CoD Modern Warfare 4's secret weapon is hidden in plain sight

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 it already has plenty of obvious hooks, from her full invasion of South Korea to Captain Price operating out of the system and outside of Task Force 141. But the most interesting thing about the game might be hiding in the most obvious place possible. Specifically, this is the first instance that Infinity Ward has ever had Modern Warfare 4 to work on, and that could give the studio more creative freedom than they've had with the last three rebooted entries.

During the recent unveiling at Infinity Ward in Los Angeles, I sat down with Associate Design Director Alex Norris and Narrative Director Jeff Negus to talk specifically about Modern Warfare 4's campaign. When I asked if there was Call of Duty campaign that most influenced this campaign, Negus pointed out that “there was never a four Modern warfare before,” meaning that Infinity Ward is no longer remaking a title that players already have years of history with. It still needs to look like Modern warfareof course, but for the first time in this rebooted series, he also defines a whole new number for himself.

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The Modern Warfare 4 issue gives Infinity Ward more creative freedom

The last three Modern warfare the games weren't straightforward remakes and never really tried to be. Infinity Ward changed a lot about the story, the characters, and the way some events played out, even though it was obviously pulled from material players were already familiar with. Price, Ghost, Soap, Shepherd, Makarov, and Task Force 141 all returned but came back in a different version Modern warfare universe.

Still, there's always been a limit to how new these games can feel. When the game is called Modern Warfare 2 or Modern Warfare 3players will compare it to an older game of the same name. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it puts the rebooted trilogy in a very strange box. Infinity Ward was able to remake the story, but it still remade something. Modern Warfare 4 it is different because there is no original Modern Warfare 4 waiting on his other side. That's why Negus' answer was so interesting when I asked if there was one particular Call of Duty campaign that influenced Modern Warfare 4 the most:

I wouldn't say there is one specific title. This is new ground for us, we're calling it 4, there's never been a 4 in Modern Warfare. So that means we have to redefine what it really means to call a game Modern Warfare. We have to take the parts of the DNA that really make it what it is, and then move into new territory in different ways.

To be clear, redefine what it means to call something a Modern warfare the game doesn't mean that Infinity Ward will suddenly make whatever it wants and slap a name on the box. There is still some weight with this title. Gamers expect grounded military action, cinematic missions, familiar characters, and a story that might sit close enough to the real world to make them uncomfortable. But after three rebooted entries, the series also began to feel a bit boxed in by its own formula, especially with how often it relied on Task Force 141, covert operations and smaller missions built around chasing one target after another.

At least that's part of what came about Modern Warfare 3 such a sore spot for some players. Its campaign had some good ideas, but it also felt like the thinnest version of what this subseries could be, with the open combat missions in particular making it feel more fragmented than fully realized. So when the Negus spoke of Modern Warfare 4 to move to new territory, the idea made a lot of sense. The game finally has a number that the original trilogy never touched, and with that comes a chance to make it happen Modern warfare feel bigger again. Norris seemed to be getting the same idea as he continued Negus's thought:

We're kind of breaking new ground for Modern Warfare in terms of our recent set because a lot of Modern Warfare 1 and 2 and 3 are these smaller missions where it's like special forces going after targets and chasing terrorists. We're going back a bit to our Great War roots – infantry, armor and air support working together. So if you're thinking about influences, maybe we'll touch on some aspects of World War II a little bit when we think about this side of the campaign.

Norris' comparison to Call of Duty: World War 2 says a lot about what Infinity Ward seems to be going for here. world war 2 was still linear Call of Duty campaign, but it worked because players felt like one soldier going through a war that was much bigger than them. There were tanks, air support, infantry charges, frontline change and missions that were associated with a larger military effort. This is something that some long-time players probably missed Modern warfareespecially after three games that spent so much time with elite teams chasing specific targets through smaller operations.

Modern Warfare 4 feels like a good entry and return point

That's what he does too Modern Warfare 4 feel like a good place for players to come back or even jump in for the first time. Cena is still here and the story is still moving forward, so long Modern warfare fans have a familiar story behind them. But with a private park, a Korean Peninsula setting, and a vast war surrounding them, Infinity Ward has a chance to give everyone a fresh first impression. That was something Negus acknowledged when I asked if the team expected a lot of new players to come into the series Modern Warfare 4:

This is such an interesting question. Every time we make one of these games, we have to design both for people who have watched everything and make sure it really fulfills them, and also take into account the people who press start for the first time and know absolutely nothing about it. But I'd say the combination of returning characters and brand new fresh faces is a really unique opportunity to lean into, there's a first impression for everyone, watcher or not, as well as an interesting new starting point that has an ongoing story behind it.

So “4” inches Modern Warfare 4 it matters because it gives Infinity Ward something for the last three Modern warfare the games never had. The studio is finally working with a number that no longer belongs to another campaign in players' memories. Modern warfare, Modern Warfare 2and Modern Warfare 3 they could certainly make changes, but they were still tied to the original trilogy in some way. Modern Warfare 4 of course it also has a history behind it, but no older version of this exact game is waiting to be compared to it. For a series that's been reshaping familiar ground for the past few years, it could be the difference that makes this next chapter feel truly new.