Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Preview: Infinity Ward sets the bar high even if the formula is familiar

It's morning in Los Angeles and I've just finished an American hotel breakfast which, for the first time in my 31 years, included fried potatoes with various vegetables. "It's never too late to try something new" became my motto for the day. Shortly afterwards, it was time to set off. I, and around 30 other members of the games press, had been instructed to gather in the hotel lobby at 10:30 AM, wearing the green wristband confirming our participation. The bus then set off for Infinity Ward's headquarters for a demonstration of what the next big Call of Duty project had to offer.

The presentation began by setting out one of Infinity Ward's visions for Call of Duty: namely, the "ripped from the headlines" concept, which, in short, means that the ambition is for their games to feel as though they could have been taken straight from the front pages. Not necessarily the actual headlines, as Infinity Ward's titles naturally depict fictional conflicts, but the feeling should still be there. The characters portrayed should feel grounded and not like pure superheroes, and in short, it's raw and gritty warfare that's in store.

Just as many had speculated beforehand, it's the conflict between North and South Korea that serves as the setting for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. According to the developers, there are many reasons for this, but it can be summed up simply by the Korean wave of popular culture that has taken the world by storm in recent years (need we say more than K-pop and Squid Game?). The conflict itself is also unique in that the two neighbouring countries have countless weapons pointed at each other at any given moment, yet this does not significantly affect the mindset of the inhabitants. The developers at Infinity Ward felt that this is a prime example of "ripped from the headlines", exploring what happens when things suddenly kick off and war breaks out.

Since the mid-2000s, Call of Duty has also focused on various types of special forces, whilst Modern Warfare 4 has chosen, at least in part, to portray such a conflict from the perspective of conscripted youths and foot soldiers who suddenly have to deal with an attack from the neighbouring country to the north. The narrative that follows depicts their struggle for survival, but we can also expect some shifts in perspective as certain parts of the game take place behind enemy lines in North Korea. Of course, it wouldn't be a Modern Warfare game without including the now legendary moustachioed marauder Captain Price in the line-up, but due to events in previous instalments, this time we are presented with a darker version of the war hero. We meet a lonely and hunted captain as he embarks on a mission of revenge that sets in motion the series of events around which the story revolves. We'll find out how it all fits together in due course, but we can expect an adventure that takes us on a journey across the globe, with Mumbai, New York, Paris, and Russia among the locations where we can expect to do battle.

Once the campaign had been covered, it was time to talk about multiplayer, which is still the cornerstone of the Call of Duty franchise. This time, Infinity Ward has set out with the ambition of making the gaming experience smoother and more immersive than before. As an example of the latter, they've taken a leaf out of the film industry's book in their efforts to let the player interact more with the environment, including by making objects react more when hit by gunfire. Pots shatter, fire hydrants spray water, and items fly off the shelves, which are cool elements, by all means, but despite the developers' enthusiasm, I couldn't help but wonder just how revolutionary this really is? Granted, it may not have featured in Call of Duty before, but it's certainly far from the first time a game has offered this sort of effect.

Something else Infinity Ward has put a lot of effort into this time is ensuring that your character's movements feel as accessible and immersive as possible. During the presentation, it was clear that the guiding principle is that, as a player, you should feel like an elite soldier as you move through the world. To achieve this, they have delved deep into all the character model's micro-animations and transitions that are constantly happening, to find new ways to make the player feel more agile.

Examples of systems that have been reworked include the cover system, which in Modern Warfare 4 allows for greater player control and now enables players to peek around corners whilst hanging from walls. The character's movements have also become more graceful, allowing for more active player inputs, and a new manoeuvre has also been introduced where the character slides forward on their back and ends up in a prone position.

The feel of the weapons, which is also a central part of Call of Duty, has also been reworked to enhance the players' immersion. Infinity Ward has, among other things, worked on the depth of field to make weapons look less compressed, and introduced something called "Enhanced FOV" to increase the character's field-of-view. The muzzle flash from the weapon, which previously could obscure an opponent, has also been adjusted to improve visibility even during intense firefights. Overall, they have also reviewed how the character holds and handles their weapon for a more realistic feel. The big news is that hip-firing now shoots exactly in the direction the barrel is pointing, rather than the randomly scattered spray of gunpowder that has previously been standard in the genre.

But while that sounds good, what's actually new in terms of gameplay, you might be wondering? Well, I'll tell you. The developers at Infinity Ward, for example, were very proud to present the so-called "Apex attachments", which are available on all weapons in the game and are the last thing you unlock for each weapon. As the name suggests, Apex attachments aren't your usual upgrades, as they take things a step further and, in some cases, become a bit comically over-the-top, with, for instance, a shotgun built into a small pistol, throwable knives attached to the side of a rifle, or weapon with built-in strobe lights that blind opponents, and then there are also a variety of explosive solutions. Personally, I have to say that these sound like fun additions that make you always look forward to that final reward for your favourite weapon, but at the same time I wonder how keen you'll actually be to use your Apex attachments once there's nothing left to unlock. Time will tell, but the decision to place them all at the end of each list of upgrades feels a bit odd from the outset.

On the loadout front, Infinity Ward has also built on its system and now lets us link specific operators and killstreak rewards to our saved loadouts, which feels like an obvious next step. Another new addition to Modern Warfare 4 is the AI-based loadout assistant Gunny, who is available to select equipment for players who don't feel inspired or knowledgeable enough to do it themselves. Perks are also included, and this time we're going back to basics where you choose three and throw yourself into battle.

The Prestige system has also been revamped and is available this time in two separate versions for you to choose from. The classic Prestige mode resets all your progress as usual but lets you continue fighting with a 20% XP boost, with a few extra rewards along the way. If you're not keen on getting rid of everything you own and starting from scratch, there's a gentler option that lets you keep almost all your gear along with a small XP boost.

As well as many classic multiplayer modes such as Deathmatch and Search and Destroy, Modern Warfare 4 delivers a couple of new features. One example of these is a deathmatch-style mode called Inflation, where players lose "bounties" when they die and the team that has collected the most money when time runs out is declared the winner. Gunfight is a mode where two teams of ten players battle it out on a map that changes as the match progresses, and there will also be at least two major game modes, Combat Outpost and Frontal Assault, where vehicles and infantry play a key role.

Speaking of maps, we also got a first look at the Westbridge Training Facility, or Code Name Killblock as it's also known, which is Infinity Ward's new dynamic map that changes during the course of the battle so that no two matches are ever exactly the same. The basic idea is that the level is divided into different components, some of which consist of familiar landmarks from the Modern Warfare series that are in constant rotation; at launch, the plan is to have around 500 different combinations available.

Then the presentation was over and we were ushered into a large hall equipped with a countless number of gaming stations. So it was time to go to war alongside my fellow journalists. What followed was just over an hour of gameplay in various multiplayer modes, and whilst I must admit I'm a novice when it comes to Call of Duty, I can still say with certainty that... Well, it feels like CoD. Weapons were being fired from all directions and I was shot in the back more times than should be allowed, but I had a great time. With the presentation fresh in my mind, I could also confirm that what was said about the character's agility and weapon handling seems to hold true. Call of Duty is back, and with Modern Warfare 4, it's at least my view that Infinity Ward has set the bar high.