If you want better fun factor
Choose Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen. It scores 4.9 vs 4.2 for fun factor, with a 4.0 overall score.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Review
Content guidance
Realistic warfare includes graphic beatings, blood and dismemberment, civilian killings, and a public hanging. Online modes also involve combat and voice interaction with strangers.
Official rating
M
Bottom Line
Choose it for forceful shooting, a cinematic campaign, and tense DMZ missions with friends. Skip a full-price purchase if you only want the short campaign or need relaxed multiplayer without demanding lobbies.
Action-shooter fans and returning players who want cinematic missions plus a substantial online game. DMZ is especially appealing with friends, while Switch 2 owners gain a complete portable option.
Players seeking relaxed, low-pressure multiplayer or brief DMZ sessions without a long unlock commitment. Graphic violence is also a poor fit for squeamish players, and campaign-only buyers may prefer a sale.
Verdict
Modern Warfare 4 rebuilds much of the appeal of the rebooted series through forceful shooting, varied set pieces, and a Korean squad that often feels more engaging than the returning veterans. Its campaign is widely enjoyed, although the Archer gets too little development and the open Stranded mission sharply divides opinion. DMZ adds a substantial extraction experience, with structured objectives, meaningful progression, and memorable escapes, especially with friends. Resource chores and punishing encounters can still wear thin. Multiplayer benefits from refined movement and interesting objective modes, but strict-feeling matchmaking, uneven maps, and disputed lethality prevent a clean consensus. The Switch 2 version preserves the complete package impressively while accepting softer visuals and lower campaign and DMZ frame rates. Value depends heavily on using the online modes alongside the campaign.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
120 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.030 (25%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.452 (43%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.423 (19%)
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Negative 1.5-2.415 (13%)
Pros highlights
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The campaign and shooting attract broad praise, with DMZ often singled out as a substantial improvement. The full package is less convincing when matchmaking, pacing, or technical compromises clash with a player's priorities.
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The dual campaign largely restores confidence through memorable military action and a fresh Korean squad. Price's legacy plot, an underused antagonist, and rushed closure are the principal narrative reservations.
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Refined, forceful shooting is one of the most consistent strengths across modes. Repetitive or imprecise melee encounters and occasional meta-driven firefights account for much of the dissent.
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The campaign frequently earns exceptional praise for lifelike locations and lighting. Switch compromises, reconstruction artifacts, pop-in, and some ray-tracing results temper that enthusiasm.
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The interwoven campaign often moves with impressive momentum and variety. Stranded, repeated brawls, overlong chases, and relentless beta matches account for the most common pacing complaints.
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Smooth mantling and more grounded traversal often feel like a useful balance between old and new Call of Duty. Players disagree sharply over whether handling penalties make it sluggish or the remaining slides still make it too frantic.
Cons highlights
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Launch lethality is praised by some for allowing real counterplay, while others feel it favors high-damage weapons too heavily. Dominant beta builds and specific mode imbalances remain notable caveats.
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Local dialogue and moral choices can add character and tension, but rarely change the story. Forced deaths for choosing the wrong response leave some players frustrated by the appearance of agency.
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The new squad's banter and relationships frequently give supporting characters real warmth. The Archer is repeatedly criticized for too little screen time and an underdeveloped role.
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Strict-feeling lobbies, long queues, and the absence of open matchmaking are persistent complaints. Several assessments remain cautious about separating the algorithm's effects from launch populations and individual results.
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The three-mode package is often considered good value, especially when DMZ and multiplayer will see regular use. The short campaign alone attracts repeated advice to wait for a discount.
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Enemy behavior divides opinion: some encounters feel more lifelike and threatening, while others expose slow awareness, player-focused targeting, and difficulty driven mostly by armor and numbers.
Use Cases
Best for
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Lapsed fans often find the campaign and grounded shooting a welcome homecoming. The recap helps returning players reconnect without replaying the earlier games.
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The Switch 2 release is widely praised for retaining the full experience and remaining responsive. It trades image detail and frame-rate headroom for portability rather than reducing the core modes.
