Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare is a masterpiece from start to finish, and was the first game in the series to break away from it's World War II setting, and be set in present day. Like man other fans of the series, I can
agree that this was the game that catapulted the series and introduced it to a wider range of players, who still play today for its fun action, intense and emotion sciences, and probably the most well written story in the entire series (other than Black Ops).
Campaign:
The game takes place in 2011, when the leader of an Untranationalists terrorist organisation named Imran Zacheav try to take over Russia and wish to return the country back to what it was during the days of the Soviet Union, starting a civil war between the Goverment and the Ultranationalists.
Meanwhile, a coup occurs in the Middle East
orchasteated by Khaled Al-Asad. You play as both Soap Mactavish in the British Special Forces, fighting alongside Captain Price, and Paul Jackson in the U.S Marines. Captain Price has become the most iconic character in the entire series, and is a total badass filled with plenty of sarcastic and witty dialogue. I'm aware that he appeared in the first Call of Duty game, but this was the game whers the character really got a chance to shine.
Once you've finished training, your first official mission is to hyjack a cargo ship in the Bering Strait after recieving intel courtesy from a Russian informant, who we will later learn is named Nikolai. After you and your team kill everyone onboard and receive the package, the ship is suddenly attacked by enemy helicopters, resulting in you, Price, and the rest of your team having to make a daring escape in the now sinking ship. It is a great mission and prepare you for the action-packed game your about to play.
Not long after, Khaled Al-Asad sends his sinister message to the world by executing President Al-Fulami on national television, finally causing the Americans to invade the capital city in search of Al-Asad. But the mission ultimately fails when the realise that Al-Asad had already escaped the city before they arrived, and had walked into a deadly trap to all be killed in a giant nuclear explosion, including Jackson.
While that happens, Soap, Price, and Gaz travel to Russia to meet with Kamarov and his loyalist rebels and to save Nikolai who's been held captured by enemy lines. As they attempt to leave after saving Nikolai, their helicopter is of course shot down, and the team have to fight their way through the Russian countryside, killing a bunch of Untranationalists, before finally being rescued.
When Price and his team learn about the nuke in the Middle East, they attempt to track down Al-Asad at his safehouse, where they learn that Al-Asad had been collaborating with Imran Zacheav. And Price tells his men about the time when he was a leftenant under the command of Captain Macmillan in a top-secret mission to assassinate Zacheav in Chernobyl, which leads to one of the best missions in Call of Duty history "All Ghilled Up". The assassination attempt fails, and Price only manages to blow off Zacheav's arm, and then him and Macmillan must make a daring escape.
The reason why I think "All Ghilled Up" and "One Shot, One Kill" are such important missions is because it puts Price in the same position that you play as Soap, which I feel makes Price way more relatable, and portrays him as a human rather than a larger-than-life hero.
Back in present day, Soap, Price, and the rest are rescued by the Americans after killing Al-Asad, and from then on, the U.S and British form a joint operation to finally kill Zacheav. When they realised that Zacheav's son, Victor Zacheav may be their ownly lead, they attempt to track him down, but unfortunately, he shoots himself before he could reveal the location of his father. Outraged by the death of his son, Zacheav threatens to nuke the whole east coast of America. In order to prevent Zacheav from starting World War III, Price and his team must invade to launch facility. But before they could enter the facility, they witness two missles being launched, heading directly towards the United States, but fortunately the team find their way into the facility and manage to stop the nukes from reaching their targets, saving America from annihilation.
Afterwards, they see Zacheav escape in one of the helicopters, and the team decide to follow the helicopter and take it out. But before they could do it, Zacheav's helicopter destroys half of the bridge, forcing their truck to crash, and defend themselves against enemy reinforcements. After Soap and Price are injured, they can't do anything but helplessly watch their fellow soldiers being killed.
But when they come face to face with Zacheav on the bridge, Price slides Soap a pistol to finally kill the mudak once and for all.
With Zacheav now dead, Price and Soap lay there dying, before Kamarov and his men come to the rescue to bring them home.
I will say, even though their both so old now, I still think that Modern Warfare and World at War are greatest games in the series, and still feel that every recent Call of Duty games that is released every year still fails in comparison.
To me, and many others, this was where it all began and why the series has become so popular, and as always, I highly recommend it.