Call of Duty 4 was special to all of us. It represented a new side of shooters and took Call of Duty out of the World War II era and not a Modern day hypothetical setting. The success is evident in the fact people still play it online 2 years after it’s release, ignoring Call of Duty World at War and the 13 million copies sold.

But what made it so great? The Modern Day theme had been delved into before in various games. It was a mix of the following:

- Effective campaign: The campaign only lasts 4 – 7 hours, depending on who’s holding the controller. However, like Pasta, it feels like a lot more than it actually is. The campaign can be replayed, and replayed, and replayed.

- Online: The sheer scope of the online mode constantly called players back, with the ability to create your own custom class with perks and modifiable guns (Something rarely seen before). The levelling system was addictive to the point of zoning out for 4-5 hours,only to progress 3, maybe 4 levels.

- Aesthetics: A big part of this game was the set piece moments. From the get go, jumping form a sinking boat to a helicopter and barely making it, to getting caught in a nuclear blast after an act of heroism. This really got people emotionally charged about the game, and the characters helped here a lot.

All of these things made COD4 great. However, this is where COD5 failed. Miserably. It’s Aesthetics were poor, and uninvolving. The characters , besides Petrov, were unremarkable and failed to fulfil what the developers intended them to do.

The online was pretty much COD4 re-branded, but with poorer maps and the ridiculously over powered Dogs. Plus, dropping us back in World War 2 was just unoriginal. The pacific theatre may be original but the eastern front had been done before, even in Call of Duty.

As for Call of Duty , it promises to improve on everything Call of Duty 4 did and fulfil what 5 hoped  be. With Infinity Ward handling it instead of Treyarch, the game should feel far more similar. Also, unlike COD5 with it’s moral ending in regards to the total deaths of WW2, COD6 is prepared to ignore this and offer gamers what they want, the brutal side of the world. Apparently, a level where you infiltrate a terrorist group and go on a rampage with them in an airport sounds aesthetically pleasing in so far as it will set the mood.

Outrage has caused them to make it optional, but who won’t do the level? If you’re not up for blood and gore, why even bother buying it?

At any rate the game will basically be building on the COD4 foundations. Special abilities gained after ‘X’ kills can be chosen, perks can be upgraded, and guns are even more modifiable, with more guns!

Plus, the trailers showing an assault of the U.S. capitol nearly made me wet my pants in excitement. The thought they were going to reach to that level of tension made me giddy.

Overall, the game seems like it will be the best game of 2009/2010. I look forward to playing it on Tuesday :) .