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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

(2007, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Top-notch war sim, but T-rated series is now "M."

Why We Rated This not for kids

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    Challenging shooter, with excellent online multiplayer modes.
  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    Online play over a headset can yield very colorful conversations.
  • Messages:

    Themes of camaraderie, duty, and loyalty permeate most missions, with the game's heroes aspiring to these noble traits. However, there are sequences in which the game treats the killing of enemy soldiers with alarming indifference.
  • Violence:

    Harsh, frontline military violence, including realistic gun battles and close quarters bladed combat (both of which result in graphic bloodshed), is omnipresent. There are also disturbing sequences in which the player takes a first-person perspective of a helpless execution victim and a soldier slowly dying from a nuclear blast.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    While not excessive, profanity of the kind typically uttered by real-world soldiers is present through much of the game.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One of the soldiers is partial to cigars.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was written by Chad Sapieha

Parents need to know that although earlier games in the Call of Duty series had "Teen" ratings, this game is rated "Mature" for portraying highly authentic modern military combat with realistic gore. There are distressing situations involving torture, execution, and the gruesome deaths of primary protagonists to whom the player will likely have grown attached. This material is more intense and disturbing than in earlier games of this series, and a diverse selection of cuss words is clearly audible. This game can be played with others online, which Common Sense Media doesn't recommend for anyone under the age of 12.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about war. What leads to war? Is war ever justified? Why or why not? How does the media typically portray war? How realistic is this game's presentation of war? Is the nuclear threat imagined by the game's designers something you think could happen in the real world?
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More on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

What’s the Story?

The bulk of the action in CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE takes place in the Middle East. However, developer Infinity Ward has cleverly managed to avoid stirring the political pot by never naming the countries in which the action takes place and delivering a fictional and unquestionably evil enemy in the form of radical terrorists set on global nuclear holocaust. Players step into the combat boots of two soldiers, a British S.A.S. operative and an American Marine, as they battle the terrorists. You always work with a squad of at least a few other soldiers, who, unlike artificially intelligent companions in most games, are essential allies that can be counted on when things get rough, which is most of the time. Close

Is It Any Good?

This highly polished and intelligently designed interactive entertainment is dramatic and thrilling stuff. The only downside is the campaign's brevity; at just seven hours on medium difficulty, you'll likely find yourself wanting more when the credits start to roll.

But that's why multiplayer exists. With hundreds of items, game types, ranks, and customization options slyly designed to unlock one by one the more you play, the online component has a decidedly addictive, just-need-a-few-more-points-to-level-up quality to it. Expect your sessions to be frequent and long.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 11/7/2007, price $49.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language)

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Our Members Say

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  • What did you think about Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare?
  •  I think this game is

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See all 188 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Easy to play

    ON for MATURE 12yr olds easy

    Really not that bad. great game if you no your kid is mature. Im 12 and since my parents know im mature they had no problem with it. Also goose1441 has a point the language is nothing i don't hear in school. All in all a great game with minimal cursing

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    i LOVED this game it is very great some sequences can be bad for kids younger than 11 some of the things in the game reenact real war scences so watch out in the end might be bad for some people because it shows the russian general slaugthers your other soilders but over all = GREAT GAME!

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    I am 13 almost 14 and my parents wouldnt let me get the game for a long time. after watching me play and playing some, my dad said that it was not that bad and is letting me get it. the violence and language are harmless. the violence is not at all that bad, anyone can handle a blood splatter here and there. the language is only in the campaign mode, and it is not half as bad as what any middle schooler hears at school (dont deny it moms). all in all not half as bad as all the over-protective parents say

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Safety is an issue

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Easy to play

    a good mdoern warfare shooter with very bad language and some gory battle scenes

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