Every once in a while a truly outstanding game comes along. One that just ticks every single box.

In my decades of video gaming (yikes) I’ve come across a only handful of games which combine exactly the right mix of immersive gameplay with the best visuals and sound that can be squeezed out of the hardware it’s playing on. Call of Duty 4 is one of them.

After a short warm up to get you familiar with the controls, you are thrown face-first into the Maelstrom.

Fortunately for you, you’re part of a squad of crack SAS troops, and together you have to…no, I’m not going to spoil it for you. The opening sequence is so damn intense that it took me a moment to realize that it wasn’t a pre-rendered intro movie - I actually had to get stuck in. Sounds corny, but you have to see it to believe it (and make sure you’ve got your surround-sound cranked up too).

There are many, many FPS war games out there; historic, futuristic, and contemporary; so you’ll no doubt have gone through the motions playing infantry, snipers, sappers and all, and probably enjoyed the experience. But none of the others I’ve played have really put across the sheer grittiness, the horror, of what it must be like to be dropped into the middle of a war zone. Somehow CoD4 blends action, excitement and bloodlust with realism, pathos - and sheer panic as you try to get the hell away.

Being a keyboard-and-mouse PC gamer means I’ve had to teach my thumbs to do what my entire right hand was previously accustomed. If you crank up the sensitivity on the analog sticks though, you can get something akin to the twitchiness of a PC setup (at a fraction of the cost). It’s all good.

You might get the impression that I like the single-player game. And you wouldn’t be wrong. But a quick play online via Xbox Live and I was instantly addicted.

I’ve been playing against my mates without respite for a week now and I’ve still only scratched the surface – you start off with limited weapons and abilities, and you must earn your rank if you want to break out the big guns (and more importantly the decent rifle scopes…).

With such a great combo of on- and off-line play, amazing graphics, sound, and overall atmosphere, Call of Duty 4 is definitely a keeper.

---