Every few years the Call of Duty series hits a new technical milestone - a definable moment where developers like Infinity Ward make a clear break from what came before. The 2019 Modern Warfare reboot was exactly that, its IW8 engine delivering an enormous boost in geometry, a new lighting model, updated physics, materials and a streaming system for large-scale maps.
The most memorable mission - visually speaking - is the now iconic Amsterdam level. It's a quiet story beat, a moment of calm in-between the game's more bombastic action. Strolling down the red-light district, every small detail here is almost directly lifted from the real world: the stylings of the cafe signs, the bikes flanking the canal, the road markings - even the proportions of its brick roads, the arcing bridge, and the spire of the Old Church are precisely measured.
Beyond Amsterdam, the early Wetwork mission showcases the new water tech of IW9, letting you dive into a simulated water body, using it as a form of stealth as you take down guards. The ripples and caustics as the water hits the bay are well realised - and later missions even have you shooting at guards while floating downstream in a wild set-piece. But again, SSR is very much in place on console, with all the expected break-up on the reflections over the top.
The campaign's 120fps mode is hardly a lock on any of the consoles. However, PS5 and Series X deliver a good experience on a VRR screen - though gains on Series S over the 60Hz offering are marginal.