Call of Duty: Modern Warfare promises a return to its roots, ditching the futuristic bells and whistles of recent Call of Duty titles – with the exception of WW2, of course. It’s a much-welcomed return to what the Call of Duty series is best at, following an identity crisis over the past few years.
We went hands-on with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare at a preview event in Cologne, Germany in August, and here’s what we think so far.
Pricing and availability
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is set to be released tomorrow, 25 October 2019, and will be available not only for PC, but PS4 and Xbox One too. Those interested in pre-ordering the game ahead of launch can do so via the likes of Amazon and GAME (£49.99) in the UK, along with Amazon ($59.99) in the US.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare preview
Along with a hard-hitting (and in parts controversial) campaign, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare title boasts an improved multiplayer experience with the return of fan-favourites alongside new, exciting PvP game modes for Call of Duty players to get into. One such game mode is Gunfight, a multiplayer game that takes inspiration from the classic Gun Game.
For the uninitiated, the concept of Gun Game was simple; you go up against other players with an ever-changing roster of guns and the first person to get a kill with each available weapon wins. It was a favourite because it forced you out of your comfort zone, making you use weapons you’d never select in a standard multiplayer battle, and that helped balance out the skillset of players.
Gunfight, on the other hand, is a 2v2 match played over several short rounds with no revives or healing allowed. The twist is that your loadout is pre-selected, and changes every two rounds. If, after a minute, you somehow haven’t taken out the enemy team, it turns into a capture the flag-esque game with both teams fighting to secure a central point in the map and win the round. The first team to win six rounds wins the overall game – it’s simple, but a lot of fun.
We got to play a couple of rounds of Gunfight at an Nvidia RTX event in Cologne, and were blown away not only by the gorgeous RTX effects on offer, but the level design and the gameplay too. It’s a stripped-back experience when compared to the lightning-fast pace of current FPS games, and awards tactics and team communication as well as quick response times.
Our Gunfight was set in a dark, damp and dingy warehouse which aside from looking impressive, was the perfect environment to show off the enhanced graphics and RTX support that Modern Warfare offers.
It’s a small map, possibly amongst the smallest we’ve played in any Call of Duty title, but it fits the 2v2 format on offer by Gunfight. The size of the map doesn’t dictate gameplay though; you can run in all guns blazing and have a great, challenging gunfight, but you can also play more tactically, finding cover with a good vantage point and lying in wait for the enemy to come to you. It’s down to you and your partner, and more importantly, the weapons available to you.
Another challenge of an ever-rotating weapon loadout is that you have to change your tactics – you can’t charge an enemy with a sniper, or camp with a silenced handgun. Like with other elements of the game mode, this forces you from your comfort zone and keeps things fresh, round after round.
Pair that with a new (as yet unnamed) engine that makes everything look and feel more responsive and you’ve got the potential for one of the most exciting Call of Duty titles in recent years.
Oh, and PC players will be able to enjoy RTX support from day one – with supported hardware, of course. We got a chance to play the game with RTX effects on and it looks absolutely incredible. Shadows are less defined and more realistic and gunfire in darkened areas looks totally different too. The best part is that there’s no noticeable lag or framerate drops, even at this pre-release stage.
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