Developed by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 4 launched its Early Access Beta on August 22. For the first time in Call of Duty history, this beta also offers a campaign mission, allowing players to preview the 'Entrenched' mission focused on close-quarters combat and all-out warfare.

Since the Modern Warfare series was rebooted, as the numbered sequels progressed, the protagonist increasingly took on a 'one-man army' role handling everything alone. This left players who wanted to see team-focused ops, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder and communicating with squadmates, somewhat disappointed. I jumped into the 'Entrenched' mission to see if it could address these concerns and live up to expectations.

The Good - The Return of Close-Quarters and All-Out Warfare, Plus Immersive Performance

If asked whether the scale of the 'Entrenched' mission rivals that of classic Call of Duty titles, the answer is "Yes." Watching the artillery barrage hit the North Korean trench on Corporal Dunn's callout right as the mission begins, followed by USFK troops and ROK Marines charging toward the trench, delivers enough combatants and spectacle to naturally make you say, "Yes, this is what Call of Duty was all about!"

Friendly and enemy forces tangling frantically inside the trench while allied and enemy tanks clash relentlessly outside presents a desperate, gritty scene that has certainly been missing from recent Call of Duty titles. It effectively captures the fierce struggles of ordinary soldiers rather than just named characters.

While it is slightly disappointing that the camera angle wasn't first-person here, the sequence approaching the nuclear reactor in the mid-to-late part of the mission still delivers the firepower and explosions that Call of Duty fans will appreciate.

The immersive performance, judging by the English voice track, is also worthy of praise. The ROK Marines occasionally speak in Korean or express emotions using profanity, blending English and Korean together. It feels authentic to real-world communication between USFK and ROK forces, showing that the developers put significant effort into capturing the joint operation of both militaries.

The Bad - It Didn't Feel Entirely Like Classic Call of Duty: Issues with Armor Plates and Interactions

What Call of Duty players wanted from this Modern Warfare 4 campaign was a pure rail shooter feel reminiscent of the classic titles—an experience fully focused on combat. While all-out warfare and close-quarters combat have indeed returned, certain elements hinder that classic feel and end up disappointing.

A prime example is the armor plate system. First applied to enemies in Modern Warfare II (2022) and extended to players in Modern Warfare III (2023), the armor plate system has been confirmed to remain in Modern Warfare 4. When armor plates become mandatory rather than situational, they turn enemies into bullet sponges that take too long to kill, while players must constantly swap out plates to survive, breaking focus during combat. Due to these drawbacks, many players hoped the armor plate system would be excluded from campaign missions, but its inclusion has been confirmed.

Additionally, emphasizing mechanics like swimming to turn off valves or heavily featuring parkour elements in the latter half of the mission felt like a letdown. Players who pick up Call of Duty or any shooter game want shooting, not chores. Considering why the 'Crew Expendable' mission in the original Modern Warfare (2007)—which shares a similar escape plot—felt so much more tense, it's because it conveyed the urgent threat of needing to get out quickly and cleanly without cluttering the gameplay with unnecessary interactions.

The final part of the 'Entrenched' mission felt less like a tense, immersive sequence and more like a showcase for game mechanics. It gave the impression of showcasing the newly added parkour system simply because it was built for this entry. One is left wondering whether the escape scene really needed to be stretched out so long.

It's Only One Mission for Now—Don't Rush to Judgment

Since only one mission has been revealed so far, it is too early to judge the campaign as a whole. Other missions may focus primarily on combat, and the issues pointed out in the 'Entrenched' mission might not appear in other missions. Furthermore, 'Entrenched' itself could undergo changes before official launch based on feedback.

However, one thing is certain: if the flaws noted in the 'Entrenched' mission are scattered throughout the campaign, Modern Warfare 4's campaign may struggle to earn positive reviews. What Call of Duty players want is satisfying shooting, explosive scale and direction, and the removal of unnecessary interactions, so the developers need to pay close attention to these aspects when delivering campaign missions.