Is it just me, or does anyone else think that video games are getting more and more like being inside movies? - Not that I think that's a bad thing, I might add!

We're not just movie fans here at Cinemas Online, we're gamers too! So when I heard about Infinity Ward making a new Call of Duty game, my grumbles about them not adapting/releasing Call of Duty 3 on PC disappeared entirely.

Now that we've been given a sneak preview of the very latest offering in the Call of Duty series, I've got to say, the brand new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is nothing short of superb!

This left me thinking though; with gaming consoles and PC's getting more and more advanced, this leaves the games developers with a fantastic vision of the possibilities available. As the possibilities increase, so does the scope for turning video games into mini-movies that can make the user actually feel not just that they are immersed in a game, but that they are responsible for driving the story forward.

The Game

In order to better understand where I'm coming from, let's talk about Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare first.

As you can probably tell by the "Modern Warfare" aspect of the title, Call of Duty 4 is a change from the usual World War II environment that we know (and for me, still love) and thrusts us into a completely fictional, present day, Middle East.

In the course of playing the single player side of the game, I was particularly impressed with the way in which the storyline panned out. Just when you might be getting a little bored of playing out a certain scenario with one character, it switches you over to the other character you were playing previously. The style in which it's been designed reminds me of an episode of the TV series, Heroes. We switch regularly from character to character, carrying on from where we left off but the characters never actually meet, and it's the "to-ing and fro-ing" that keeps it fresh.

The things you'd expect from a change from one era to another are all here. Better modern weapons with more accuracy and more stoppage power, more "set piece" levels (like having the control of a 105mm cannon on a C130 plane), and the use of night vision goggles.

One thing stood out for me though. The health system from Call of Duty 2 makes a return once again. No health packs to pick up along the way; just get to cover and "auto-regenerate" your health. That said however, one aspect of the new game (which takes a little getting used to) is the "deep impact" physics. When you've been hit and are close to death, gone are the times where just hiding behind a wall and staying out of the action will help you regenerate to be able to start again… oh no… in Call of Duty 4, the thickness of the walls you hide behind now come in to play. - Just when you think you've found somewhere safe to hide, bullets come flying through the walls and finish you off!

My only disappointment in relation to the single player is that it's just not long enough. Yes, it's tricky in places and that adds to the longevity of the single player, but when I got to the end (about 6 hours), I really, really didn't want it to finish! - Fair enough, it's got to end somewhere but the reason for my thoughts on that are not really for me to interpret. It's either because I love it so much that, no matter how long it is, it's always going to be too short; or there's just too much pressure on game developers to get the game done quickly, and, as such, they just create what they can in the time that they have.

As if the impressive single player system wasn't enough. The Call of Duty series has always had an excellent multiplayer system but, just like the single player side of the game, Infinity Ward have succeeded in taking the multiplayer side of Call of Duty 4 to a whole new level. In relation to the different game types, the regular suspects are all still there; Free-For-All (Deathmatch), Team Deathmatch, Headquarters, Search & Destroy, Domination and a total of 15 maps to choose from. Where it really impresses is the new "class" based system. As you do better in the multiplayer environment, you are rewarded with different "perks" which are either in the form of weapon unlocks or extra skills for your character. The better you do, the better your character can do. The better your character can do, the better you do. This progressive improvement of your character (and the new "create a class" system) will keep many a player up at night and into the small hours with its extremely addictive game play. I'll be one of them!

Overall, as much as I believe that Rainbow Six Vegas was the best first person shooter of 2006, Call of Duty 4 is definitely the best of 2007! It's new style of play, impressive graphics, impressive lighting effects, great sound quality and superb single player and multiplayer environments to me gives you two impressive games in one and is going to extremely hard to beat!

Movies/Games

Playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare you very much feel immersed in the atmosphere it envelopes you in. You play a skilled SAS operative in one level and then a US Marine in another. As I mentioned above, what impressed me was the switching from one character to another but because it was done in a way that lets you carry on from where you left off, it has that Hollywood-esque feel to it.

The "set pieces" felt very Hollywood too. I'm not going to give too much away as it wouldn't be fair, but there were a couple of "bullet time" sequences where the climax to a situation is panned out in slow motion effect and all the time it's happening it gives you that; "I'm in a movie" sort of feel. - You'll see what I mean when you get to the end.

So much emphasis is put on Hollywood films that are made from video games and not made very well, but what few people seem to notice is that video games are slowly becoming more and more like Hollywood films themselves. Call of Duty 4 is just another example of this. Rainbow Six Vegas, Bioshock, John Woo's Stranglehold; all of these are now setting a new precedence in the future of the gaming world.

Granted I can think of a couple which have tried and failed too. The most immediate one that springs to mind is the latest Medal of Honour (Honor) Airborne, which although pretty good, was far too short in length and is simply no match for Call of Duty 4 in any way!

For me it all goes back to the same question. Once the right game is picked, if these games are so good (which they are), why don't the Hollywood studios sack their writers, and employ the same game writers to do a storyline for the big screen? Surely then we will end up with some decent game to movie conversions instead of the tripe that's been released in previous years?

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 now.