Although the series has become a bit of a bloated, meandering cash cow nowadays, Call of Duty 4 was a revolutionary title. To say that I’ve been playing it this week is stretching the truth a little; in all honesty I’ve been replaying one particular level of COD4 for about four years now and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Charlie Don’t Surf comes early on in the campaign and gives a glimpse into the workings of an American military operation. More that that though, the level displays the tight and elegant design that would soon become lost in all the tango talk and Generation Kill-esk whooping and yammering of subsequent releases.

Charlie Don’t Surf passes in a shock of muzzle flash and grenade burst but the imagery stays with me for at least a couple of months before I go through it again. It’s a strange way to play a game but I’m sure we all have similar tales to tell; I figure it to be the gaming equivalent to having a favourite guitar solo or picking out the marshmallows from a bowl of Lucky Charms – just with more splash damage.

This item was originally posted on the Thunderbolt Blog on Friday 18th February 2011