Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is out, and the first reviews are in. We haven't scored it ourselves: this is a round-up of what trusted critics are saying, so you can decide whether it's worth your money, and then how to spend less of it.
Reviews are only a few days old, so scores may still move a little.
The verdict so far
Critics are broadly positive. On Metacritic, early scores include 90 from GamesRadar+, 88 from COGconnected and 85 from Jeuxvideo.com, and the critic summary describes it as a graphical powerhouse that's packed with content and an enjoyable return to form. OpenCritic lists similar scores, such as 8/10 from GamingBolt.
The campaign: the highlight
The story mode is getting the strongest praise.
- Insider Gaming gives it a 9 and goes as far as calling it the greatest Call of Duty campaign yet, though it points out that it's on the short side.
- GameSpot says it wraps up the Modern Warfare story with several shocking moments and ends on a high note.
- Windows Central calls it the explosive finale the subseries deserves.
DMZ and multiplayer
- GamesRadar+ singles out DMZ's tight gameplay loop, calling it the reviewer's favourite multiplayer game of the year.
- Windows Central says DMZ has improved a lot since its beta and is tense and exciting.
- GameRant goes further, calling it the best Call of Duty since Black Ops 2.
- Metacritic's summary notes that multiplayer is slower-paced than Black Ops 7, which may take some getting used to.
The weak spots
No review is perfect. GameSpot calls the final boss fights a major disappointment, GamesRadar+ wishes the game were less strict about civilian casualties, and Metacritic's summary says DMZ still needs some refinement.
Should you buy it?
If you enjoy big, cinematic shooter campaigns or extraction modes like DMZ, the reviews suggest this is one of the strongest Call of Duty releases in years. If you mainly play fast-paced multiplayer, it may be worth watching some gameplay first, given the slower pace critics mention.
You don't have to pay full price
A brand-new Call of Duty usually launches at full price on the official stores, but that isn't the only option. Key stores often sell the same game for less, even in launch week, and prices change daily as stores compete.
Before you buy, check our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 price comparison. It lists every store we track for PC, Xbox and PlayStation, cheapest first, in pounds, and shows which keys work in the UK. A few things to check:
- Pick the right platform and version: a PC key won't work on a console, and console keys are tied to their console generation.
- Keys vs accounts: some of the cheapest listings are game accounts, not keys. Our "Keys only" switch hides them.
- Region: choose UK, Global or Europe keys for a UK account.
Even saving £10 to £15 on a launch-week key adds up, and that's money towards the next game.
Sources: GamesRadar+, Windows Central, GameSpot, Insider Gaming, GameRant, Metacritic, OpenCritic.