Gamer’s Guide To Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare On Veteran

We all tried it. Some of us even did it. But the general consensus is that it’s controller-throwing, keyboard-shatteringly difficult. From the infamous Prypyat mission to the insanely difficult timed tunnel mission, it is truly a mountainous task to finish the entire game on Veteran difficulty. Don’t even get me started on the Mile High Club *shudder*.

When Call of Duty 4 was released back in 2007 I was still in my early prepubescent years with no beard and I didn’t know the difference between its and it’s. Good times. Like many other gamers I loved the game for its different take on war and its modern setting. I was so infatuated with it that I decided that I will play the game on Veteran difficulty not to get all the achievements, but to have the obtain the glory that comes with it. The achievements were a welcome addition though.

I blazed through the first two levels with little to no problem because like any good 14 year old CoD player I was good at shooting terrorists in the dick. Then the first hurdle threw itself in front of me with such force and brutality that I had a realisation that I’m going to have a bad time. The TV station level. The amount of frustration and anguish I had to sit though was monumental and something I haven’t done before in my gaming life. Difficult games was a new concept to me because in the past I only played games on Normal difficulty and to suddenly be put in a situation where two bullets would mean an untimely death was foreign to me.

I battled through many deaths and cussing sessions that I was physically exhausted by the time I finally conquered the bloody level. That was just the first level that presented a challenge. In the subsequent levels that follow I didn’t have that much of an issue because I was going on pure trial and error. That all went to shit when I arrived in Prypyat. Up until the “Ferris wheel” section I was doing alright and not dying every two seconds. Then that fucking countdown timer came up and they said I had to survive until extraction. I tried and tried and tried, but every time I got shot to pieces. It was so impossible that I just stopped playing the game entirely.

Fast forward an entire year, where I built up enough courage to tackle it again with my new-found shooting skills and knowledge. I found some guides on YouTube that attempt to make my life easier on this godforsaken level. I found a nice camping spot by a tree behind some bumper cars and started taking out enemies. A few stupid deaths later I emerged victorious. That was the first time I actually jumped out of my seat and screamed “YEEEEES“. I was so proud and relieved that I finally conquered that fucking mission once and for all.

With my new found confidence I blazed through the majority of the game with little trouble. I only got held up for a while on The Sins of the Father and Ultimatum missions, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. After finishing the game and once again jumping out of my chair, I saw that I had only one more achievement left: Finish Mile High Club on Veteran. It can’t be that hard can it? FUCK.

It took me about three hours of solid playing before I finally did it. I died close to about 400 times in total and once I actually made it to the dude with the hostage before promptly shooting the hostage in the head because I was shaking too much. At first I just sat and stared at the screen for about 10 minutes in disbelief before finally screaming every form of profanity known to man. After suffering and almost literally breaking my controller, I finally reached the hostage again. I paused the game instantly and went to take a piss and watched a show on TV. I went back to the game totally relaxed and pulled off a perfect headshot. Some chair jumping occurred.

Now when I look back on my Gamercard and see that 1000 GamerScore for CoD4, I get nostalgic and marvel at my accomplishment.

Here are some tips for you gamer masochists out there who haven’t done this yet:

• Take note of your enemy’s spawn point if you continuously die at one point. Knowing where they will come out will give you ample opportunity to shoot them before they can even get a shot in.
• Use your flashbangs the best you can. The flashbangs are almost invaluable at some points. The only way you can finish Mile High Club is if you use your flashbangs correctly. They will stun your enemies and prevent them from riddling your ass full of bullets the moment they see you. These little babies are your godsend in this game.
• Take cover at all times and don’t be a hero. Take your time and make sure all your enemies are dead before advancing to the next section. Don’t allow yourself to be blindsided by some douche because you were careless.
• Don’t just use your grenades and grenade launcher ammo willy-nilly. Use them only when the situation calls for it, i.e. if there is a cluster of enemies in front of you and you can’t shoot them in time.
• If you suspect that the enemies keep respawning, it’s probably because they are. The only way to advance is by moving forward and stopping the spawn. This can be tricky so be sure of the enemy’s position before going ahead so that you can dispatch them promptly.
• Your team-mates can sometimes be useful and take out the brunt of the force for you. Allow them to do their jobs and shoot people.
• Make sure your gun is reloaded at all times. A half full clip can only bring death.
• Good fucking luck.