Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Military Times

Game Review: ‘Call of Duty 4’ and ‘Ace Combat 6’

If you’re looking to blow off a little steam after a long day, two new and exceptionally good modern-day war games let you wield weapons of mass destruction.

‘Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’

For Xbox 360, PS 3, PC

$49.99 to $59.99

Rated M for ‘Mature’

http://www.callofduty.com

Fans of Activision’s “Call of Duty” games are used to fighting Nazis and other Axis threats throughout the 1940s, but this fourth game in the series is the first to trade a World War II backdrop for 21st-century conflicts.

After the mandatory training exercises, which familiarize you with weapons handling and character movement, you’ll find yourself and your squad mates in many hostile environments — from Middle Eastern towns to rural Russian areas to a sinking cargo ship containing nuclear secrets.

To confront and stop a fundamentalist faction threatening world stability, you can play as either a Marine or a British Special Air Service soldier, and you have access to more than 70 authentic weapons, as well as accessories such as night-vision goggles and other military gear.

Played from an immersive first-person perspective, the graphics and animation in “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” are some of the best we’ve seen, adding to the important suspension of disbelief. Most of the cinematic action takes place on foot, as you must use your surroundings for cover, but you can also ride in helicopters, tanks and other vehicles.

Along with the single-player campaign, multiple online modes keep the war alive in cyberspace.

‘Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation’

For Xbox 360

$59.99

Rated T for ‘Teen’

http://www.acecombatsix.com

What do you do for an encore after selling 10 million “Ace Combat” games?

If you’re Namco Bandai, you create another sequel, but make it bigger, better and even more photorealistic than its predecessors. Add a long-overdue multiplayer component, and you’ll end up with “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.”

In this Xbox 360 exclusive, you climb into the cockpit of authentically detailed modern aircraft, where you also give commands to allied fleets and ground combat units.

Whether you’re dogfighting against enemies over the ocean or taking out ground targets in a huge city, the action keeps you glued to the screen for “just one more” mission.

The single-player campaign is a meaty 20-hour adventure — and if you’re good enough, you can unlock an extra-hard mode by completing the game. Multiple Xbox Live modes let you play with others online, including a straightforward “kill or be killed” death-match and a cooperative option to work together when taking on computer-controlled adversaries.

You can use the Xbox 360 controller to play the game, but serious aerial combat fans might opt for the “Ace Combat 6” bundle ($149.99), which includes the game, a durable flight stick and throttle controller, and an Xbox 360 faceplate to decorate your console.