While I can't say it hasn't been fun, after years of World War II-inspired (and some woefully uninspired...) first-person shooters, it only seems natural to take the genre into the 21th century. Not that there haven't been a plethora of non-WW2 based, quality blast-fests on the market, but what a shock it would be to see a developer take the same level of care and imagination put into those historical shooters and take it up a notch. It was only a matter of time that the formula would be handled in a way that would make me say “wow” and developer Infinity Ward has finally done just that with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It’s available for all high-end platforms (PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360), but this Impression only focuses on the stunning Xbox 360 version, but the reason I’m here is explain why this game in general has me on my feet so read on.

With a plot that reads like it could've been ripped from today's headlines, the first and most drastic change you'll see to this installment of the revered Call of Duty franchise is the change of locale and period. Gone are the US vs. Nazi motifs and welcome to the Middle East. Ensuing war in the most combustible part of the world has you trying to prevent millions of people from perishing in the plausible nuclear devastation that evil forces are attempting to unleash. Along the way you'll be alternating between a US Marine and British SAS Operative in this international game of touch-and-go and to be honest helps create one of the most intense experiences I've ever had with a shooter of this caliber. When things happen they happen HARD, and its only then you realize that this isn't going to be your typical kill-the-baddie for world peace type of scenario. What we have here is a true-blue campaign where you and your allies will die without much fanfare, with very little canned drama and cinematic flair. There's no shock value whatsoever, so those looking for a weepy tear-jerker best look elsewhere (I hear Medal of Honor is looking for fans...?)

Even the storyline seems unapologetic in its unemotional presentation. The actual gaming offerings are even less than charitable, with a fairly straightforward campaign mode, although the length is a rather meek 5 hours of single player action the quality and variety in conducting missions makes up for some of the shortcomings. Trudging from Point A to B has never been so rewarding in another FPS, and the ability to fly headstrong into battle or choose a more thoughtful, tactical approach against your heavily armed opposition makes for some truly exciting (and rewarding) gameplay moments. Other features, such as calling in aerial strikers and helicopter support add a unique dimension to the already satisfying hand-to-hand combat and really did make me rethink the possibilities of multiplayer madness. Let's just say that throwing back enemy grenades has never been this rewarding!

Multiplayer picks up where the short campaign mode left off, and does it commendably. No real surprises here in the online presentation, as the usual suspects are all accounted for. You'll find excellent variants of deathmatch, capture the flag, and a host of other specialty modes designed to keep you coming back for more. It worked for me, as killing is even more fun with up to 18 players and I never once had a problem finding opponents to smash it up with. Make sure you set the rules the way you want, as COD4 can be absolutely unforgiving when it comes to winning or losing in terms of skill, and if you're not adept with the basic controls get ready to be fragged into next Monday with little sympathy from your foes. All isn't lost, however, as nice options for joining online friends and others can help customize your repertoire with upgraded weapons and oh-so-sweet 'perks' - which means exactly what it sounds like, with special abilities such as increased speed or being able to spy on your opposition's voice chat. The list goes on, and to be quite honest this is one of the most fully realized FPS on the market with an almost unheard of amount of depth. Kudos for that!

The game has what it takes in the AV department and should prove to be one to test (and brag) on the more advanced home theater set-ups. The visuals are extremely impressive, with large open environments and detailed, war-torn urban sectors alike to hide around, behind, and really help bring the realism of combat home. I honestly didn't have any problems with how this one looks, and the game's artists should be commended on such an outstanding job for the system. Likewise with the audio, which is equally matched to the visuals and for all you action fans really needing to feel your shotgun blasts and recoils of an AK-47. Although the music is largely forgettable (the COD games have never been as dramatic musically as other FPS), but the action-movie score should be enough to keep you pumped and moving forward throughout the chaos. One thing I did notice is that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were practically identical in these regards, so don't feel left out if you've got either system.

I don’t need to tell you that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare looks great and plays even better, but my only complaints stem from a rather short (yet involving) campaign mode which doesn't feel like it lasts nearly long enough. But thankfully the game's brutal sense of punishment and stellar combat will have weaker gamers running in fear, no doubt dreading sleep as the thought of machine gun fragging creeps into their nightmares and beyond. Multiplayer is of course the main attractions here, so if you're not looking to take the battle across the world online your enjoyment might be short-lived. Ultimately Modern Warfare is absolutely worth the time if you know what you're getting into, and a big thumbs-up to developer Infinity Ward and Activision for the decision to update this series not just thematically (bye, bye WW2), but with incredible gameplay to boot. Don't skip one this year's very best games!