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DMZ is particularly rewarding with friends who coordinate objectives, rescues, and extraction. Kill Block also produces enjoyable group sessions, while organized teamwork can make a large difference to results.
Not ideal for
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Relaxed playA cautious, casual approach can feel unrewarding when small maps, demanding opponents, and weapon tuning favor constant aggressive play.
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Content-sensitive playersBrutal beatings and dismemberment make this a difficult fit for squeamish players. The violence pushes beyond the campaign's otherwise familiar action-movie tone.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in field-of-view options, server reliability, mission design, near average in multiplayer design, character development, below average in Enemy design, driving mechanics, boss design.
Comparison summary
117 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher48 (41%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts39 (33%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower30 (26%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy design | 2.0 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
| field-of-view options | 4.5 | 2.3 | +2.2 |
| driving mechanics | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| server reliability | 4.5 | 2.7 | +1.8 |
| boss design | 2.0 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
| mission design | 4.5 | 3.4 | +1.1 |
| random encounter design | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| character roster | 2.5 | 4.1 | -1.6 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better sandbox freedom
Choose Borderlands 4. It scores 5.0 vs 3.5 for sandbox freedom, with a 3.6 overall score.
If you want better multiplayer design
Choose Tom Clancy’s The Division Resurgence. It scores 5.0 vs 3.9 for multiplayer design, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better matchmaking quality
Choose Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition. It scores 5.0 vs 1.9 for matchmaking quality, with a 4.2 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Better: enemy design The ordinary armored enemies do not match Arc Raiders’ more distinctive threats.
- Compared: player behavior The author contrasts DMZ’s hostile player encounters with Arc Raiders’ more cooperative early community.
- Similar: extraction gameplay Arc Raiders players are expected to find DMZ familiar.
- Compared: autorun accessibility The autorun option is welcomed compared with games the presenter says lack it.
- Better: enemy design Marathon’s enemies are considered more distinctive than DMZ’s basic armored soldiers.
- Similar: extraction gameplay Marathon players are expected to recognize DMZ’s extraction structure.
- Similar: Ground War combined-arms design Ground War is described as a Battlefield-style large battle with Call of Duty shooting.
FAQ
How long is the campaign?
Most accounts place it around six to nine hours. Optional exploration in Stranded and higher difficulty can extend that.
Can I skip the open-world exploration?
Stranded lets you fast travel to its three main objectives. Skipping scavenging leaves fewer equipment options and can make those objectives harder.
Is DMZ free to play?
No. This version is included with the paid Modern Warfare 4 package.
Can I play with friends?
DMZ supports solo play and squads of up to three, and is often most rewarding with coordinated friends. The campaign is single-player.
How does Switch 2 perform?
The campaign targets 30fps, while DMZ is reported at 40fps docked and 30fps handheld. Standard multiplayer generally targets 60fps, with reduced visual detail and some reported dips.
Is it good for casual multiplayer?
Automatic weapon builds simplify preparation, but strict-feeling lobbies and constant engagements can be exhausting. Opinions also differ on the slower movement and revised time to kill.
How graphic is the campaign?
It includes brutal close-range beatings, blood, dismemberment, civilian violence, and a public execution. These scenes can be substantially harsher than the surrounding action-movie spectacle.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Nintendo Life
- Review score
- 3.9
YouTube - GameSpot
- Review score
- 4.1
Article Reviews
pcgamer.com
Upscaling can also help a bunch, of course.
- Review score
- 3.7
butwhytho.net
The Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer brings back slower, grounded movement and fair gunfights, and DMZ is finally worth your time.
- Review score
- 3.8
gameinformer.com
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (PC) Review – 8.5/10: Backed up by a fun campaign, thrilling multiplayer, and loads of new modes and content...
- Review score
- 4.0
windowscentral.com
From an emotional farewell to a new way to play, Modern Warfare 4 might actually be the perfect Call of Duty experience.
- Review score
- 4.6
techpowerup.com
With little over a day to go before the launch of Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the game has apparently already reached the...
- Review score
- 3.5
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