The first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 reviews are in, and critics broadly agree that Infinity Ward’s campaign is the series’ strongest in years. Coverage went live at 17:00 UTC on October 16, the same day Campaign Early Access opened, but every piece so far covers the story mode only. Most outlets are holding back scores until they have played multiplayer and DMZ on public servers after the October 23 launch.
That matters if you are deciding whether to pre-order now: the verdicts below describe the campaign you can play today, not the full $69.99 package. Here is what the major outlets said, and where they disagreed.
Reviewers singled out the South Korean squad's missions as the campaign's strongest half. Image: Activision
Table of Contents
Modern Warfare 4 reviews at a glance
| Outlet | Format | Campaign length noted | Headline verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGN (Simon Cardy) | Campaign review, unscored | About 7 hours | Best Modern Warfare since the 2019 reboot |
| GameSpot (S.E. Doster) | Campaign review | Not stated | Best campaign since Modern Warfare (2019) |
| PC Gamer (Morgan Park) | Review in progress, no score until after launch | About 6 hours | “A campaign you shouldn’t skip” |
| GamesRadar+ (Jake Tucker) | Early verdict | Not stated | Spectacular set pieces, rigid missions |
| Destructoid (Scott Duwe) | Impressions, scored review next week | 16 missions | CoD’s best campaign in recent years |
| COGconnected | Campaign impressions | 6 to 9 hours | A darker, more focused return to form |
| Press Start (Adam Mathew) | Review in progress | Not stated | “Solid tactical regroup so far” |
As of 22:40 UTC on October 16, Metacritic lists 10 critic pieces but shows no Metascore yet. It needs at least four scored reviews and marks every current entry “tbd”.
What critics liked
A real single-player campaign again. The most common theme is relief after 2023’s Modern Warfare III. IGN calls MW4 “the best Modern Warfare has been since its 2019 reboot by quite some distance,” and GameSpot reaches almost the same conclusion. PC Gamer says the campaign no longer feels like an afterthought now that it isn’t shaped by Warzone or Zombies.
The Korean story. Several reviewers found Private Park’s squad more engaging than Captain Price. PC Gamer says over half of the campaign follows the young South Korean marines and that Infinity Ward “could’ve crafted a whole campaign” around them.
“Stranded”. Nearly every outlet singles out this mission, a large snowy sandbox behind enemy lines with three objectives you can tackle in any order, plus side activities and a crafting hideout. IGN describes it as borrowing most of its ideas from the DMZ mode. PC Gamer calls it Infinity Ward’s best attempt at a sandbox level to date, and COGconnected says it alone can take around three hours if you explore.
The darker tone won praise, but Price's half of the story drew more mixed reactions than the Korean missions. Image: Activision
What critics didn’t like
- Melee fights: IGN calls the counter-based melee “imprecise”, and COGconnected says the block-and-counter quick-time events become repetitive.
- Rigid objectives: GamesRadar+ says the campaign is strict about mission boundaries and lists “Campaign doesn’t offer much freedom” among its negatives. IGN also flags some unforgiving stealth sections.
- Price’s half of the story: GamesRadar+ calls it “lacklustre”, and IGN, COGconnected and DayOne all say Mads Mikkelsen’s character gets too little screen time.
- The finale: GameSpot calls the final “boss fights” a major disappointment, though it says the ending itself satisfies.
- No co-op: COGconnected and Destructoid both note the campaign is solo only this year.
How long is the Modern Warfare 4 campaign?
Activision’s Campaign Early Access post confirms 16 missions across the Korean Peninsula, Paris, New York and Mumbai. Reviewers’ playtimes cluster around six to seven hours for a straight run, stretching toward nine if you explore Stranded fully. That is roughly double the three to four hours players reported for Modern Warfare III. Our Modern Warfare 4 campaign length and difficulty guide breaks this down further.
Finishing campaign missions unlocks operators for multiplayer and DMZ at launch. Image: Activision
Can you play it now?
Yes, if you buy digitally. Anyone who pre-orders the Standard Digital or Vault Edition on Xbox, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, Steam or Nintendo Switch 2 can play the whole campaign now, and finishing missions unlocks operators for multiplayer and DMZ. DMZ Early Access starts October 20, and the full game launches October 23. Activision says MW4 will not be on Game Pass at launch. Our MW4 early access and preload guide has the times and edition details, and MW4 heads our list of new games out the week of October 19.
What’s next
Expect the full, scored reviews after launch. PC Gamer plans DMZ impressions early next week, and Destructoid says its scored review lands next week. Until then, early opinion favors the campaign. The bigger question for many buyers is whether multiplayer and DMZ hold up on day one, at a time when Activision’s QA testers have voted to authorize a strike ahead of launch.
Sources: IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer, GamesRadar+, Destructoid, COGconnected, Press Start, DayOne, Metacritic, Call of Duty blog (campaign), Call of Duty blog (Game Pass).
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Featured image: Activision
