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CNET’s review says Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a step forward for the series, with cinematic campaign missions, slightly slower multiplayer and a returning DMZ mode that stands out. The review also criticizes the campaign’s political framing, a graphic interrogation sequence and an open-world mission built around optional activities.

CNET’s review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 describes the game as a step in the right direction for the series, with cinematic campaign set pieces and a slower multiplayer pace. Reviewer Jordan minor? No reviewer attribution is provided in the supplied source. The review identifies DMZ, an extraction-shooter mode, as the game’s standout feature after the series dropped Modern Warfare Zombies.

The campaign alternates between Captain John Price and newcomer Park Hyun-Jun, a South Korean soldier whose squad is fighting a coalition of Russian and North Korean ultranationalists. The reviewer praises the South Korean representation and several action sequences, including a nightclub infiltration, a train-yard fight and a rooftop chase in Mumbai. The review says enemy encounters are more difficult than in some recent entries.

The campaign’s story is a substantial reservation. CNET argues that its portrayal of Russia and North Korea as unambiguously imperialist, with Western forces positioned as defenders, makes the plot feel like heavy-handed propaganda. It also criticizes a graphic mission in which players control a North Korean soldier interrogating villagers, saying the sequence is gratuitous and gamifies abuse. An open-world mission with more than 50 optional collectibles is another point of criticism; the reviewer says its checklist structure distracts from the main objective.

In multiplayer, the review says combat has slowed down slightly, a change it views as beneficial. The biggest mode change is the removal of Modern Warfare Zombies in favor of DMZ, an extraction shooter in which players face both other players and AI-controlled enemies. The source describes DMZ as accessible and says it returns with new content after its beta ended in 2023. It does not provide technical performance findings, sales data or a full breakdown of maps and features.

DMZ Takes the Lead

The review’s clearest positive finding is that DMZ is the game’s standout mode, giving the latest entry a distinct alternative to the series’ familiar campaign and competitive multiplayer. Its return also matters to players who have been asking for the extraction mode to receive further development since its beta concluded in 2023. The reviewer calls it easier to enter than other extraction shooters, though the supplied material does not include specific mechanics or onboarding details to independently assess that comparison.

The shift away from Zombies signals a change in the game’s mode lineup, but the review alone cannot establish how players will respond or whether DMZ will receive long-term support. For campaign-focused players, the assessment is mixed: strong action and locations sit alongside objections to the story’s politics and the treatment of violence. The review presents Modern Warfare 4 as an improvement, not a return to the series’ earlier peak.

A Different Direction for Modern Warfare

The review compares Modern Warfare 4 with the previous year’s Black Ops 7, which it describes as a poor entry, and says Infinity Ward had more development time to work on this installment. That assessment is the reviewer’s judgment, not independently verified information about the production schedule. The source says Treyarch released Call of Duty games in consecutive years before Infinity Ward made this entry.

Modern Warfare 4 is described as the fourth and final entry in Infinity Ward’s current Modern Warfare series. The review places it against the backdrop of the franchise’s rebooted Modern Warfare titles and argues that the new game is tighter than Infinity Ward’s previous project. It also notes that DMZ had remained in beta until 2023 and had not received new content since then, according to the review.

“DMZ is the standout mode for the game.”

— CNET review

Details Beyond the Review

The supplied source is a review, not a publisher announcement or independent technical report. It does not establish the game’s release date, price, platforms, sales or player reception. It also gives no full account of DMZ’s maps, progression, player capacity or post-launch plans, so the review’s positive assessment should not be taken as evidence of long-term support.

The campaign and multiplayer judgments reflect the reviewer’s experience and preferences. The source does not report whether the criticized narrative choices or open-world mission design will change, nor does it include responses from Infinity Ward or Activision. No separate review-score details are provided in the material.

Player Response and Support Plans

The next evidence of how the game’s direction is received will come from players’ responses to DMZ and the revised multiplayer pace, as well as further reporting on the game’s content and availability. The source does not identify a specific upcoming update, developer briefing or release milestone.

Players considering the game can use CNET’s assessment as one reviewer’s account: its strongest recommendation is for DMZ and its set-piece action, while its main cautions concern the campaign’s political treatment and open-world checklist mission. Future support for DMZ remains unconfirmed in the supplied material.

Key Questions

What is the main finding of CNET’s Modern Warfare 4 review?

CNET describes Modern Warfare 4 as a step forward for the series, especially because of its action sequences and returning DMZ mode. The review does not call it a return to the original trilogy’s high point.

What is DMZ in Modern Warfare 4?

The source describes DMZ as an extraction-shooter mode where players encounter both other players and AI-controlled enemies. CNET calls it accessible and the game’s standout mode.

Does Modern Warfare 4 include Zombies?

According to the review, Modern Warfare Zombies has been dropped from this entry in favor of DMZ. The supplied material does not detail whether Zombies will return in a future Call of Duty game.

What does the review criticize about the campaign?

The reviewer criticizes the campaign’s political framing, a graphic interrogation mission and an open-world section centered on optional activities and collectibles. The review also praises several action set pieces and locations.

Is DMZ confirmed to receive future updates?

No future update schedule is provided in the source. CNET says DMZ returns with new content after its beta ended in 2023, but ongoing support is not confirmed by the supplied material.

Source: CNET