Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare - 9 Reasons It's The Best COD In Years

3. A Daring Campaign

Speaking of a fictionalised setting for the game's story, Modern Warfare's campaign is certainly messy and misguided for the most part, but therein lies something worth championing: Creative risk.

While the jury's out on the reasons behind why the writers chose to remove America from the Highway of Death (putting Russian soldiers in place of Americans and absolving all blame), the overall narrative is about cycles of violence from conflicts overseas, alongside defending what matters most at all costs.

Captain Price is no longer the out n' out hero of the previous titles, shown to do whatever's necessary to win the day - even if that results in the death of innocents. He's the best written of the bunch next to newcomer Farah Karim, with a notable scene in a car towards the end having the best dialogue of the whole game.

Overall though, for something as massive as Call of Duty - one of gaming's most bankable and popular franchises - to write a story that delves into blurring the lines between freedom fighter and terrorist, true patriot and "just following orders", I commend it.

Is the execution there? Not throughout. Are a ton of elements heavy-handed and the script tonally jarring? Hell yes.

But am I glad Infinity Ward and Call of Duty tried something? Without a doubt.