Getting intimate with modern warfare

So lately I've been fairly preoccupied with work, freelance, church activities, family drama and the occasional biking or rock climbing. When I do get a chance to blow the dust off my Xbox, I've mostly been playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It's arguably the best multiplayer shooter out on the system. And yes, I'm including Halo 3 in there. Here's why:

I say that for a couple reasons. First off, Modern Warfare is trying to emulate real life combat situations, to an extent. Because of that, you don't get Halo-style game play where everyone runs out in the open blasting each other point-blank. You get a lot more tactical game play where you hide in cover, make sure it's clear, then run top-speed to the next cover point. Second, you earn upgraded gear and tactical perks as you play the game, which breathes more life into game play and encourages you to participate more. As you rank up, you not only get a new medal, but you also get better guns, skills and additional challenges. All in all, I have to say it's the most well-rounded multiplayer on xbox today.