Launch time for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

A civil war rages on in Urzikstan. Terrorists have armed themselves with a stolen load of nerve gas and are threatening to use it on innocent civilians. It is up to you — the player — to zero in on those responsible and prevent a tragedy from gripping the fictitious Middle East country.

Though the plot may allude to certain events that have happened in the region over the past few years, the tale is part of the story mode of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The game had its official launch in Dubai on October 24 at Skydive Dubai's Desert Campus.

Skydivers flew Modern Warfare flags and drew smoke trails in the sky as they plummeted into the venue to greet seasoned gamers and bloggers from around the region. Many of those had flown into the country specifically to try the game before it hits the market on general release today, Friday, October 25.

Last year, much to the dismay of fans, story mode was absent from the game's iteration of Call of Duty (Black Ops 4). The new instalment has addressed this issue, giving players the chance to embark on a campaign that is spread across cities in Europe and the Middle East. Players are free to tackle objectives however they see fit and have to make certain decisions to guide the story's plot.

Decision-making dilemmas 

A civilian reaches into a pram, acting against direct orders to stay still. Is she reaching for a weapon or is she trying to console her child? It is up to the player to decide. You may shoot first and ask questions later, but the game will grade you based on your decisions. The story mode is available to play as a single player campaign or in co-op mode.

“This is the most expansive and cinematic iteration of Call of Duty yet,” Marc Yammine, senior brand manager for Activison MEA, said at the launch.

“The last Modern Warfare game was released seven years ago. We believe this reboot will be an era-defining game. It took a team of over a thousand people and more than three years to develop.”

Playable characters

Yammine said that this latest instalment sees the return of playable characters, such as Capt John Price, but also features some new ones, including an Arab freedom fighter by the name of Farah Karim.

According to information provided by Activision, Farah Karim is a founding member and commander of the Urzikstan Liberation Force. As a child, she watched her mother get crushed in the rubble during a Russian airstrike. Her father, on the other hand, was murdered by a Russian soldier. She now leads the resistance against the foreign occupation and establishes protective units to combat terrorist groups.

"It's evident that a lot of work was put into the game," Ahmad Khaled, 25, an Egyptian game reviewer for Arab Hardware, said.

“I first got the chance to play it in Los Angeles last week. I played it for a straight 12 hours. There’s a lot of new content in the game. The graphics runs on a new engine and it really gives a very realistic feel to the game.”

The decisions a player has to make throughout the campaign can put the main characters in morally grey areas. “The game doesn’t flinch from showing the dangerous and traumatising aspect of war. There are even scenes where children die," said Khaled.

Saleh Al Zahrani, who reviews games on his YouTube channel Opiilz, said he was glad that the game returned to its classic form.

“They’ve added some cool new modes, like a two versus two scenario that take place in small settings. There is also a new Dark Mode, where you have to use night vision goggles.”

Al Zahrani, who is primarily a PC gamer, said he was excited to see that cross-platform playability was made available in the multiplayer setting.

“I like playing on PC. I can max out the graphics. We definitely have an advantage over those who play on consoles like the PS4 and Xbox. It’s easier to use a mouse than a joystick, in my opinion. I’m looking forward to playing it at home. This is the first game that I’ve ever pre-ordered.”

Having flown in from Saudi Arabia for the launch, Al Zahrani was glad to see the new launch did not follow the last few iterations of the game.

"I'm happy that they didn't repeat the mistakes they did with previous editions. There are no futuristic weapons or superhuman capabilities. The game returns to what it does best. It's classic Call of Duty. I haven't enjoyed it so much since the second Black Ops," said the gamer.

Bashar Kagal, 22, who exclusively reviews Call of Duty games on his YouTube channel, BasharKK, said that this was the biggest iteration of the game yet.

"I've been reviewing Call of Duty games since Modern Warfare 3, which came out in 2011. I first played the beta a few weeks ago and am excited to play the full version. This is, by far, the biggest the game has ever been. There are some huge maps and a range of new modes. I'm also glad to see that story mode is back."

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