Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has a campaign worth playing, but its strongest missions belong to a different storyline than the one built around Captain Price. PC Gamer’s review-in-progress calls it fractured but fun and says it will hold its score until after launch.
A campaign looking back to ordinary soldiers
PC Gamer reviewer Morgan Park, who writes that he has played Call of Duty for more than 20 years, sees Infinity Ward reaching for the earlier series’ focus on ordinary soldiers trying to survive rather than near-invincible operators racing to prevent global catastrophe. That shift gives the campaign’s newer, less-elite characters room to make a stronger impression.
The game is presented as the conclusion to the Modern Warfare story that began in 2019. For readers following the game beyond its campaign, Modern Warfare 4’s launch systems offer another part of the picture.
Park’s squad carries the best missions
More than half of the roughly six-hour campaign follows young South Korean marines, joined by a few Americans, as North Korea invades. Private Park and his squad are familiar character types, but PC Gamer finds them charming enough to care about. The fictional Hajin City’s desperate defenses in “Mayhem” and “Losing Ground” make the soldiers feel outmatched, while “Counter Attack” scales up to a major beachfront assault.
The standout is “Stranded,” which drops the squad behind enemy lines in North Korea. Its three objectives can be tackled in a non-linear order, with side quests and a hideout where players craft armor, weapons, and camouflage. Park calls it Infinity Ward’s best sandbox level yet, comparing its isolated, exploratory feel to a compact Far Cry-style mission. The review also welcomes a campaign that feels built for single-player rather than like an afterthought to Warzone or Zombies. Its crafting and mission structure connect naturally to Modern Warfare 4’s DMZ mission choices.
Price’s plot splits the story
Captain Price’s chapters run parallel to Park’s squad instead of converging with the campaign’s more compelling characters. Now a wanted fugitive because of events in Modern Warfare 3, Price’s return comes with a lengthy recap video for players who missed that story. PC Gamer finds his familiar car chases, foot pursuits, and knife fights less memorable than the Korean-front missions.
Price largely disappears from the story’s second half, leaving his plot feeling disconnected. The review also questions the campaign’s conventionally American framing of complex foreign conflicts. Although the game was billed as the finale to the story begun in 2019, Park says its resolution feels rushed.
Other early coverage is more positive about the overall package. GamesRadar’s review-in-progress praises the set pieces, performances, and “Stranded,” while pointing to rigid objectives, limited freedom, and Price’s storyline as drawbacks. It also reports frustration with scenes where civilian casualties trigger failure.
The practical takeaway is straightforward: the Park squad, “Stranded,” and the large invasion missions give players plenty to look forward to, even if the split plot makes Price’s chapters feel like a detour. PC Gamer’s review has no final score yet, and the outlet said its DMZ impressions were due early the following week.
