Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Military-themed first-person shooters set in World War II have been done to death at this point, and while the Call of Duty games set in that theater have rarely been disappointing, Modern Warfare was a much-needed breath of fresh air for the genre when it arrived in November. As its title suggests, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare eschews the battlefields of history in favor of a contemporary conflict that, although fictional, is every bit as believable. You play the story-driven single-player campaign from the perspectives of both a US marine and a British SAS operative. The campaign takes place in varied locations all over the world and is superb from start to finish. It's not a lengthy campaign by any means, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better solo experience this year, and it serves as an excellent primer for Modern Warfare's multiplayer content.

Playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare online isn't wholly unlike playing an online role-playing game, at least in so much as you have a persistent character who earns experience points and gains access to different weapons or abilities as you progress. The really impressive thing is that, even as a new player with access to a limited arsenal, you can play competitively with veterans who've unlocked every weapon and "perk" that the game has to offer. Perks are arguably Modern Warfare's most ingenious feature because they give you the freedom to customize your abilities to suit your play style without ever making anyone overpowered. The multiplayer maps are difficult to a fault, there are plenty of different modes to play in them, and an innovative challenge system encourages you to experiment with weapons that you might otherwise ignore by rewarding you with experience points for doing so. In conclusion, Modern Warfare is now the benchmark against which all console shooters will be judged, and we're not expecting it to be bettered anytime soon.