My biggest beef so far is that on at least one mission, the play is impossible to beat unless you cheat, by which I mean adopt a strategy that would almost certainly have you court-martialled for apparent cowardice in the face of the enemy (Ferris Wheel veterans will know what I mean). This is unecessarily unrealistic - well, you could find yourself in that situation but then you would certainly die.

I thought Gears of War was the pinnacle ... it isn't any more in my book.

This is the most playable game of its kind I have ever encountered, and since online gaming holds no interest for me, I shall have to replay it when I finish until COD5 comes out. Or perhaps I'll just be kind to my wife and wait patiently for COD5.