The Call of Duty series has been arguably the most successful WWII franchises to date, so when it was announced that the series would be heading into a more modern setting, it was interesting, to say the least. Now that the game is finally out, you'll find that it seemingly aims to capture the ferocity and horror faced by soldiers in today's conflicts while being careful to handle the whole affair as tastefully as possible. With the recent activities in the Middle East and the ongoing media focus on the struggle against terrorism, the developers chose to disregard the tried and tested formula of following real events and instead chose to focus on crafting a fictional narrative. The resulting product is an excellent modern-day shooter with an action-packed single player campaign and even better multiplayer suite.

The story sees us take control of Sergeant Soap McTavish, an operative for the British SAS and Sergeant Paul Jackson of the United States Marine Corps. A Russian Ultranationalist named Imran Zakhaev wants to return Russia back to the communist regime of Soviet times. In a bid to divert the eyes of the World's super powers, he aligns himself with a Middle Eastern terrorist organization run by a ruthless individual known as Kalhed Al-Asad, and organizes a coup in the terror hotbed. This brings in the USMC to handle matters, while the SAS attempt to infiltrate the Russians with some assistance from loyalist soldiers. The coup winds up being a cover for an attempted launch of nuclear weapons, so it's down to the combined forces of the USMC and SAS to save the day and eliminate Zakhaev.

The multiplayer is well-crafted and extremely addictive.

The single player game follows this brilliantly told plot in a unique way, jumping the player between the two forces as the events in both destinations interweave and head for a grippingly explosive finale. Modern Warfare places us in the first-person perspective throughout the game, including during the use of interactive cutscenes. Without ruining the surprises in store, these are some of the best moments in the game, with the unrelenting harsh reality of war being emphasized through some dramatic and shocking scenes.

Fans familiar with the previous WWII installments of the series will immediately feel at home with the control scheme. Somehow, little has changed, yet it all transfers to the use of modern weaponry in a brilliant fashion. The only additions are the ability to temporarily sprint, and a knife that can be used for stealthier endeavors. Rather than being just a token addition, the sprint feature is essential in Modern Warfare, with the need to quickly move from cover to cover being a regular occurrence.

The combat scenarios on offer here are by some of the best yet, outshining even the excellent set pieces of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The intensity of the fighting is truly a sight to be seen, with tracer fire and grenades exploding everywhere. No one particular battle stands out either, as the game's missions are all varied and involving, and mission objectives change at the drop of a hat due to things usually going horribly wrong. One moment you're storming a town feeling triumphant that the net has closed in on Zakhaev, the next you discover it's all a ploy, there's no Zakhaev, and now you and your small squad are the one's on the receiving end of some heavy fire. Racing against the clock to reach extraction can be particularly nerve rattling, as enemy forces rapidly increase in number and give chase.

Although the majority of the game is spent fighting on the ground, there are several sections where you must take control of gunning responsibilities onboard various vehicles. The best of these sees you control three weapons from high in the air on a Spectre gunship, which is fortified to the teeth with heavy artillery. The section is played using thermal imaging and looks about as realistic as it gets without joining the Corps, and the joy of raining down huge caliber ammo on unsuspecting baddies is unrivalled. War should not be this entertaining, but it is in Call of Duty 4.

All of these factors make the single player game one of the best you'll ever play. It's dramatic, stunning looking, and keeps you gripped from start to finish with its show stopping plot. However, despite all of this, there is still one major issue. You will be gripped from start to finish, but on the default difficulty, that may only last 5 or 6 hours. That's not to say it ruins the game, because replay value at the higher difficulty levels adds a lot to the experience, but it is still over slightly too fast. The only other factor that could have perhaps improved the experience is the inclusion of a cover mechanic. The traditional system works well enough, but it's a shame not to see the inclusion of at least a lean function, similar to what the latest Medal of Honor introduced.

Once you've finished the single player, you can move onto Xbox Live play. With support for parties, clan making, and a wide variety of game types, COD 4's online play is up there with the very best. The amazingly detailed environments extend to multiplayer, with some brilliantly designed maps on offer. Infinity Ward have devoted a lot of time to create balanced battlegrounds, where there are suitable vantage points for snipers with just as much back alley toe-to-toe action as your infantry man could want. Matches support up to 18 players, and there are modes to cater to all tastes. The lone wolves among you will be pleased to hear that free-for-all death matches are available, just as teams will be bowled over by the choice of objective-based game types.

Modern Warfare's ranking system also unlocks more functionality to Live play. As your rank increases, you will unlock new abilities, the first and most important of which being the facility to design custom classes. Though you'll quickly unlock a few standard classes such as Sniper, Demolitions and Heavy Gunner, the core mechanic that makes COD4's multiplayer so good is the ability to choose a weapon set of your own. This is complimented by customizable weapon attachments and something called Perks. Attachments range from silencers to Acog scopes that can be added to your weapons, all of which are incredibly detailed and designed from the real thing. Some unique classes can be built this way, allowing the player to cater to their own playing style. As for the Perks, each custom class can have three of them. A weapon attachment such as a grenade launcher will take up one of those slots, while the second will be a choice of say, more health or the ability to run faster. The third gives you the option of increased stopping power, faster reloading, or even the ability to pull out a pistol to take a dying shot at the enemy who just downed you.

This one of the best looking games available for the Xbox 360.

Having so many choices makes for a truly personalized experience and puts Modern Warfare's online play up there with Gears of War and Halo 3. The one complaint some players have made is the lack of vehicles. It isn't as bothersome as you would think, and their inclusion would likely disrupt the careful balance of the game. Instead, earning kill streaks will provide vehicular support in several forms depending on how many enemies you take out. Getting three kills in a row without dying allows the use of a GRAW style UAV which highlights your enemy's locations on the map; getting five kills gives you an air strike capability, and earning seven in a row brings in a deadly helicopter gunship. This just adds to the addictive gameplay, and having unlockables for ranking up is a great incentive to try and master the game's excellent variety of game types and weapons.

One of the best parts about the game is that everything presented so exquisitely that it rivals many Hollywood productions. The graphics in every aspect of the Call of Duty 4 are painstakingly drawn and textured down to the last detail, and the excellent animation greatly immerses you into the experience. Environmental factors like long grass all have their own physics and move gently in the breeze, while providing excellent cover for soldiers in camouflage. One section pits you against a whole armored division of enemies who are scouring the area for you. You'll be amazed at just how close to the enemy you are while maintaining your cover. This just wouldn't be convincing if it wasn't for the very high standard of graphics throughout.

The soundtrack is no less cinematic. Composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, the score rises with the on-screen action to increase the tension. The soundtrack has been so carefully applied that it even competes with BioShock in terms of atmosphere. Add to this the amazingly convincing sounding effects, be it a member of your team barking commands, or the crack of a Draganov sniper rifle, and you'll notice that the quality of the audio is consistently high throughout the game.

As a complete package, Modern Warfare is one of the best titles released in this generation of gaming. It has all the elements you'd expect from a Call of Duty game, but manages to offer so much more. The single player is among the finest gaming experiences money can buy, even if it is a bit short. Whether it's the stunning visuals and cinematic nature of the campaign, the unrivalled action of the intensely realistic battles, or the outstanding multiplayer experience, there's something here for everyone who loves first-person shooters.