Gameloft's Modern Combat series has gone from
strength to strength and the fourth title,
Zero Hour, steps things up once again.
Unfortunately there are also strangely archaic
hold-overs being dragged in its wake, preventing
the big-console inspired game from being an
all-time classic.
The hold-over I speak of is the AI.
By now fans of the series have come to appreciate,
and maybe even love the way Gameloft have
pitched their controls, giving players access
to tight, action-packed levels without compromising
on the difficulty.
Though how that difficulty is obtained is
somewhat less impressive - enemies routinely
expose themselves to cross-fire, taking no
heed of their own safety or of breaching your
defensive positions.
In short, it's a duck-shooting gallery - all
the more-so if you happen to play with the
generous auto-aim enabled.
With that said, Zero Hour goes further than
previous titles in creating unique and gorgeously
rendered scenarios, placing you in control
of characters from both sides of the table.
One mission you'll be defending the United
States, and on another you'll be attempting
to capture and hold the President hostage.
Although the means by which the game changes
the tone of each stage is blunt, it's great
to bounce between feeling like a patriotic
hero and a grizzled, bloodthirsty maniac out
for revenge.
You really get a great sense of the calm,
yet fast-paced precision of the former, while
the latter swathes through a sea of corpses
without a care in the world.
Occasionally you'll switch perspectives as
you take control of an on-rails shooter section,
often signified by a drone, but players can
also mix-up and augment their experience by
purchasing items that specialize their character.
A Modern Combat game wouldn't be complete
without the obligatory multiplayer mode and
Gameloft once again delivers a rock-solid
online experience (as long as you're not having
troubles connecting or finding other players).
Aside from the commonly seen modes, players
can level the playing field with a 'back to
basics' mode or turn on the crazy with a capture-and-hold
mode that triggers global boosts.
For those who enjoy playing a certain way,
specialization options will now reward you
for sticking to these methods.
It's a great way to encourage diversity, though
this can be somewhat side-stepped if you're
willing to fork out cash to purchase better
weaponry early on.
It doesn't ruin the game, but the 'pay-to-win'
concept leaves a bitter taste in many player's
mouths (especially as you've already paid
to play).
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour pushes the series
a step closer towards perfection, though it
still has some distance to go thanks to poor
AI implementation and combat scenarios that
can border on repetitive.
In the least it's worth picking it up for
the campaign and it's over-the-top storyline,
but you'll stay for the multiplayer once 
you're done.
