Call of Duty 4

So. Call of Duty 4. Why would I write a post about a game, when I'm usually reviewing them? For the first time in my history of playing video games, I love the online aspect of this game. There, I said it. For years and years I've been saying that online is usually just an added bonus for me and the main game is where it's at. There are some online features that I love, most notably online co-op (to go through the main game with someone else), but the pure online modes have never really been my thing. Sure, they are nice, but I still enjoyed the single player aspect more. To me, completing a game is more rewarding than winning a section of the game online (bc you're always just playing a section online). For the first time though...my theory has been disproven. Let's explore.

Call of Duty 4 had been hailed as an amazing game by reviewers, but after purchasing Halo 3 I felt that my FPS fix was fulfilled. It wasn't until after doing more reading and seeing friends pick it up that I became interested. I bought it (super deal btw) and started going through the campaign. It was solid, but after playing Bioshock, was nothing special. Then, I hopped online. My friend and I were soon in battles getting absolutely pwned (owned, aka, beaten badly) since we were new at the game. My pride wasn't shattered and I continued playing. The more I played, the better I got. My statistics not only displayed my improvement, but also made me realize how incredibly terrible I had once been. I began working on getting my k/d ratio up (number of times I died compared to people I killed) and eventually my numbers were positive. I never looked back.

At this point I had soon found myself always wanting to play online. After beating single player on the hardest difficulty, I had absolutely no desire to play it again, and found that my playtime with CoD4 became exclusively online. I was shocked. I still am really. I need to mention the real reason that I became so fond of the online aspect. The people. Still, I will insist that the single player aspect of games is my favorite...but playing online with people YOU KNOW is a super close 2nd. Now for the why.

It started out with myself and one friend. Soon the number of people with the game grew from 2...to 4...to 8. To play on one team we had to enter the biggest gameplay mode available. The chatter amongst us during, before, and after games was tremendous. We'd talk about everything from work, to movies, to news....whatever really, just like friends would I suppose. If I tried to play online and none of my real life friends were on, I found my play sessions would end quickly. Just wasn't as much fun. I also need to mention I'm located far from most of my friends. This game was a way for us to connect together even though we were hundreds of miles apart. Working together online was fun and rewarding. I've had a couple people mock the amount of time I spent playing Call of Duty 4 in the last few months. To those people I say this: What have you been doing with your free time? Although I'm playing a video game, the whole time I'm talking and laughing with my real life friends, which for right now is the best way I have of doing so. I still go out, I still enjoy summer, I still talk to people in real life, but before you point fingers and question my motives around the game, maybe think twice or ask me why. I can almost guarantee I have laughed harder while playing this game than most people have EVER laughed.

So in closing, if it's tough to hang out with your friends in person, online video games are a good way to connect. Call of Duty 4 is a great one. There's my review. Playing online honestly makes you feel as though you're just hanging out. If you live far away in reality...online you don't. You're right next to the person. Pretty convenient if you ask me. So if someone ever thinks you're crazy for playing games or talk down to you about it....screw 'em.

B Best

Top 10 Xbox Live Moments (if you can think of any others leave comments)
10. Watching Kummer be the only person left in S&D and making no attempt to leave his claymore protected room.
9. "We lost Paint My Boat AGAIN!! Back out!"
8. Hearing Trevor complain, think he's not doing that bad, then seeing he went 2-18.
7. "I'll rub my poo on you."
6. The day Fat Irish Man took a verbal beating. Bonus: The day NJ Prodigy accidentally landed on our team mid-match.
5. That one guy with a vocabulary that included the word "Motherf*cker." Oh wait, that was his whole vocabulary.
4. "Hey little kid, I can see the sticker on the back of your helmet! Do you have a shirt with your age on it?"
3. Mcdade's Misery Loves Company triple kill. Ouch.
2. The unveiling of the true meaning of IMLP.
1. Smashing a team of gold crosses, blasting "Never Gonna Give You Up" and changing our clan tags to "rick rolled".