10 Most Iconic Moments From Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Has any game ever gut-punched you like Modern Warfare's Aftermath mission?
Bundled with a premium edition of forthcoming Infinite Warfare, Infinity Ward's 2007 masterpiece is making a welcome return to consoles, and will hopefully lift the reputation of the long-running series after the fairly lukewarm response to Black Ops III.
After ten games in the series with the highs of Modern Warfare 2 and the lows of Ghosts, this is arguably the right time to remind players what got us here in the first place. The original Modern Warfare spawned a host of competitors and is responsible for a host of innovations with console-based multiplayer games.
It was highly praised by reviewers at the time for stellar graphics, smooth, addictive multiplayer and a campaign that stunned players with an action-packed set of missions. Crucially, the characters involved - particularly the SAS soldiers - seemed believable and human, despite being bullet sponges.
So, perhaps you're an early access champion who's being blazing through Modern Warfare already on PlayStation 4, or maybe you missed the fuss the first time round?
Regardless of whether you see this double release as a reward for longterm Call of Duty fans or a cynical way to ensure high sales figures for Infinite Warfare's premium and digital editions, join us for a rundown of the 10 Best Moments From Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
10. Raining Down Hell In An AC130 In Death From Above
Who knew taking gamers back to black and white would be so powerful and memorable?
With a set of disembodied voices and glowing targets on a TV screen, players witness what an AC130 gunship can really do. The commentary from the pilot includes standard military instruction but almost veers into black humour at times as he glibly comments on how many kills you manage and in what manner.
This mission really shows what reviewers such as Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (AKA Zero Punctuation) have also praised when historically discussing titles like Call of Duty 4: The need for contrasting player experience.
For every all-out, guns-blazing, adrenaline-fuelled mission there must also be quieter moments where there is less pressure upon the player to perform. The AC130 was a mission you could fail, but you weren't under direct attack yourself.
Also, art became life with the WikiLeaks footage from 2007 released in 2010 of Iraqi soldiers being killed in the same fashion. The final line of the mission now sounds even bleaker: "This is gonna be one hell of a highlight reel!"