There are plenty of strong team-based games out there but they’re not as good in Free For All game modes which is what he probably wants. A game that supports a FFA mode whereby a player can gain a significant advantage, be it a power weapon or a buff, and then work to keep that momentum going whilst their opponent tries to take that away from them and exploit it themselves.

The Battlefield series and more recently Xbox Live have shifted the focus in MP games from FFA to games that demand teamwork. Power weapons are muted as they unbalance a conflict too greatly. Lone wolves in a team have been rendered impotent in certain situations by forcing players to have a focused weapon set or class. These design decisions are transported to the FFA mode in the same game to maintain consistency.

Let’s not forget that we are seeing a shift in the market from the PC to the consoles where hand-to-eye coordination is less rewarded due to the control device. Further pushing the drive towards games that reward decision making and tactics, perfect for team based activities.

COD4 is fun, but not a good competition game.

COD4 and MOH: Airborne.