Nostalgia probably helps round the rough edges a bit, but I seriously think this is the best the series has offered at this point.

One of the most engaging and interesting campaigns while at the same time not going full blown action movie like MW2 (which is great as well but just a different style). Not to mention this game has some of the most fun missions to come from the series that future games have tried and failed to replicate.

All Ghillied Up is my personal favorite and I'm for sure not alone in that. A long and well-paced stealth mission that all culminates in you and MacMillan working together to try to take out Zakhaev.

Another obvious highlight is Mile High Club which helped spawn the Spec-Ops mode for future Infinity Ward titles. A great epilogue for the campaign that will give even an experienced player some difficulty when on veteran.

Multiplayer was and honestly still is insanely good.

So many things were introduced here that still make up the DNA of CoD. Create-a-class, the perk system, prestiging, camo unlocks, etc. all debuted with CoD4 which made the multiplayer fun and gave reasons for players to come back every day.

Maps were diverse and developed with specific game modes in mind. Vacant had insane domination and capture the flag matches, Backlot was great for modes like team deathmatch, and Strike had some of the best SnD the series has ever seen. Admittedly, there were some bad ones like Downpour, where you just flat out couldn't see other players half the time and dear Lord...Wetwork. Did you ever play a team of six people using 3xfrag on Wetwork? Makes you see people differently.

Guns, excluding the M16 which was a legit death laser (especially on good connection), had passable balance and most players could make anything work in public games. Some even had weird quirks like how the AK47 had a damage nerf when you put a red dot on it or how the M40 was always a one shot with the acog attached.

On the topic of the M40 and sniping in general, this might be the most balanced it has ever been in a CoD. It feels like in later titles sniping was either way too easy like in the case of MW2 where my grandma could put on Sleight of Hand Pro and hit a quad feed, or are outclassed by regular weapons like in the new MW reboots. In CoD4 a good sniper could take over a lobby for sure but the scope in speed and bolt animations were just slow enough that the enemy stood a reasonable chance. Not only that but there was a specific perk that you could you to counter them. Juggernaut was a perk that gave the player extra health and would make you always survive a body shot. You were lowkey wack if you used it but hey, it was an option.

All in all, such a special game

Genuinely disappointing.

Bethesda essentially had a blank check and close to a decade to create a brand new Sci-Fi IP to regain their spot as one of gaming's golden developers and this is what came from it. One-dimensional factions, boring questlines, unlikable companions, passable combat, and half-baked mechanics like their outpost system. Not to mention a quarter of the time spent "playing" the game is just jumping star systems and watching unskippable animations and loading screens. But hey, at least there's new game plus now, right?! :D

My Elder Scrolls VI hope is still there, but it's hanging by a thread