Although shooter games are inherently violent, the banalized nature of combat and the frequent simplicity of plots can make violence seem cartoonish. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, produced by Infinity Ward and released by Activision this Friday (23rd), deviates from this pattern.
The plot of CoD: MW4 begins in North Korea, under the rule of a dictatorial regime that oppresses its population and plans to invade South Korea. During the game, the player takes on the role of a North Korean soldier, being forced in a disturbing scene to participate in the execution of a civilian. There are also moments when a child is coerced into handing over their father, a political opponent, demonstrating the severity of the State.
MW4 has a darker tone compared to the average shooter game. This is reinforced by the presence of a prominent antagonist, excellently portrayed by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen. The result is an above-average campaign, containing memorable moments and ranking among the best titles in the Call of Duty franchise. The main campaign duration is about eight hours, which represents a significant improvement over Modern Warfare 3, released in 2023 and criticized for having less than five hours.
The visual aspects of the game are considered good, with notable scenes due to the high level of detail. Tests were conducted using an RTX 5080 graphics card, which allowed the game to run in 4K with all graphical settings at maximum without difficulty. However, the game does not yet incorporate the neural rendering feature promised in the DLSS 5 technology package, as Modern Warfare 4, at the time of testing, only used DLSS 4.5 when Nvidia made the announcement.
The game explores many dark situations and dimly lit environments, which contributes to a more realistic combat experience because it makes it difficult to accurately visualize the location of opponents. The sound design also stands out for its superior realism; the echo of gunfire in the environment helps the player determine the origin of the shots.
In addition to the standard audio configuration used in the review, Modern Warfare 4 offers an enhanced mode that uses Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF). This mode requires scanning the ears using photos taken with a mobile phone and allows for the generation of sounds with greater spatial accuracy. This technology is also used by Apple's Vision Pro headset and Sony's 360 Reality Audio technology, but in MW4 it requires purchasing an additional plugin for US$ 20.
In terms of multiplayer, the title offers several modes, with DMZ being a highlight that allows up to 60 players to participate in the same confrontation. An important technical requirement for playing online on PC is that Windows must have 'Secure Boot' enabled. The author of the text reports that, on his machine, Windows 11 did not have Secure Boot active, but the problem was easily resolved after accessing the BIOS configuration menu.
On the other hand, persistent bugs related to the Steam platform were identified. On several occasions, the game would only start if the user clicked the 'Stop' button within Steam, simulating a shutdown. Subsequently, upon ending the session, the game remained listed on Steam as if it were still running. Several users reported similar occurrences, and it is expected that the developers will correct this situation quickly.
Despite these technical setbacks, the bugs did not prevent a robust launch for MW4, which surpassed the mark of 200 thousand simultaneous players on Steam during the launch weekend. The game is considered excellent and worthy of a place among the best titles in the Call of Duty series.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Prices range from R$ 299 for PC to R$ 349.90 for consoles.