Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Walkthrough, Mission by Mission
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's single-player campaign has 18 missions, and a walkthrough is the fastest way through them. This guide explains what to expect and how to pick a walkthrough that fits you.
In this article
You can use a Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare walkthrough to get through the campaign one mission at a time, without reading the whole game first. A walkthrough follows the campaign mission by mission, so you always know which step applies to where you are.
The single-player campaign has 18 missions [1]. That count shows how the game is built, and a mission-based guide lets you jump straight to the stage that's giving you trouble instead of scrolling through everything. For the next step, see Far Cry Instincts Evolution Walkthrough.
This guide explains how the campaign is structured and how to pick a walkthrough that matches the amount of detail you want. Read on for the mission layout, how long a full run takes, and which walkthrough sources are worth comparing.
How long does the campaign take to finish?
Plan on roughly 10 to 25 hours to finish Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare with every achievement. [2] That range is the most useful number to plan around, because it describes a complete run rather than a quick pass through the story.
What the estimate includes
The figure comes from a full game walkthrough built around all 37 achievements, so it assumes you work through the whole game. [2] That means you will spend time on the extra objectives that achievements require, not only the main story beats. Those extra tasks are a big reason a full run can land near the top of the range.
The same estimate covers the full walkthrough, so a campaign-only run may be shorter. If you only want the story, you can skip achievement-specific sections and still finish the missions. You won't be repeating sections to hit specific targets, which keeps the total down.
Using the mission count to plan sessions
Stop at the end of a mission, not in the middle of a firefight or a tricky objective. That way you can start the next session cleanly, without rereading half a section to find your place. For the next step, see You Are Empty Walkthrough.
Your session length decides how many nights the game takes. If you play for an hour at a time, a 10-hour run stretches across many evenings, and a 25-hour run stretches across even more. If you play for two or three hours at a time, the same total fits into far fewer sittings.
A practical rule is two or three missions per session. Note the mission name when you stop, and you can pick up the next one in seconds. Short sessions keep the game easy to return to after a busy week.
Where the extra time goes
Most of the extra hours come from replaying tough sections and going back for objectives you missed. Players who explore each area thoroughly will spend more time than players who move straight through. Your pace, more than the game's length alone, decides whether you land near the low or high end of the range.
How is the campaign laid out, mission by mission?
The campaign has 18 missions, and the walkthrough gives each one its own page. You don't need to read the whole game to find your place, just the page for the mission you're on. [1]
The mission list
The walkthrough opens with a list of mission names, and each name links to its own page. The early entries are FNG and Crew Expendable, so the start of the game is easy to find at the top. [1] The list then continues with missions such as Black Out, Charlie Don't Surf, The Bog, The Hunted and Death From Above.
The list runs through to Ultimatum, which is the last name on the list shown in the walkthrough. Other names in between include War Pig, Shock and Awe, Safehouse, All Ghillied Up, One Shot One Kill, Weathering the Storm and Sins of the Father. Because the names follow the order you play them, the list works as a rough map of how far you've come.
Finding your current mission
Start by noting the name of the mission you're in. Then search the walkthrough's list for that exact name, and open its page.
For example, if you have just reached The Bog, find The Bog in the list and open that page. You don't need to open the pages that come before it.
Reading only your section
Each page covers one mission, so read only the part you're stuck on. If you hit a tough firefight, skip to the section for that battle and leave the rest of the page alone until you need it.
Reading one mission at a time also keeps you from seeing the next mission before you get there.
Which walkthrough source should you use?
For a mission-by-mission walkthrough, three sources stand out, and each suits a different kind of reader. Pick the one that matches how much detail you want and how many options you want to compare.
IGN's walkthrough
IGN's walkthrough lists the campaign missions, so it works well when you only need the order of the levels and a page for each one. Its last update is dated July 6, 2017 [1]. That is a while back, so if a step seems out of date, compare it with another source before you rely on it.
If you are on a break and just want to know which mission comes next, this list gets you there quickly.
StrategyWiki
StrategyWiki offers a Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare walkthrough from a wiki-based guide site [3]. Its page sits alongside related pages on controls, the HUD and achievements [3], so you can look up a setting or a goal without leaving the guide.
If you like having reference pages next to the walkthrough, this setup keeps everything in one place. Open the walkthrough, then jump to the achievements page when you want a specific goal.
GameFAQs
GameFAQs lists 15 guides and walkthroughs for the PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare [4]. That number lets you compare several writers before you commit to one.
For example, if one entry skips a tricky battle, another may explain it. Read the opening of two or three entries and choose the one whose layout you find easiest to follow.
How to choose
For a quick list of missions, start with IGN. If you want a walkthrough with reference pages attached, use StrategyWiki. If neither fits, GameFAQs gives you the most options to try.
Should you follow a walkthrough for achievements too?
The game has 37 achievements [2], and a full walkthrough covers all of them, so you can follow one path from start to finish.
Why a full walkthrough works
A full walkthrough covers every achievement, not just the story missions [2]. That means you don't have to stop at each mission and decide whether it is worth the extra effort. You follow the steps in order and pick up each unlock as it comes.
Say you finish the campaign and a few achievements are still locked. Without a guide, you may have to remember where each one came up, which can mean replaying missions you already cleared. A full walkthrough keeps the achievement steps in the same order as the story, so you can handle them while you play.
If you only want the campaign
You can skip the achievement-specific sections and still finish the missions. This suits players who care more about the story and gameplay than the trophy count. Start at the first mission and follow each section in order, ignoring the achievement notes.
This route is also easier to pace. You don't have to stop at each achievement to see whether you've earned it, so the campaign runs more smoothly from one mission to the next.
Choosing between the two
Pick the full walkthrough if you want every achievement and don't mind extra steps along the way. Pick the campaign-only approach if you want a relaxed run through the story and can come back for the rest later.
If you switch midway, you can still use the full walkthrough. Find your current mission in the list and read only that section from then on. That way you keep your progress and add the achievement steps as you go.
Where to start your walkthrough
The one thing to remember is that a walkthrough works best when you read only the part you need. Choose a source whose level of detail suits you: short objectives if you like to explore on your own, or step-by-step notes if you get stuck often.
Your next step is simple. Open the mission you are on and follow only that section, so you don't spoil the rest of the level. Then save the full list of missions for your next session, so you can pick up exactly where you left off.