I posted a campaign-only roundup last week while most of the bigger outlets were still waiting on multiplayer and DMZ before scoring the whole thing.
Those scores are in now, and MW4 has ended up doing... really well.
The PC version is currently sitting at 86 on Metacritic, making it the highest-rated Call of Duty in 15 years.
No campaign spoilers below. Please keep the replies spoiler-free too.
Reviews so far
Game Rant — 10/10
Windows Central — 5/5
TechRadar — 5/5
Digital Chumps — 9.5/10
GamesRadar+ — 4.5/5
Destructoid — 9/10
Nintendo Life — 9/10
Game Informer — 8.5/10
GameSpot — 8/10
The Guardian — 4/5
IGN — Review in progress
PC Gamer — Review in progress
Metacritic: 86 on PC, 89 on PS5
OpenCritic: 85 (34 critics, 97% recommend)
What critics are saying
👍 Most praised
Destructoid probably sums it up best: MW4 has “three distinct modes of play that are all deep and well-made.” The campaign is still getting some of the biggest praise, DMZ is being treated like a legit part of the game rather than just a bonus mode, and even reviewers with multiplayer complaints tend to like the actual gunplay and more grounded movement.
🤔 Mixed
Multiplayer, as usual. GamesRadar+ says it’s “better than ever”, while Radio Times calls it “the weak spot this year”. That’s pretty much how it goes across reviews. Some critics love the back-to-basics, boots-on-the-ground feel, while others are getting hung up on the maps, spawn stuff, SBMM and TTK feeling weird.
👎 Most criticised
There isn’t really one huge problem dragging the whole thing down. Most of the recurring complaints are pretty familiar COD stuff: launch maps, spawns, matchmaking and whether the TTK actually feels consistent. The campaign still gets some knocks for being short or rushing parts of the story too.
What’s behind the scores
IGN — Review in progress
They’re very positive on the campaign, calling it the best Modern Warfare has been since 2019. Their DMZ impressions are strong too, especially when it comes to how much more substantial the mode feels this time.
PC Gamer — Review in progress
They think the campaign is a major improvement over recent COD entries, and they’re into DMZ too. They especially like how approachable it feels compared to other extraction shooters.
Windows Central — 5/5
This is probably the biggest claim of the lot: Cole Martin says she thinks she may have just played the best Call of Duty ever, with the campaign, DMZ and multiplayer all being major successes in her book.
TechRadar — 5/5
Another one that’s basically all-in. They call MW4 “Call of Duty at its very best”, with huge praise for the campaign, multiplayer and DMZ.
GamesRadar+ — 4.5/5
They love the campaign and got really into DMZ, while the gunplay and movement get a lot of praise too. Their overall take is that MW4 actually gets the fundamentals of Call of Duty right again.