From the road above a village ravaged by the ultranationalists, we have a good view of the gunfight below. Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling and I watch Captain Price direct Sgt. “Soap” MacTavish and two other men as they provide sniper support. You play as Soap and U.S. Marine Sgt. Paul Jackson during the game, in addition to minor roles that pop up over the course of Call of Duty 4’s 17 levels.

“It’s always important in a Call of Duty title that you’re just one of the guys,” Bowling explains. “We want you to be part of the squad and in the heaviest of the fight. We also never take control away from you, even if you’re crawling from a helicopter after a nuclear explosion. That way you never break that immersion, and you get the blunt impact of the raw feelings that come with what you’re experiencing.”

Ripped From the Silver Screen. This dynamic cut scene could have come from the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

The bullets whizzing by our heads and popping against the side of the hill behind us underscore that point. A pair of helicopters roar over the battlefield to deliver fresh reinforcements to the enemy, and MacTavish and company rush to intercept them. Bowling and I follow.

“Moving the series from history-based World War II games to a completely fictional modern-day conflict allowed us to create an incredible story, with characters you care about and want to fight alongside.”

- Robert Bowling, community manager, Infinity Ward

Flexing Creative Muscles

Imran Zakhaev leads the ultranationalists, who think a return to Stalinist Russia sounds like a swell idea. To that end, he’s partnered with a Middle Eastern terrorist named Khaled Al-Asad, who recently staged a coup of his own by assassinating the president of his country. The current mission involves rescuing Nikolai, an ultranationalist informant who was compromised.

Abandon Ship! During this sequence, you must flee a doomed freighter.

Bowling says: “Moving the series from history-based World War II games to a completely fictional modern-day conflict allowed us to flex our creative muscles and show that we can not only make an amazing game, but we can also create an incredible story behind it, with characters you care about and want to fight alongside.”

That decision, he adds, “allowed us to really take advantage of not just new technology, but also concept missions about how you fight today, compared to World War II. We were able to really mix up the missions where you may be your typical Marine clearing houses in the Middle-East, or jump halfway across the world to the role of a British Special Forces soldier on a stealthier objective behind enemy lines in Russia.”

Watch My Back. You, your squad, and several closed doors. What could go wrong?

A New Breed of A.I.

Bowling and I emerge in a field where a flood of reinforcements threatens to overwhelm the meager British forces opposing them. Soldiers on both sides behave in a realistic manner, using cover whenever possible, warning their comrades about incoming grenades, and devising the best strategy for gaining ground.

“We are huge fans of genre-blending, as it’s a great catalyst for new and creative elements in games.”

- Robert Bowling, community manager, Infinity Ward

“We’re always improving our artificial intelligence and how it responds on the fly to the actions of the player and the environment,” Bowling explains, “from sliding over a car hood to get behind it faster to pulling the pin on a grenade before they die. A.I. is going to get smarter and more comprehensive, until the point where the competition of playing against an A.I. enemy in single-player is just as random, unique, and challenging as it is to take on anyone in online multi-player.”

You Don’t Want a Ride From These Guys. One of the brief minor roles you’ll find yourself in.

An RPG Vibe in a Multi-Player World

That serves as a nice lead-in to our next topic, so Bowling snaps his fingers and we find ourselves standing next to the wreckage of a Sea Knight helicopter. Several U.S. Marines crouch-walk past us, firing at opponents taking cover in nearby buildings. It’s a standard team deathmatch event — one of six multi-player game modes in Call of Duty 4. (See “Six Ways to Frag Your Friends” for more information.)

The game brings a role-playing vibe to its online action, putting you in the boots of one of five character classes (learn more), with the option to mix and match options to create your own class. You also accumulate experience points as you frag opponents, complete objectives in team-based matches, and achieve various milestones. As you attain higher levels, you not only reach new ranks but also unlock challenges — complete them and you’ll earn even more experience points, as well as better equipment, such as a silencer or different types of camouflage.

Sniper Time. The perfect spot to eliminate enemies with a few well-placed headshots.

“We are huge fans of genre-blending, as it’s a great catalyst for new and creative elements in games,” Bowling notes. “We’re always playing different types of games and asking ourselves: ‘What makes this work, and how can it work in a shooter?’ We take bits and pieces of concepts and meld them into something completely new.”

With that, Bowling pulls out an M164A and I suddenly realize he’s been wearing a U.S. Marines uniform — or maybe it appeared on him just now. Either way, the character name floating above him is red, which means we’re on opposite sides. He grins and I run, discovering that I’m now holding an M249 S.A.W. As bullets rake the ground around me, I take cover behind the downed helicopter before returning fire. This should be fun.

If you liked this game, check out:

• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars