Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Reviews Unveiled, IGN Awards 8/10

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set for release on October 23rd across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. The media reviews for the game's single-player campaign have now been unlocked, with IGN awarding it a score of 8 out of 10.

The campaign features 16 missions and has an approximate playtime of seven hours. It aims to conclude the seven-year Modern Warfare saga, addressing narrative and level design shortcomings of its predecessors and returning to a core single-player experience. The story centers on Captain Price's pursuit of the terrorist Makarov and his handlers, interwoven with a narrative following a South Korean-US squad facing an invasion. These story threads alternate across different time periods, incorporating spy-thriller missions and the series' signature large-scale military operations.

A standout aspect is the character development of South Korean soldier Park Hyun-joon and his comrades, whose interactions offer both levity and wartime struggle, enhancing player immersion. The game also attempts a more complex portrayal of the enemy, avoiding simple villain archetypes, though Price's storyline and some antagonists' screen time are noted as less developed.

One of the campaign's most acclaimed missions, "Stranded," integrates mechanics from Call of Duty: Warzone's DMZ mode, allowing for greater player freedom in a snowy, open-ended environment. Large-scale battles, such as beach landings and airport assaults, deliver intense experiences through impressive sound design and orchestration. The game retains Infinity Ward's signature gunplay and fluid movement systems, but some critics point to a limited variety of enemy types and inconsistent difficulty in stealth or close-quarters sections.

Overall, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is reported to offer a satisfying conclusion to the series, driven by solid mission design, improved character work, and spectacular set pieces. While not considered among the franchise's all-time classics, it marks a significant improvement over its predecessor and reaffirms Call of Duty's strength in delivering engaging single-player narratives. On Steam, the game has achieved its highest player review scores in over a decade.