Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 "Best Campaign" Since OG Trilogy, Players Say

Against All Odds, Modern Warfare 4 Praised As The Best COD Campaign In 15 Years Source: Activision Published Oct 17, 2026, 10:56 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com The first reactions to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's campaign are in, and players are already calling it one of the best in the franchise's history. Admittedly, I wasn't excited for Infinity Ward's newest entry so much as I was staring down the barrel of Khaled Al-Asad's Deagle, desperately hoping to avoid the bullet. The last few Call of Duty games have been saturated with AI slop and hack job campaigns that make Fast and Furious look tame. Seriously, zombies shoved into original Black Ops missions and a giant red-eyed Michael Rooker teeing up a new extraction shooter mode hardly instill confidence. Thankfully, as reported by Polygon, Activision appears to have taken note, and the top posts on the game's subreddit all say the same thing: this is the "best campaign since the original trilogy." What Players Are Saying "What a fantastic surprise!" said u/Havkas. "So far, the campaign has exceeded all my expectations. It plays like a perfect blend of the modern entries and the original trilogy. The pacing is incredibly good. Varied, featuring great set pieces and sharp, concise dialogue. There are some well-executed surprises here and there, and everything feels carefully thought out." "I'm not gonna lie this might be the best campaign since the OG [Modern Warfare] series," u/Previous_Estimate_22 said. "I'd actually put this above Black Ops in terms of story." They blew it out of the water. I think its MW2 OG levels of storytelling - u/Resting-Tiger. Players praise the shocking deaths (which I obviously won't spoil), the poignant North Korean section, excellent music and graphics, and crucially, that it felt like a complete story. And not only are fans saying it's the best campaign in years, some go as far as to say it's the best in the franchise's history. Period. "Am I crazy or is this the best COD campaign ever made?" u/Stueww said. "I am playing the 5th mission and it's absolutely incredible. I'm genuinely starting to wonder if this is the best COD campaign I've ever played. It's been a long time since a COD story kept me this invested. The way the game is designed makes it feel like you're playing through a blockbuster movie. The storytelling is captivating, the pacing is excellent, and every mission leaves you wanting to see what happens next." The game already holds a 'Very Positive' review score on Steam, with players praising the "amazing" campaign as "the best in the series since Modern Warfare 2019." One review, written by Dzejkob, argues that it is "the best campaign in Modern Warfare history and the perfect conclusion to the series." What The Critics Are Saying It's not just players who are praising the game, either. IGN scored the campaign an 8 out of 10, ranking it above Black Ops and just behind Call of Duty 2 and World at War. "Modern Warfare 4 made me feel something for the series again. A consistently strong set of missions manages to juggle a bloated cast successfully, saying goodbye to familiar faces while building impressive bonds with new ones," reviewer Simon Cardy wrote. "Its expansive behind-enemy-lines mission that borrows most of its ideas from the DMZ mode is a real highlight, as is whenever its blockbuster ambitions are fulfilled and full-throttle battles break out. It may not have quite enough to be considered amongst the very best Call of Duty campaigns, but if it’s to be the end of this particular saga, then at least Modern Warfare is going out on a high note." CharlieIntel described it as "easily one of the best Call of Duty campaigns in a long time," while Windows Central praised it as "a cinematic masterpiece" and "BIG return to form." PC Gamer said in its review that Modern Warfare 4's campaign is one that "you shouldn't skip," and that "this is the first time in too long that Call of Duty's campaign does not feel like the afterthought." Modern Warfare 4 doesn't technically launch until October 23, but if you pre-order the game digitally, you can play through the campaign right now.