DUBAI: Call of Duty is a name all gamers are familiar with — a video game series that has traditionally told a story with over-the-top action and cinematics. The story behind 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, released on Oct. 25, does the exact opposite of that, instead choosing to put players in a difficult position of moving them from a movie to an imitation of real-world events, albeit fictionalized, but nonetheless intended to make them feel responsible for their actions. Gamers were invited to preview the game at Dubai’s Skydive Desert Dropzone to experience the ambience of Modern Warfare’s Middle Eastern setting on Thursday. After missing a campaign from the series in Black Ops 4, Modern Warfare’s storytelling explores what war really is and players will have to watch deeply unsettling and uncomfortable scenes with some shock and awe imagery. The message is clear — war is not a game. It is an excellent story that brings back some old favorite characters and brings women into the heart of conflict. There are several modes in Call of Duty: Modern Warefare’s multiplayer arsenal, the main reason why a lot of its massive fan base will buy the title. The publisher and developer have been praised for breaking away from the mold, amid a sea of battle-royale games such as Fortnite. For the first time, Call of Duty supports cross-platform multiplayers allowing players to join their friends across PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4. They have also promised that to some degree, traditional micro transaction mechanics such as loot boxes or season passes have been removed. Publisher Activision, however, has included a “Survival” mode that is exclusive to the Playstation 4 for a year. This is a move that some may find disingenuous, given how much emphasis has been made to deliver the complete experience to everyone, regardless of the platform. The multiplayer pushes you to be quick on your fingers and check your surroundings constantly — as I learnt the hard way. The mode I enjoyed the most is Gunfight, that’s a 2 vs 2 player mode; both teams start with the same level field and the matches are fast paced. I see this mode being the most popular among the traditional options it offers.