MW4: What the Campaign Playthrough Reveals About Modern Warfare 4
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Key takeaways
- MW4 is Infinity Ward's first Call of Duty since Modern Warfare 2, ending a gap of roughly six to eight years without a release from the studio.
- Dunn is a returning character from the Modern Warfare 2 campaign, and the campaign also includes a knife-based boss fight against Ghost.
- One mission is set in North Korea and uses a more open structure than the rest of the campaign.
- TimTheTatman's full MW4 campaign playthrough stream included roughly half an hour of talking before gameplay and repeated deaths on obvious encounters.
- The campaign was criticized by some viewers for heavy tutorials and glowing objective markers, and praised by others for its story and ending.
MW4 is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the Infinity Ward-developed entry in the rebooted Modern Warfare line, and its campaign is a short, cinematic story campaign that TimTheTatman played from start to finish on stream. The playthrough covers the full mission set, including a knife fight against Ghost, an open-ended North Korea mission, and an ending that several viewers described as emotional. You can grab the game for less through Loaded's Call of Duty page, which is where the stream's discount link points.
What MW4 is and who made it
MW4 is the fourth mainline entry in the Modern Warfare sub-series and the first one developed by Infinity Ward since Modern Warfare 2, a gap of roughly six to eight years. That long production window is the single most cited reason viewers give for the campaign's polish: the studio skipped Modern Warfare 3, which was handled elsewhere, and came back with a title that fans in the stream chat called "absolute cinema." The campaign is a linear, scripted experience with a small number of wider sandbox-style missions, built around a task force storyline rather than a single protagonist. Characters from earlier Modern Warfare titles return, including Dunn, whose appearance is a direct callback to the Modern Warfare 2 campaign.
The Ghost fight and other campaign set pieces
The most discussed mission in the playthrough is a boss-style confrontation with Ghost that forces players into close-quarters knife combat. Players report that on Veteran difficulty this fight is punishing: one viewer counted roughly 50 deaths, and another described losing 10 attempts in a row. The difficulty spike is deliberate — the game strips away your gun and makes you use a knife, which is why so many people who are comfortable with firearms struggle here. The campaign also includes a sequence in which a character wipes profiles from a computer, and the shutdown animation is lifted directly from Call of Duty: Ghosts, a detail most viewers missed.
The North Korea mission and why it divided viewers
One campaign mission takes place in North Korea and abandons the corridor structure for a wider, more open area with multiple approaches. This is the section that split the audience most sharply: some players found it a welcome change of pace, while others felt the game never explained the intended route clearly. The criticism aimed at the streamer during this mission — that he simply was not playing it the way it was designed — is really a criticism of the mission's readability. If you get stuck there, slow down and use the elevated positions to scout enemy patrols before pushing objectives, rather than sprinting between markers.
How the campaign actually plays on stream
TimTheTatman's approach is casual and loud, and that shapes what the playthrough shows about MW4. He opened the stream by promising not to talk much, then spent around half an hour talking before the campaign started, which became a running joke. Once in the game, his situational awareness is famously loose: he walks past enemies, triggers obvious ambushes, and racks up friendly-fire incidents at a rate that had chat comparing him to a first-time player. That is not a knock on the campaign's design — it is a demonstration that MW4's scripted encounters punish players who ignore the glowing objective markers and tutorial prompts the game hands out generously.
Common viewer questions about MW4
The most frequent doubts from the audience cluster around difficulty, story continuity and length. On difficulty: Veteran is genuinely hard in the Ghost knife fight, but the rest of the campaign is manageable because checkpoints are generous. On continuity: Dunn and other returning faces mean the story rewards players who remember the earlier Modern Warfare campaigns, though newcomers can follow the plot without homework. On length: expect a single-digit hour count for a first run, longer if you hunt collectibles or replay missions on higher difficulty. On value: many viewers said the campaign alone convinced them to buy, and discounted keys are the usual route.
Where to buy MW4 and follow the streamer
All the official links from the broadcast are collected here:
- Discounted Call of Duty titles: https://www.loaded.com/franchise/call-of-duty?utm_source=influencers&utm_medium=Talent+8&utm_campaign=Influencers_Elite_Talent_COD
- Stream donations: https://streamelements.com/timthetatman/tip
- Community Discord: https://discord.gg/timthetatman
- Official website: https://timthetatman.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/timthetatman
Conclusion
MW4's campaign is the strongest argument the game has: a tightly scripted, well-acted story with a standout Ghost knife fight and a North Korea mission that rewards patience over speed. The full playthrough from TimTheTatman shows both the highs — cinematic set pieces and an ending that landed emotionally — and the lows, namely a player barreling through markers and dying to the most obvious traps. If the stream sold you on the game, check the Loaded Call of Duty store page for a cheaper copy before you start your own run on Veteran.
Source: TIMTHETATMAN MW4 CAMPAIGN PLAYTHROUGH · Markdown version
Questions & answers
Is MW4 developed by Infinity Ward?
Yes. MW4 is Infinity Ward's first Call of Duty release since Modern Warfare 2, a gap of roughly six to eight years during which the studio did not ship a mainline entry. Viewers repeatedly point to that long production window as the reason the campaign feels more polished than the recent annual releases.
How hard is the Ghost knife fight on Veteran?
It is the hardest single encounter many players mention. Because the game takes away your firearm and forces knife combat, players who rely on shooting struggle badly — reported death counts range from about 10 attempts to roughly 50. Learning the attack timing and dodging rather than trading hits is the reliable way through.
Do I need to play earlier Modern Warfare games to follow the story?
Not strictly, but you will get more out of it. Dunn is a callback to the Modern Warfare 2 campaign, and several other characters carry history from earlier entries. Newcomers can follow the plot, but returning players catch the references and emotional beats that others miss.
How long is the MW4 campaign?
A first playthrough lands in the single-digit hours, which is typical for a Call of Duty story campaign. Replaying missions on higher difficulty, hunting collectibles and exploring the more open North Korea section will push your total time up considerably.